Those Colossal Cats

Some cats are small, like the ones we keep

as pets. Others are truly colossal, like lions,
tigers, and leopards.

20 questions and answers about these big

cats so you’ll know all about them.

• What’s the difference between

big and small cats?
• Do all big cats roar and purr?
• Why do tigers have stripes and
leopards have spots?
• Which cat is the fastest?
• Do big cats like to swim?
• What are big cat babies like?

Marta Magellan
• Why do cats lick their fur?

Color your own tiger

mask and make big cat
finger puppets.
$8.95

Pineapple Press, Inc.

Sarasota, Florida Marta Magellan
Illustrations by Steve Weaver
Cover design by Steve Weaver
Front cover photo of the Malayan tiger
by James Gersing
 Marta Magellan
Illustrations by Steve Weaver

Pineapple Press, Inc.

Sarasota, Florida
 Copyright © 2009 by Marta Magellan

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publisher.

Photo Credits
Note: All photos through istock.com,
except those by James Gersing and Marta Magellan.
Cover photo of Malayan tiger by James Gersing; Frontispiece photo of male lion by
Nico Smit; photos on pages 20 (puma), 38 (puma), 40 (lioness), 44 (puma), and 46 (white
Bengal tiger) by James Gersing; photo on page 10 of rare white lion by Marta Magellan;
photo of black jaguar on page 8 by Sharon Morris; inserted photo of white domestic cat
on page 10 by Aleksandar Nakic; photo on page 12 of male lion by Gez Browning; photos
on pages 14 (cheetah) and 26 (cheetah) by Graeme Purdy; photo of leopard on page 16
by Alexander Hafemann; photo of leopard on page 18 by Mark Kostich; photos on pages
22 (Siberian tigress) and 30 (male lion) by Neal McClimon; photo of clouded leopard on
page 24 by Dieter Spears; photo of leopard on page 28 by Dirk Freder; photo of tiger on
page 32 by Ellen Stenard; photo of tiger on page 34 by Anna Yu; photo of tiger cub on
page 36 by Eric Isselée; and photo of snow leopard on page 42 by Yan Gluzberg.

Inquiries should be addressed to:

Pineapple Press, Inc.

P.O. Box 3889
Sarasota, Florida 34230
www.pineapplepress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Magellan, Marta
Those colossal cats / Marta Magellan ; illustrated by Steve Weaver.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-56164-457-5 (hb : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-1-56164-458-2 (pb : alk. paper)
1. Felidae—Juvenile literature. I. Weaver, Steve, ill. II. Title.
QL737.C23M243 2009
599.75—dc22
2009023032

First Edition
Hb 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pb 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Design by Steve Weaver

Printed in China
 To our four children,
who remind us of big cats:
Leon, the lion
Jason, the clouded leopard
Tracy Monique, the tiger cub
Marc Gabriel, the black jaguar

Acknowledgments
Special thanks to: members of my family for helping me
with the production of this book; Mauro Magellan for the
tiger mask; Tracy Monique Magellan for Photoshop help;
and, of course, my husband, James Gersing, for help with
many aspects of putting the book together.

I am also grateful to: Tamian Wood for designing the

activities; Linda Bernfeld and Elaine Landau along with
all the members of the Miami SCWBI critique group for
their suggestions; and June Cussen, a truly gracious and
wonderful editor.
 Contents
1. What are colossal cats? 9
2. What’s the difference between big and
small cats? 11
3. What do big cats eat? 13
4. How do cats hunt? 15
5. Where do big cats live? 17
6. Do all big cats roar and purr? 19
7. Why do cats sleep so much? 21
8. Which is the most colossal cat of all? 23
9. Which is the smallest of the big cats? 25
10. Which cat is the fastest? 27
11. Do big cats climb trees? 29
12. Which cat roars the loudest? 31
13. Why do tigers have stripes and
leopards have spots? 33
14. Do big cats like to swim? 35
15. What are big cat babies like? 37
 16. How do cats see so well? 39
17. Why do cats lick their fur? 41
18. Which big cat is the furriest? 43
19. Can a big cat be a pet? 45
20. Are big cats endangered? 47

Activities
Make a tiger mask 48
Make big cat finger puppets 49

Where to learn more about big cats 50

Glossary 52
About the author 54
Index 55
What are colossal cats?
Colossal means really huge. All cats,
big or small, belong to the same animal
family. Because of their size and
strength, the big cats fill people with
wonder and awe. The biggest cats of
all are the lions, tigers, leopards, and
jaguars. These four are sometimes called
“great cats.” Cheetahs, snow leopards,
clouded leopards, and pumas are also
big cats. (Pumas are also known as
panthers, cougars, or mountain lions.)