Cat vs mountain hare

Felis catus compared with Lepus timidus

Key Differences

• Cat is Not Evaluated while mountain hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cat	mountain hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Felis (Small Cats)	Lepus
Species	Felis catus	Lepus timidus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cat and mountain hare share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

mountain hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cat	mountain hare
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	46 cm	—
Average Weight	4.5 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (6 countries).

mountain hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cat

One of humanity's most successful domesticated companions, domestic cats are small, agile carnivores originating from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago. With over 70 recognized breeds, cats retain strong predatory instincts and have colonized virtually every terrestrial environment on Earth. They are the world's most popular pet, with an estimated 600 million kept worldwide.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden