Quick trivia question: what animal is born with a moustache?
Yup, you guessed it – cougar kittens are born with a distinctive black moustache that they will keep for their entire lives. Here are five more facts you may not know about cougar kittens:
- A female cougar will usually have 1 -3 kittens in a litter, but sometimes as many as 6. In large litters, only 3 are likely to survive.
- Cougar kittens weigh 250 – 500 g at birth, which is a lot more than a domestic kitten. As adults, female cougars will reach about 41 kg and males about 71 kg.
- The kitten’s fur is spotted, which provides great camouflage. The spots will start to fade at about 6 months.
- The kitten’s eyes will remain closed until he is 10 – 14 days old. At first his eyes will appear blue and will eventually change to brown or yellow when he gets older.
- Kittens will begin to eat meat when they are 6 weeks old. Their mother will teach them how to hunt and they will become fully independent at 12 – 28 months old.
Cougar Frenzy published by Orca Books fall 2019
In my book, Cougar Frenzy, the scientist keeps track of a female cougar, Madonna, and her two kittens, Hanna and Taylor!
