Domestic puma: breed characteristics, maintenance

History of the discovery of the Puma species

Humanity has known this unique American small cat for a long time; back in the Middle Ages, the first scientific description appeared, made by the Spanish Count Pedro Sierra Leon, who made many geographical discoveries and spent most of his life traveling around Central and South America. The work “Chronicles of Peru” written by him is the first unique travel encyclopedia.

The Spaniard was introduced to this wild cat by local Indian tribes, who took the animals inhabiting the jungle very seriously. So, for the Incas, the Puma was always a representative of the heavenly deity, for the Apaches they were harbingers of death, for the Cherokees these animals were simply inviolable and sacred.

After Spain enslaved the tribes of Central and South America, hard times came for everyone - for the local Indians, for the flora and fauna, and for the invaders themselves. Invasions of huge Pumas into camps each time ended with the disappearance of cows and mules, and the Indians did not allow the Spaniards to kill the sacred animals. Even expensive gifts to the leaders could not shake the persistence of the warriors. After all, the Indians believed that Pumas protected their tribes from the invasion of evil spirits and were ready to sacrifice mules to them.

Cougars at that time lived over very vast territories - practically from the southern shores of the Alaska Peninsula to the Strait of Magellan. In the end, the white hunters won - a widespread hunt was announced for Pumas. At first it went under the slogan of protecting livestock, but then the Yankees liked the hunting trophies themselves from cruel fun - luxurious skins, fangs, claws, and the settlers did not refuse the meat of these cats.

By the end of the 20th century, these gorgeous wild cats came to the brink of complete destruction. Nowadays, hunting for Puma is prohibited in America; the population size is being intensively restored in numerous nature reserves and national parks.

Abyssinian cat - indoor puma

Among all existing breeds, the Abyssinian cat is most similar to a wild puma. It is even sometimes called the “domestic puma.” Graceful, elegant, energetic, with a chic zoned color. With her beauty she captivates even many dog lovers, not to mention the fact that the Abyssinian is incredibly sensitive and intelligent.

Appearance

Adult males weigh significantly more, almost 3 times the weight of females. A male can weigh about 70 kg, although some individuals can gain as much as 100 kilograms, with a body length of almost 2 meters. The height at the withers reaches more than 80 cm, with a tail length of more than 70 centimeters. The puma is distinguished by a long and fairly flexible body, with a fairly proportional head, as well as medium-sized round ears. The animal's eyes are beautiful, with a peculiar black border, and the predator has a rather attentive gaze.

The front paws have 5 toes, and the hind paws, which are wider and more powerful, have 4 toes. The claws are retractable, quite sharp and curved, which allows the predator to securely grab and hold its prey. In addition, they help the animal to climb trees without much effort. These animals have short and coarse hair, but quite thick. The main color resembles that of deer, which form the basis of the diet of this predator.

Interesting moment! The color of the coat is made in red, gray-brown, sand and yellowish-brown shades. The offspring that are born have a slightly different body color.

Their coat is literally dotted with dark, almost black spots, stripes are visible on the front and hind legs, and characteristic rings are visible on the tail.

The main color of this predator depends on the living conditions, therefore animals living in tropical conditions have more reddish shades, and animals living in colder regions are characterized by a color made in gray tones.

Description and characteristics of the breed

The domestic puma is a member of the cat family from the United States of America. The length of the animal reaches 100-170 centimeters. Body weight is up to 100 kilograms. Males are 30 kg larger than females. Main characteristics of cats of this breed:

Torso. Flexible and long, well-formed muscles.
Limbs. Strong, powerful, but short. The hind ones are much more massive than the front ones.
Head. Round, small relative to the body.
Tail. Long, strong, equally pubescent.
Paws. Extensive, with pointed and curved claws. The hind legs have 4 phalanges, the front ones - 5. The pads are oval in shape and consist of three parts - a common feature of all puma cats.
Wool. Dense and short. Hard to the touch.
Color. Adults are monochromatic, gray-chestnut or brown-yellow. There are white tan marks on the chest, belly and neck. There are dark markings on the muzzle. Ears and tail with black edge. Pumas from regions with hot climates are smaller in size and more red in color. The coloring of puma babies is different. The fur is covered with black spots and stripes. The tails have dark rings. The spots on the coat lighten by the age of one, and completely disappear by two.

Puma subspecies

Almost until the year 2000, scientists identified about 30 subspecies of this predator, based on morphological characteristics. Nowadays, pumas have been classified into 6 subspecies, taking into account the genetic characteristics of the animals, as well as their habitat.

Therefore, predators are defined depending on their belonging to certain genomes, as well as their habitat areas.

In connection with these factors, the following predators are distinguished:

Puma concolor costaricensis, native to Central America.
Puma concolor couguar, found in North America.
Puma concolor cabrerae. This subspecies inhabits central South America.
Puma concolor capricornensis. This species of predator is found in the eastern regions of South America.
Puma concolor puma is found in the southern regions of South America.
Puma concolor concolor. Animals of this subspecies live within the northern regions of South America.

Interesting to know! In the wooded and swampy areas of South Florida, a rather rare subspecies of Puma concolor coryi, called the Florida cougar, was found.

The most numerous populations are found in the Big Cypress National Preserve in the USA. In 2011, there were about 160 individuals, after which the animals were listed in the International Red Book (IUCN), defining the status as a subspecies in critical condition. Unfortunately, this subspecies disappeared due to human activity, who haphazardly drained the swamps, and also hunted the predator for sport. In addition, inbreeding, which consisted in the fact that closely related animals mated with the hope of increasing the total number of predators, also has some relation to this negative factor.

Difficulties in choosing and purchasing

You can legally buy a puma only in a nursery . The easiest way to find advertisements for sale is on Avito and pet breeder forums. You should trust advertisements with photographs and accurate data and remember that wild animals cannot be too cheap.

There are cases when people bought pumas from petting zoos, but the best option is still a nursery; you will definitely be sure that the kitten is healthy, has the necessary veterinary documents, and you will be able to consult with the breeder on issues of nutrition and maintenance.

Sources:

https://givotniymir.ru/puma-zhivotnoe-obraz-zhizni-i-sreda-obitaniya-pumy/ https://animaljournal.ru/article/puma_jivotnoe_hishnik https://skolkos.ru/skolko-stoit-kotenok-pumy -osobennosti-i-cena/

Puma's diet

Cougars are classic night hunters. Animals usually go out for prey in the twilight hours, but the process can drag on for a long time. The fact is that the main diet of this predator is large ungulate mammals, usually several times larger than a cat in size.

If Cougar attacked elk and buffalo in daylight, and even in open areas, then it would not be worth talking about instant prey and the outcome of the fight.

The Mountain Lion is very cunning and cautious. He tracks down prey on the paths leading to a watering hole, entering from the windward side so as not to frighten off the prey ahead of time. Then follows a lightning-fast jump onto the animal’s scruff, and now the sharp fangs tear the neck vein, break the spine or strangle.

One should not think that Pumas feed exclusively on artiodactyls. These predators are omnivores and do not refuse any protein food. Their diet may also include:

rodents – mice, marmots, voles;
proteins;
opossums;
rabbits;
coyotes;
other predatory cats;
porcupines;
sloths;
monkey;
prairie dogs;
beavers;
armadillos;
birds;
fish;
insects and snails.

Ungulates still occupy the majority of the Cougar's diet. This is most often:

deer – black- and white-tailed, pampas;
moose;
wapiti;
caribou;
bighorn sheep.

In Latin America, Mountain Lions often attack humpless camels and also fight alligators. Any Pumas are able to fight baribals, grizzly bears.

In times of famine, the Puma gladly robs cattle farms, destroying any animals - cows, horses, mules, poultry, dogs and cats.

This predator is capable of eating up to one and a half tons of meat in a year. Having laid down the deer, the animal eats only part of the carcass, up to 10 kg, and prefers to hide the rest in secluded places. In general, this animal tends to make reserves, which are often stolen by scavengers and even by people, if hunters specifically followed the Puma for this purpose.

Despite its tendency to be nocturnal, a very hungry Cougar is capable of hunting during daylight hours.

How much does a personal mountain lion cost?

The choice of breeders is quite large. The easiest way is to find an advertisement on Avito that meets your needs. Breeders of predatory cats are also represented on all-Russian pet forums; most of them have personal websites with photographs and descriptions.

Choice implies a range of prices. You won’t be able to buy a puma cheaply; a kitten will cost from one hundred thousand rubles. If you find a cheaper offer, you should think about it, perhaps it is a scammer, or a sick or substandard animal is being sold.

Maintenance and care

To properly keep pumas in captivity, the animals should be provided with a specialized equipped room - an outdoor cage (aviary). This iron structure can be up to 3 meters in height. It is closed on three sides by a strong lattice and on the fourth by strong wooden boards. There must be a small house attached to the side - a shelter for the animal in bad weather and a place where it spends time during the cleaning period. For a puma, the minimum cage size must be 30 square meters, and the house must be 2x2 meters. To strengthen muscles and maintain shape, animals need enough movement, which can be provided by hanging a piece of meat from a tree on a strong rope. In addition, the enclosure should have toys - strong, dense balls, inner tubes from car wheels, strong cables and wooden sticks.

If a cat grows up next to a person from infancy, then you can take him home. It is necessary to prepare a place for resting and feeding. It is recommended to walk the domestic cougar in the fresh air, where it has the opportunity to actively run and play, but always on a leash. The animal should be bathed when it is heavily soiled with special shampoos. You will need to wipe your eyes and ears infrequently with a soft, natural cloth soaked in warm water. The cougar needs to be brushed several times a month; it practically does not shed.

Diseases and vaccinations

The owner of the Chausie is lucky - apart from sensitive digestion and a tendency to obesity, representatives of this breed have excellent health. Apparently, their wild ancestors gave them stable immunity to colds and infectious diseases. And timely vaccinations help further increase resistance to disease. Chausies almost never get sick.

Preventive measures and vaccination schedules do not differ from other cat breeds. The first vaccination against calicivirus, rhinotracheitis and panleukopenia is administered to a kitten at the age of 8–9 weeks, and repeated a month later. Additionally, the rabies vaccine is administered twice during the first year. Adult animals continue to be vaccinated every year.

Vaccination is carried out for Chausie according to the same schedule as for all other breeds

For frequent walks on the street, it is necessary to treat the animal's fur with special anti-tick and flea products.

Behavior and lifestyle

Cougars prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle, forming pairs only during the mating season, which lasts only one week, while the female and her offspring stay together until the kittens become completely independent. Adult males behave aggressively towards each other, but young males behave very friendly. The total number of these predators depends on the amount of game, so on one hundred square kilometers you can find one owner of such a territory, and in areas that are half the size - more than ten individuals.

The plot, which is under the control of the male, can be up to 350 square km or 10 times less, depending on the availability of food supply. It should be noted that each territory never overlaps with the territory in which relatives hunt. They mark their territory using urine and feces, as well as by leaving scratches on trees. Cougars constantly move around their areas, and the intensity of such migration depends on the time of year. These predators feel great on any rough terrain, as they are considered record holders for high and long jumps.

Puma is capable of:

Long jump 7 meters or more.
Jump almost 5 meters in height.
Jump from a height of up to 18 meters.

Interesting to know! These predators are capable of accelerating to a speed of 50 km/h, but only for a short time, while the animals perfectly overcome mountain slopes, easily climb trees, and also jump from rock to rock. Cougars feel good in water, but do not have much interest in the water element.

The predator goes hunting at dusk, and during the daytime these animals sit out or lie down in their shelters. For many years, people believed that cougars made heartbreaking sounds, but, as it turns out, these are just fantasies born out of chilling fear. Cougars make loud noises only during breeding periods, and the rest of the time they make sounds characteristic of all “felines,” including the familiar “meow” sound.

Lifestyle of a domesticated puma

In its natural habitat, the cougar is a solitary animal. The puma looks for a mate only during the mating season. The predator marks its territory with scratches on rocks and trees, as well as with secretions. If you are planning to buy a puma kitten for your home, then immediately keep in mind that in captivity a mountain lion, as this cat is also called, will behave the same way. Little kittens are playful. They make good contact with people, but from the first months of life they often strive to demonstrate a leadership character. Adults are more reserved. During the day they like to sleep and bask in the sun; in the evening their activity increases significantly - it’s time to hunt. Therefore, you should buy a cougar or an animal whose price is affordable for you to place in a separate room or outdoor enclosure. Otherwise, the cougar will not give rest to the owners, will irritate with night noise and interfere with rest.

Colors

The following colors of Abyssinian cats are accepted by the standards: sorel, fawn, wild, blue. There are also several unrecognized varieties in brown, chocolate, silver, and lilac.

The Abyssinian fawn cat wears a light brown (beige) coat with cocoa-colored markings.
The blue Abyssinian is characterized by having a warm gray, blue-gray or beige coat throughout the body, with darker markings on the face and tail.
The sorrel color is the color of the red cat. It is covered with reddish-red fur, and chocolate markings are clearly visible on its face and tail.
The wild color of the Abyssinian is the most common. The coat is black, dark brown or ocher. A black tail and muzzle complement the appearance of cats with wild colors.

A color in which there are white areas on the chin is not valued; the fewer there are, the higher the place the beauty occupies at the exhibition.

Allergy to Abyssinians

It is possible to develop an allergy to the Abyssinian breed, but this is unlikely. If a cat is said to have a hypoallergenic coat, it means that they produce fewer allergens than others. Abyssinians are one of the breeds called by owners and breeders as anti-allergenic.

Reproduction

There is no specific time of year for the animal to reproduce. Copulation, just like with other cats, is accompanied by deafening screams of males and fights. Estrus in females lasts 10 days. Pregnancy lasts 80-95 days. 1-6 babies are born in a litter; a puma kitten weighs 225-450 grams and has a body length of 30 centimeters. The color of kittens is chocolate with black dots and stripes, and changes during the first year of life. Babies' eyes open within a week. At this time, the first teeth appear.

From six weeks they begin to consume adult food, but continue to be fed with mother's milk. During this period, females have to obtain food several times more than usual. Until the age of two, kittens are close to their mother, then they go in search of personal hunting areas. Females reach puberty at 2 years and 6 months, and males only at 3 years. In natural conditions, the life expectancy of a cougar is 15-20 years; in domestic conditions, it all depends on maintenance, care and nutrition.

Breeding season and young development

Photo: www.evanmathieson.net

Mountain lions breed year-round, but at higher latitudes, birth rates peak during the summer months. The time interval between births is about two years, but this is shortened if the litter dies or disperses early.

Cubs are carried for an average of 90 days; the average litter size usually does not exceed three young, but a female can produce up to six kittens at a time. Spotted and blind cubs at birth weigh about 400 grams and have an average height of 30 cm. The “maternity hospital” is set up in almost impenetrable thickets of vegetation. The cubs are taken away from it when they are 1.5-2.5 months old.

Females feed and raise the young without the support of adult males, since they sometimes kill other people's kittens. Cubs do not leave their mother until 10-26 months, but the vast majority of them die before reaching this age. It is noteworthy that captured puma kittens are easy to tame.

Photo: Tierra Hotels

At the age of two, young females scatter in the range of 10-140 km (average 40 km); young males often run further, sometimes covering a distance of over 250 km. It can take them a year to become part of the breeding population, during which time an individual will successively occupy and leave one to five small temporary home territories. If a home range can be established, the cougar can be expected to live here for another 7-11 years.

Breeding interval: every two years
Breeding season: all year
Average number of offspring: three cubs
Gestation period: 82-96 days
Average age of sexual or reproductive maturity: 2.5 years (females), 3 years (males)

Puma and man

Despite the fact that Theodore Roosevelt created a society for the protection of animals, this society was negatively opposed to pumas, so they began to be systematically shot in the United States. As a result of such activities of this society, several hundred thousand of these animals were destroyed. At the same time, it is worth noting that this predator does not attack a person for no reason, but tries to avoid such an encounter. For almost a century and a half, only a few dozen such attacks were recorded, most of which occurred on the island. Vancouver.

When in areas where pumas are found, a number of precautions must be taken. They are expressed as follows:

Don't leave children alone.
Carry a powerful stick with you.
Don't be alone.
When meeting a predator, do not run away from it, but look into its eyes and make scary sounds.

A cougar will not attack a tall person, so its targets of attack are either children or small people who find themselves on its territory at night.

What does the price depend on?

The cost of pumas depends on several criteria:

Age. The cost of adult trained animals exceeds the price of kittens. And newborn kittens are cheaper compared to monthly kittens.
Paula. Females are more expensive than males.
Vida. There are six subspecies of mountain lions. The rarer ones are more expensive.

Important! In some cases, intercity delivery is required, the cost of which is discussed with the seller separately.

Not all subspecies can be purchased on the territory of the Russian Federation. The most valuable and expensive are black cougars, which are rare even in the wild.

Interesting facts about Pumas

The puma attacks short people only at dusk and at night, and even then only if they move quickly. The animal simply perceives them in this case as prey.

A cougar is capable of carrying the carcass of a killed animal, the weight of which is up to seven times its own, over long distances and even dragging it up a tree.

In Latin America, there are still tribes that live off the hunting dexterity of Pumas. The Indians are chasing the predator, after the animal has made a burial and hid the carcass, people take the meat.

Man has always admired Cougar's strength, intelligence and agility. The Indians often gave their children names related to the name of the beast, and depicted the Mountain Lion on rocks and ceramics. The Inca tribe considered this cat associated with the gods of heaven and thunder. The Apaches associated every cry of the beast with the arrival of death. For the Cherokee Indians, it was an inviolable, sacred animal, like the Jaguar.

Lifestyle and habitat

The puma is called the American cat because it inhabits vast areas of North and South America. The predator colonizes mountainous areas up to 4700 meters, forests, grassy plains, and swampy lowlands. The ability to adapt to a new environment preserves animal populations despite unfavorable survival factors. Pumas are versatile in their ability to climb trees, mountain slopes, and swim in bodies of water.

The animal is capable of jumping up to 6-7 meters long, jumping on surfaces 2.5-4.5 meters high, and reaching a running speed of 50 km/h. A feature of cougars is that they run fast only over short distances, after which they become exhausted. Therefore, animals often climb to heights if danger threatens. A case is described in which a puma escaped on top of a tall cactus to escape a pack of dogs.

Cougars have a solitary lifestyle, except during mating periods. The female’s hunting zone covers the male’s border territory and occupies 26-350 km². The males' territories are larger in size - 140-760 km², and never intersect. Males never meet together, with the exception of the period when they begin independent life. The boundaries of the plots are marked by scratches on trees and animal excretions. Seasonal movements of predators occur within their territory. Population density depends on the amount of game.

Is it possible to keep a big cat at home?

According to animal rights activist Irina Novozhilova, keeping unusual animals in families is now widespread, and this is not controlled by the state in any way. The domestic puma is a unique case, but not yet the most exotic. In Nizhny Novgorod, a leopard lives in an apartment and is walked on the playground. In Samara, a policeman keeps snakes, a chameleon, a monkey and a crocodile. Two big cats live in a Moscow apartment: a female leopard and a lioness. In Kursk, a young man keeps scorpions, snakes and 600 spiders. A Volgograd resident bought a separate house for breeding pythons, iguanas and cockroaches. Two wolves sing along with their owner’s harmonica, foxes walk on a leash, and the owners of meerkats, marmoset monkeys and pythons exchange experiences in Telegram channels. In the Sergiev Posad region you can choose a domestic raccoon in a “kindergarten”, and in St. Petersburg you can contact a veterinarian for exotic animals.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, anyone can be the owner of an unusual animal.

, but only if it is not listed in the Red Book. There is criminal liability for keeping or smuggling Red Book animals. There are no restrictions on the size and biological characteristics of the animal.

Theoretically, you can even keep a lion in your apartment

The law does not regulate the rules for keeping a pet in an apartment, but puts forward several simple requirements: the animal must be in the apartment

, and not in a common corridor or on a staircase, at a set time should not
disturb neighbors
by barking, hissing and purring. If the animal causes harm to the life, health or property of other people, the owner will be held liable in accordance with civil, administrative or criminal law.

Animal abuse

prohibited and punishable by a fine of up to eighty thousand rubles (Article 245 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). These are actions that “resulted in their death or injury,” and were committed “out of hooligan motives, or for selfish motives, or using sadistic methods, or in the presence of minors.”

Sasha and Masha are categorically against people having exotic animals in their homes, despite the fact that Messi's story inspires subscribers. He has a unique destiny and a unique set of qualities. It is 30% smaller than a normal cougar and is a rare combination of extremely gentle nature and intelligence.

“When they write to us that they also want to get a puma, we respond with a big message about why this should not be done under any circumstances: “We don’t recommend it, because most likely you won’t cope with it, and the animal will return to the zoo again.” , and this is enormous stress for him.” Among our familiar breeders, there are very few sensible, purposeful and consistent ones,” sums up Sasha.

Maine Coon

These are the largest cats that came to us from the North American continent. In appearance, the cat resembles a lynx, but the breed is considered natural - that is, it was formed without artificial crossing. The characteristics of the breed are:

Impressive body size.
Tassels on the ears.
Fluffy long tail.
The head with a flat skull is of medium size.
The nose is wide, with a dense line crossing the muzzle.
Eyes – amber, light cats can have blue eyes or multi-colored ones (this phenomenon is called heterochromia).
Interesting harmonious coloring.
The coat is dense, silky with a dense undercoat, thanks to which the animal is not afraid of frost.
Large developed limbs.
Between the toes there are layers of wool, due to which the cat can walk on the snow crust without falling through.

The average weight of a male is up to 12 kg, and females are much lighter, only 5–6 kg. Some cats reach a weight of 15 kg.

The nature of cats is peaceful, they will happily play with their owner. Maine Coons are very smart, rarely feel anxious and are not prone to stress. Having decided to get yourself this giant cat, you should think about whether you will be ready to comb his luxurious fur at least twice a week for 30–40 minutes?

Life of a puma in captivity

Nowadays, it has become fashionable to keep wild animals in homes, including predatory cats. Pumas are no exception, and on the Internet you can find offers for the sale of cubs, as well as reviews and videos about keeping pumas in captivity.

A puma in the house often behaves like an ordinary cat

But having decided to take such a step, you need to understand that living together with a puma will not be easy; this will require a special room or enclosure, expensive food, veterinary support and much more. In addition, even a tamed puma remains a wild animal, obeying natural instincts, so no one can guarantee complete safety for other pets, as well as for the owners themselves. Adult pumas cannot be tamed, so we are talking only about cubs.

As for zoos, cougars are found there very often, exist and reproduce safely. They are widely represented in our Russian zoos.

Features of care

Naturalists who have studied the puma claim that it is quite suitable for the role of a pet and gets along well with cats and dogs living in the house, but it cannot resist hunting birds. Therefore, if there are chickens, ducks or geese on the farm, the owner of a cougar freely roaming around the yard will have to come to terms with the periodic loss of the bird. Cougar kittens are fed milk and boiled meat; they eat cereals and vegetables only if cooked in meat broth.

Small pumas are fed milk, then gradually transferred to boiled, and then to raw meat

As pumas grow older, they switch to raw meat. The predator eats about 2 kg of raw meat per day, the best option is beef. If you don't give your cougar meat, it will get sick.

Like many other cats, before eating raw meat, the cougar licks it, and after eating it thoroughly washes itself and sleeps for several hours.

The cougar needs to be given plenty of water, as well as fresh grass or special vitamin supplements, which the veterinarian will recommend.

The behavior of puma cubs in the house does not differ from ordinary kittens; they play a lot, especially with moving objects, communicate with other pets, and are affectionate towards people. At the same time, small spotted pumas look very funny and attractive. They can make interesting sounds, more like chirping birds than meowing. When in a good mood, cougars can purr like cats, snort out of fear, and grumble out of irritation.

Puma cubs are similar in character to regular kittens, they also love to play and become attached to their owners

A puma can and should be taken out for walks on a leash; this gives it the opportunity to spend time in its natural environment - a forest or park. A grown-up puma should be transferred to an enclosure, since an adult animal will cause a lot of problems in a house or city apartment. A private house or cottage with a large fenced area and equipped enclosures is more suitable for the life of any predatory feline .

The puma feels good being in a spacious outdoor enclosure or walking around the yard, but in an ordinary apartment she is bored and cramped

The cougar will patiently endure procedures for caring for its fur, ears, eyes and claws only if it has been accustomed to them since childhood. The puma's claws are long and sharp, so when keeping the animal in the house, they will have to be trimmed regularly.

When keeping a puma in a house or apartment, you need to trim the puma’s claws regularly, otherwise troubles cannot be avoided.

Where to place a cougar

To make the animal feel safe and able to spend time actively, it is recommended to build a spacious cage for the fast and jumping predator. The area of the enclosure should be at least 30-40 m², taking into account the size of an adult cougar. The building must have high walls and a roof. A house is built inside where the puma can hide in bad weather. A feeder and drinking bowl are installed inside the enclosure. When people search for information on the Internet using the query “buy puma animal price,” the search engine produces a lot of data not only about nurseries and the cost of the animal, but also about the intricacies of keeping a savage. The Cougar needs to constantly move to develop its physical capabilities and mental abilities. To do this, logs and platforms made of boards are installed in the cage, on which the animal can jump. You can also hang a car tire, buy durable balls or rubber bones. The puma loves water, so installing an artificial pond, with the ability to close it for the winter, would not be amiss.

What to feed a puma at home

If you want to buy a puma kitten, you should immediately study information about the feeding habits of the animal. Predators hunt mainly elk, medium-sized deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope. The cougar also does not disdain small animals: raccoons, beavers, squirrels, sometimes lynxes become prey for a large cat; it is able to catch up with an ostrich and grab a bird in a jump in flight. At home, the menu is more modest, but it must include:

meat of several types;
live food;
fish.

On average, a puma eats about 1,300 kg of meat per year. It is sometimes necessary to give the cat the opportunity to hunt - to let rabbits, quails, and mice into the pen. The animal is fed once a day, with one fasting day every week. The owner of a puma should take care to enrich the diet with vitamins. Particularly important are vitamins A and E, calcium, as well as vitamin D, which is synthesized by the body in the sun. The drinking bowl is always kept filled with fresh water.

Jungle cat at home

No matter how much you try to dissuade those who want to put a wild creature in their home, it will be of no use. It’s better to talk about how a domestic jungle cat will behave.

Maintaining such an unbridled and active creation of a house will not bring pleasure to people who value their furnishings - everything that was in its place will be chewed, turned over or torn off. For home keeping, it is better to provide the animal with conditions close to natural, for example, organize an enclosure with a pond.

What does a domestic cat (reed cat) do in the house? He gallops as hard as he can around the rooms, rushes like the wind, jumps around the corner onto the owner’s feet, immediately rushing off and disappearing under the closet, as if in a secret lair. To prevent the animal from becoming the absolute master of the house, they begin to educate it from early childhood, simultaneously accustoming it to a scratching post and a tray. To satisfy the natural needs of hunting, you will need to treat the Hausa with live food.

Buy a jungle cat kitten

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It is unlikely that anyone will be able to buy a marsh lynx in Russia, since there are no nurseries selling reed kittens here. Of course, you can find an advertisement on some website for the sale of a reed kitten, but is it really such, because you can buy an ordinary yard cat for a fabulous price.

If you have a wild desire to buy a Hausa, then you should not trust illegal sources that are not able to document either the purity of the breed or the state of health of the animal. In addition, when poachers offer an animal from the wild, and not one raised in a nursery in an enclosure, one should not even hope that the cat will become a pet.

The cost of a reed kitten will be no less than 3-8 thousand dollars, so a lower price should alert buyers.

Messi's pet puma

In February 2021, an ordinary family from Penza adopted a puma kitten named Messi, which they managed to buy from the Penza Petting Zoo. Young people raised, educated and trained a wild animal. We started him a channel on Youtube and an Instagram page. This is how Messi became an Internet star.

The story began with the birth of three puma kittens at the Saransk Zoo. Since it was on the eve of Euro 2016, the kids were named Messi, Suarez and Neymar. As a small kitten, Messi moved to live in a petting zoo in Penza, from where he was bought by the current owners sick and weak. The kitten turned out to be surprisingly affectionate and friendly. And as it turned out later, it was also smaller than the average size for a puma. Apparently, this was how his painful childhood affected him.

Messi's owners compare keeping a cougar with keeping two large dogs, and this applies not only to food, but also to the time spent on communication, education and training.

Messi lives in an apartment and shares territory with a sphinx. Moreover, the boundaries of his possessions are much smaller than those of a domestic cat. Puma owners pay a lot of attention to socialization, education and training. To the question: “Is it worth keeping a cougar at home?” The answer is a categorical no! Messi is a special specimen. He is much more sociable and friendly than other wild cats, even small ones. In addition, the house will have to make significant interior additions, arrange the space, hang shelves and branches for climbing, allocate an entire bathtub for the toilet, and so on.

Keeping exotic animals in Russia is quite widespread and is not controlled by the state, with the only exception being animals listed in the Red Book and purchased illegally. The domestic puma in Penza is not a unique case. Another one, for example, lives in the Moscow region. In Nizhny Novgorod, a leopard lives in an apartment, and in Moscow, a leopard and a lioness. You won’t surprise anyone with raccoons, foxes, monkeys and other small animals.

Media attention

In 2021, the Dmitrievs created an Instagram account and YouTube channel for Messi, called "I_am_puma". Photos and videos posted on these social networks show various aspects of daily life with a cougar. Messi's social media accounts quickly skyrocketed in popularity; by January 2018, the Instagram account already had nearly 150,000 followers and over 50 million views. Currently, Instagram and Youtube accounts have more than 1,000,000 subscribers

Criticism

While the attention on social media was mostly positive, some criticized the Dmitrievs for keeping Messi at home. Opponents of the domestication of wild animals fear that Messi's wild needs will not be met and that as Messi reaches puberty, he may become more prone to dangerous behavior. They advise the Dmitrievs to send Messi to a zoo or nature reserve. The Dmitrievs, however, believe that Messi will not be able to survive in the wild since he grew up in captivity. Additionally, while the couple doesn't approve of big cat domestication in general, they believe Messi is a special case due to his calm personality and health.

History of the origin of the breed

The history of the breed begins more than two thousand years ago. They were revered as a sacred animal, and only rulers were allowed to have them. Images of Abyssinian cats were found in the tombs of the pharaohs, as well as in ancient artifacts.

The breed received its name from the country in which it became most famous. The origin of these unusual creatures cannot be determined with certainty.

Abyssinian mummies were found in large numbers in Egypt, so there is an assumption that they first appeared there. They came to America in 1907 together with the captain of a long-distance ship.

According to another version, the ancestors of the Abyssinians were African cats; more precisely, the Abyssinians came from a mixture of several species of wild cats from Africa and the Middle East. The jungle cat, the steppe cat, and the Libyan wild cat have features similar to the Abyssinians.

Some scientists believe that the breed originated from Afghanistan or southeast Asia. Stuffed cats were found there, the color of their fur was similar to that of Abyssinian cats.

The breed was officially registered as a new breed in 1896, but during the war they practically disappeared. Only through great efforts of breeders was it possible to preserve, multiply and spread the population to different places on the planet.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

During the existence of the zoo, pumas were kept here several times. These cats live well in captivity and bear offspring. Currently, a young large male puma lives in “Cat Row”, who arrived from the Veliky Ustyug Zoo. He walks around the enclosure not only in the evening, like most cats, but is often active during the day. His daily diet includes 1.5 kg of beef, a little ox heart and 4-5 rats, which he eats with great appetite. The beast greets familiar people with a uterine sound that vaguely resembles a purr. We hope that our handsome guy will soon have a girlfriend, and they will make us happy with the birth of little spotted kittens.

Nutrition

Chausie has a special digestive system and a shortened intestine that cannot digest most plant foods, including cereals and legumes found in many foods. Because of these features, inherited from the jungle cat, the Chausie can be fed only with natural food.

What foods can be given to Chausie:

lean beef;
low-fat cottage cheese;
quail meat;
bird necks (crushed);
rabbit meat;
white sea fish;
feed mice;
day old chicks;
raw quail eggs.

Some of the foods on the list are unusual, such as mice and chickens. But they are the ones that make up a harmonious and familiar diet for the chausie; they should be given at least twice a week. You can order chickens from a poultry farm; mice are sold in specialized pet stores as food for snakes. Cottage cheese is given to obtain calcium once or twice a week, 50–80 g.

Chausies should eat natural food from childhood

Chausie loves quail eggs, but you should not abuse them - 4-5 eggs a week will be enough. Meat makes up 80–85% of the chausie’s diet; it is recommended to alternate its varieties: the first day - beef, the second - rabbit, the third - quail, etc. The fish is given boiled or lightly boiled, two to three times a week.

It will also be useful to give Chausie vitamins for cats - this will compensate for the lack of nutrients.

What vitamins are suitable for Chausie: