Best Pictures of Cats and More

Maine Coon Slide Show

2012-02-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

The best Maine Coon pictures on the internet in a large format slide show. Most of the pictures are of course by the celebrated Helmi Flick. The cats that Helmi photographs are nearly always show cats and some are really high class award winners at the top of the show cat tree. Some of the other pictures are by Dani who lives in the Netherlands. She is an amateur photographer and breeds cats including traditional Persians, Ragdolls and Maine Coons. All the photos have credits.

Fine photos by Helmi Flick, Dani and others

The Maine Coon has a very distinguished appearance I think. It is what cuts them out from other purebred cats.

You will see "pretty" Maine Coons registered with the CFA and more shaggy, natural Maine Coons registered with TICA. You will see a slight difference between the US Maine Coons and the Dutch cats.

Kung-Fu Cat Picture

2012-02-02T04:16:00.000-08:00

A genuine kung-fu cat photographed by Barry Primrose published on Flickr. Of course we are only kidding because cats don't do kung-fu but this is a nice picture of what I presume to be cats at play. Cat play is a form fighting or attacking prey which is why the ginger tabby bicolor cat (Bob) has his mouth open about to bite the upper back or neck of the cowering brown tabby. I don't think the brown tabby is submissive to Bob, just playing the attacked cat at that moment.

Kung-Fu cat - Photo copyright Barry Primrose - published here with his permission

I think Barry did a really nice job of capturing the action both in terms of timing and freezing the action. This requires a fast shutter speed and a good eye. I have a feeling, though, that these two cats like some rough and tumble routinely (social play) which makes it easier for Barry to get his shot.

A bit about cat play

The picture might have captured the pounce following the face-off. These are two postures/actions in the social play of cats.

In the development of kittens social play is physical interaction between kittens. The series of behavior patterns that describe social play are modified and restricted versions of the sort of behavior we see in aggressive encounters between adult cats or when preying on other animals.

I was informed that kittens learn how hard to bite during play. Facial expressions apparently give a signal that this is play and not for real. Play between kittens takes place most often at age 9 - 14 weeks. Social play stops at about 14 weeks of age. Cats then play with objects like balls etc.

The two cats in the picture seem to be adults. Why are they play fighting? If they are indeed play fighting it is because as is the case for all domestic cats, they have been kept in a state kittenhood by their human caretaker.

See an F2 Savannah cat at play in a cat play tunnel. And some more detail on cat play.

Picture of Sad Siamese and Sleepy Persian

2012-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

This little collage of two purebred cats These cats represent the extremes.

Sad Siamese - Sleepy Persian

It is odd looking at them and to think that they are domestic cats. You can see that this a due to selective breeding. In the wild you do not see this sort of variation.

The top cat is a modern Siamese and the bottom an ultra typed Persian (contemporary Persian).

Ragdoll cat photo by Giane Portal

2012-02-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

Giane takes lots of brilliant cat photographs so I have chosen this one more or less at random. They are all great photos. You can see some more of her Ragdoll photos on this Flickr page.

You know what they say about Ragdoll in relation to the eyes. Well this cat has the Ragdoll eyes: clear, crystal China-blue. The face looks perfect Ragdoll to me. It is a pointed face like the Siamese but interrupted by the white spotting gene producing a very symmetrical inverted, white "V". This is the way I visualise the Ragdoll face.

Anne Baker the creator of the breed also created a ton of mystery around the creation. This has proved very effective, actually. It was no doubt done deliberate to create interest while seeking recognition for the breed.

It is all fiction, of course! We just have a very attractive long haired that tends to be docile. Do you live with a hyperactive Ragdoll cat?!

Ugly Cat Picture

2012-01-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

The ugly cat picture is one of the many internet cults along the lines of the cheeseburger LOL pics. Many people like them but the cult is dying. Personally I don't. Sorry to be a killjoy. I just see either and sick cat, or a wet cat or a photoshopped cat or a badly bred cat with no future.

The first picture looks like a modern Siamese cat or an Oriental Shorthair that is patently overbred even for a cat that is already overdone:

Ugly cat?

Above: I am not sure I would call this cat an ugly cat, actually. More a sad cat. Breeders like to breed large ears and an oriental style face (long). This fella has a very bony long face that looks artificial and the ears are horribly unnatural.

Ugly cat or sick cat?

The cat immediately above looks like a poorly bred orange tabby Exotic Shorthair with tear duct overflow and jaw misalignment. This is a cat that suffers because of irresponsible breeding and to call the cat ugly is unfair. Apparently deformities of the jaw or teeth are a hazard in breeding the Exotic Shorthair. I mention that on this page: Tabby and White Exotic Shorthair Cat. The picture below is another horrible mess of an attempt to breed a flat faced cat, probably the modern Persian. Madness. We don't see these failed attempts do we?

Above: Badly bred Persian kitten

Ugly cat - yes I agree

The last cat of this trio is genuinely ugly. This is a very peculiar looking cat. The picture looks genuine. There are elements of the face that indicates that this cat is meant to be a Sphynx. But who knows? This cat could just be one of those anomalies. The hair is very thin so it might be hairless on a seasonal basis. He appears to have been in a fight as he has a scar on the nose.

Japanese Bobtail Photo

2012-01-26T00:18:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting Japanese Bobtail photo. I have edited the photograph a little and added some text but essentially it is as taken.

Japanese Bobtail

The picture is licensed for use under creative commons - an attribution non-commercial license that allows the image to be edited. This site earns some money (not much!) from Google AdSense, some of which is given to cat charities, the remainder is for site maintenance. I hope therefore that I have satisfactorily complied with the license. If not please tell me.

This is a nice Japanese Bobtail picture. This cat does have eyes by the way! It is just published a little dark which hides the eyes which is why the picture is interesting together with the pattern of the fur.

I don't know if this cat is a purebred cat. I have a slight hunch that he or she is not purebred because the face is not what I expect from a purebred Japanese Bobtail. But who cares? Nice cat, nice pic. See some professional Japanese Bobtail pictures.

Picture of a cat watching in silhouette

2012-01-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

Original photo by Jo Jakeman - creative commons license

Domestic cats can spend endless hours in the dusk watching and waiting. The domestic cat likes to watch at dusk. They might be under a tree or on a roof, both places are safe. When prey arrives it will wait before pouncing. The attack has to have the highest probability of success. Cats have poor color vision and see less detail than humans but can see movement better and can see much better under dark conditions.

Picture of a white cat against a white background

2012-01-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

White on white, into the white - Photo copyright fofurasfelinas

Into the white certainly. This is a white on white picture. A cute white cat, a young cat as far as I can tell, on a white or off-white background. Brilliant gold or copper eyes compliment the whole.

Giane Portal is the photographer. She lives in Brazil and takes some of the best cat photographs on the internet. Spread the word if you like pictures of cat.

This beautiful cat's name is Sakura and the photograph was taken a day after she underwent surgery. Cats are very robust and uncomplaining creatures.

Picture of a cat playing hide and seek

2012-01-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

Picture of a cat playing hide and seek - photo copyright fofurasfelinas

Brilliant photo. Charming cat. An image that is in almost perfect symmetry and balance just like cats themselves. Giane Portal is very expert and getting cats to position themselves in places and in positions that are photogenic. This picture is no exception. The cat is in Brazil and is a red (orange) and white bicolor tabby by the look of it. The picture, please note, is copyright protected. This is one of a series of photographs she calls, "into the white" because of the clean white background.

Anxious Tabby Cat Picture

2012-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

Tabby cat in Brazil - Photo copyright fofurasfelinas (Giane Portal)

Fofurasfelinas is one of the best known cat photographers on the internet. This is fine photograph of a slightly anxious little tabby cat with a beautiful classic M mark on the forehead to prove she is tabby. I say "she". Do you think she is female?

Actually the M mark is unusual. There is no pattern below the mark and pattern above it. I have not seen one this clean before. I must be a mad cat man!

Please note that Giane has given me permission to use her photographs but they are copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Oriental Shorthair Silhouette

2012-01-16T00:40:00.000-08:00

Oriental Shorthair Silhouette - Photo by demented-pixie

Something a bit different and why not. I modified the original image which is allowed under the creative commons license. I think it works quite nicely. It's all about personal taste though. I like the shape of the cat in profile. The Oriental Shorthair, as the name implies, has a long face. Cat breeders consider this to be 'oriental' in appearance. What they mean is that they believe that the cats of the eastern part of world, Asia in this instance, have long faces. Cats of the Siamese group of cats have oriental faces and slender oriental bodies. It is in dispute, however, as to whether oriental cats do indeed have long faces and slender bodies.

Final point: I am not convinced that the photographer as stated is in fact the actual photographer of the original image. Please come forward if there is a problem in this regard.

Cat Cord Picture

2012-01-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

Cat Cord Picture - Photo by Stefan Tell

Grey tabby fur on white. This is a nice cat picture spotted on Flickr. Really nice composition using nothing more that a piece of cord. I just think that this cat picture hangs together really nicely.

The tabby and white cat coat is very familiar. This cat will be a random bred cat. A very pretty cat, I think. The picture was taken in Sweden. It has a quality that indicates to me that it is a scanned print rather than a digital file uploaded direct from a digital camera. If I am correct I don't know why that should be the case other than a film camera was used. Photographers still use film as it produces images that are a little different in their quality.

Picture of a Bengal Cat

2012-01-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Bengal cat looking like a wild Asian leopard cat - photo by roberto shabs

This is not just another picture of a Bengal cat of which there are hundreds of thousands on the internet. I say that because this cat is a fine example of this cat breed and it evokes the lifestyle of this cat's wild ancestor the Asian leopard cat (normally called "leopard cat").

The whole feel of the picture is in tune with the leopard cat. The leopard cat likes to live near water courses where there is more prey. This is a hunting ground for the leopard cat. It is not the only habitat for hunting but their dislike of arid areas indicates a dependency on cover from forests and water where there is likely to be suitable prey such as rats.

The leopard cat kills like the domestic cat with a nape bite and what is really interesting is that the leopard cat uses eyesight and whiskers to capture prey. Whiskers are an eyesight substitute at close range for killing prey as they can feel. The whisker is far more sensitive than you could perhaps imagine. Whiskers should not be trimmed! I guess you know that but some don't.

For people unfamiliar with the Bengal cat it is the foremost wild cat hybrid domestic cat with the Savannah cat. On its creation in the 1960s and 70s, the Bengal cat was a new idea, and no doubt it caused lots of discussion and dissent. Even today (2012) the premier cat association, the Cat Fanciers' Association refuse to recognize this cat as a cat breed. In the UK technically, it seems that you will need a license but in reality you probably don't. This page deals with keeping wildcat hybrids in the UK.

If one is honest that is a tiny bit reactionary.

Picture of Large Maine Coon

2012-01-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

Huge Maine Coon cat at a cat show. The image quality is not great but this domestic cat has a quality about him that makes him look like a cat from another planet - almost.

I cleaned up the image a bit. His mackerel tabby coat gives him a fishy quality! Not surprising as the term "mackerel tabby" comes from the mackerel fish.

When you scale this cat up with the show judge who is struggling to manage him, he looks to be about 2/3rds her height if measured from tip to toe. He actually looks a similar size to her! He probably weighs about 22lbs or something like that. Average domestic cat weight is about 8 lbs or should be (a lot of domestic cats are a little overweight). He is interested in the light. I hope he didn't burn his nose.

The Maine Coon is the largest all domestic cat (excluding wildcat hybrids). See another large one on this page: largest domestic cat breeds.

Amur Leopard Pictures

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Amur leopard pictures. This is a montage. All of the photographs are from the same talented photographer on Flickr: digitalART2.

The Amur leopard is one of nine subspecies of the leopard which has the widest range (distribution) of any of the wild cat species. This large wild cat is very much as "generalist", meaning it can live in a variety of habitats and eat a wide range of prey.

The Amur lepoard is found in the far east of Russia and shares the same range as the Siberian tiger - see Siberian tiger habitat. Both are incredibly rare with very low populations. Of the two the leopard is the rarest with no more than an estimated 25 cats (adults and cubs). There are approximately 400 Siberian tigers.

Very low populations are not viable because of inbreeding that causes sterility.

Cat Breeds for Apartments

2012-01-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

The best cat breeds for apartments are the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Ragdoll and Persian. I'll explain why I have made that assessment. Of these four I would chose the British Shorthair.

These are two fantastic British Shorthair cats. Helmi does a great job photographing cats because she also captures the character. You can see the solid, calm, reliable character of this cat breed that makes it suitable for apartment life. However, there should be a greater obligation on the cat's human companion to entertain their cat when living in an apartment, even if that cat is the rather sedate, well mannered Brit SH!

The American Shorthair is a fine all round cat breed and also suitable for children and seniors. The requirements for each group is similar and that is a well rounded, gentle, balanced cat that takes things in his stride and who is in sync. with his human companion.

People (experts) say that the Persian should stay indoors, in which case an apartment seems suitable. This is partly because of the cat's very long fur. It is also a cat that likes routine, quiet and a sense of security. Cats breeds from the same background are: Exotic Shorthair and Himalayan. You can see the passivity of the Exotic compared to the more active Bengal in this video:

As for the Ragdoll, this cat breed has the reputation of being the world's most laid back cat. This is not true because there will be individual cats that step outside the breed trends.

If the breed characteristics narrow down the choice for cat breeds for apartments, the person wishing to adopt should select on individual cat personality with the assistance of the breeder. A quality breeder is important both for advice and cat quality.

Maine Coon Kittens Picture

2012-01-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

Ooops...What is going on? Well I thought that this super Maine Coon kittens picture, by the well known photographer Helmi Flick, was better seen on its side for this reason: you can see it larger. The benefit of seeing it larger outweighs the slight discomfort of having to twist your head or computer to one side! Horizontally it would be much smaller.

Do you think Ken Flick (Helmi's cat wrangler) managed to get all these gorgeous silver tabby and white kittens with mitted feet in line in one go for Helmi's camera? No! I have seen Ken at work and it is highly professional work but it is all but impossible to get cats all lined up in these numbers.

Perhaps managing up to five kittens is just possible. The difficulty is getting them all to look in the right direction for a split second. That said, sometimes, you can get nice interaction between kittens and cats. However, there are time limits in taking these photographs. You can't keep trying for ever.

In conclusion this is a beautifully created composite picture of Maine Coon kittens.

See:

Top Cat Breeds For Seniors

2012-01-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to provide a formula for selecting the top cat breeds for seniors because seniors are very different. Some older people are very active and desire to be active as it promotes health. Some elderly people carry an illness, which despite best intentions, slows them down. The elderly active person will the best cat caretaker as they are at home more and have the time to spend with their cat companion. Their lifestyle supports routine and security, something that cats love.

American Shorthair - highly suitable for seniors. His name: "Tiger"

However, in general the retired person will be less active and seek a quieter lifestyle with minimum demands. That encourages me to think of cat breeds that are similar in character such as the Persian, British Shorthair, Ragdoll. Of these three the Brit is probably best as the others, particularly the very long haired Persian requires regular grooming to maintain the coat. The Brit SH has a fabulous coat to stroke - very therapeutic for an older person.

As to the Persian I would chose a traditional Persian as it is likely that there will be less expenditure in respect of veterinary bills. Two other cats are part of the Persian stable of breeds: the Exotic Shorthair (shorthaired Persian) and the Himalayan (pointed Persian). They are equally as good as the Persian.

The Russian Blue also comes to mind as a cat that likes indoor living. Cats that are suitable to full-time indoor life should be suitable for seniors as well. A lesser known cat that seems to shine is the Pixie-bob. They are solid performers, good with children and quiet. I would recommend this breed as one of the top cat breeds for seniors.

In fact I think a quiet cat is probably an attractive factor in a cat breed for an elderly person. The British Shorthair, already mentioned falls firmly into this category.

I don't think a senior requires a cat that is overly demanding, either. A degree of quiet independence is attractive. In that vein, the Maine Coon comes to mind too although some maintenance is ideally required. And we cannot forget the solid American Shorthair. This cat requires little grooming by their human companion (another important factor) and is quiet. They are gentle with seniors and good with children. The American Shorthair is a popular cat breed too, in the top 10 of all breeds.

The American Shorthair is my individual pick for senior members of society. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list by the way. Also what I am saying here does not exclude the beautiful random bred cat or other individual cats of other breeds.

Cat Sanctuary Picture

2012-01-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

This is perhaps the best cat sanctuary picture on the internet. The other ones by Giane Portal (the photographer) are as good. Giane is one of the best cat photographers on the internet. This cat sanctuary is in Brazil and it is a genuine sanctuary or shelter. In other words these were homeless cats that now have a permanent home in really pleasant surroundings. I have enormous admiration for the people who own and manage the sanctuary. It can't be easy both on a financial level and in terms of simply looking after 300 cats. Giane has given me permission to publish the photograph here. Thanks Giane. It is interesting on another level. You might be able to detect what cat coat types are most common in Brazil from the picture. On this evidence, black or dilute black cats and orange cats lead.

Picture of Ragdoll Cat at a Cat Show

2012-01-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Cat show cat - Photo Tomi Tapio

The photographer says "very nice nose". And I agree. I think this is a purebred Ragdoll show cat with, yes, a really nice nose. We shouldn't get too excited about a nose though! That said show cats are all about appearance so noses and all the other elements of a cat's physical appearance are important. This cat seems to be a blue pointed Ragdoll. This is a large semi-long haired cat with a laid back character. Back to the nose: I can think of a similar cat that has a nose that is much less attractive: the flat-faced Persian (ultra typed Persian). The picture below shows you what I mean:

Ugly nose? Photo protected by copyright.

How did breeders decide that the appearance of this overbred Persian was attractive? This was created deliberately. Come of ladies, let's go back to a nice nose...!

Picture of Bizarre Overbred Cat

2012-01-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

In the public domain as far as I am aware

I am told that this is a picture of an overbred cat. His name is Yoda. I really don't know what to make of this. Is it real? It looks real - just. Would over-breeding do this to a cat? Possibly. This cat has thin fur. I may be the case that the breeder was breeding hairless cats and over did the breeding process. Not sure. All I know is that it is horrible. But no doubt it is of interest to some people, which is why I have put it here.

Andean Cat Pictures

2012-01-08T05:08:00.000-08:00

These Andean cat pictures are by Jim Sanderson Ph.D. Almost all the Andean cat photographs on the internet are by Jim Sanderson and the ones that you see above are certainly well circulated! Jim kindly agreed to let me publish them here. He has, however, it appears, put them into the public domain but please ask him first (this is his website) or use the one on Wikipedia. I suspect that this is to promote conservation. With his colleagues in Chile, Peru and Argentina, he has done more than anyone else to highlight the conservation requirements of this small wildcat and carry them out. Jim Sanderson Ph.D. is a small wildcat specialist scientist.

The Andean cat is a rare wildcat that looks deceptively like a large domestic cat. There are an estimated 2,000 or so remaining in the wild - a precariously low population. I don't know if there are any in captivity. If there are it won't be many and they probably won't be doing well. In domestic cat terms the coat is a tabby coat. The heavily banded tail is one of the most striking physical features. It is quite long indicating a need to maintain balance on rocky surfaces. This cat lives in a rather harsh (by our standards) and barren landscape that is cold, in the Andes Mountains. Its main prey is the mountain vizcacha. It is sympatric with the Pampas cat. Read more about where this cat is and how it lives.

Ragdoll Cat Picture

2012-01-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

I chose this superb Ragdoll cat picture by the celebrated Helmi Flick because I think this individual cat has all the physical attributes of this very popular cat breed. The Raggie, as it is fondly called, is certainly in the top ten most popular cat breeds. I say it is the 5th most popular in fact. He looks like a chocolate point bicolor Ragdoll to me. One reason why they are popular is because they are large. I would say that this cat is the second largest cat breed after the Maine Coon that is registered by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). The Ragdoll is a pointed semi-longhaired cat. They are said to become limp when picked up. I don't believe it. Please leave a comment if your Raggie does! The history of the origin of this breed is probably the most confusing and opaque of all the cat breeds thanks to the creator, Ann Baker. You will find several different versions! The whole thing is compounded by the history of a "spin-off" breed, the RagaMuffin. Ragdoll breeders became disenchanted with Ann Baker's behavior and franchising system and formed their own group breeding a similar cat, the RagaMuffin whose history is equally confusing. Read more about the Ragdoll and RagaMuffin is you like.

Picture showing difference in breeding Manx and Siamese cats

2012-01-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

If you compare Manx and Siamese cats from 1903 to the same cat breeds in the present (2012) you can see what has been going on in respect of selective breeding over the intervening 108 years.

Montage is protected by copyright

This is a simple montage but I think that it is instructive. You can see that the Manx has been around a long time in the cat fancy and its shape has hardly altered. It is a bit more cobby (stocky) today than in 1903. That is because breeders like to push the boundaries a bit (or a lot).

In contrast you can see that the Siamese has gone through a transformation. In 1903 it was similar in shape to the Manx. Today it is super slender. This is due to selective breeding. The Manx today is considered a stocky cat while the Siamese is considered "oriental" in appearance (slender). The reason why the Siamese has become so skinny is because breeders at the CFA decided around 1950 that it should be more elegant. That is it. See Siamese cat history. See also old style Siamese.

Cat History in Pictures

2012-01-07T01:33:00.001-08:00

A series of pictures and accompanying words that describe some milestones in the history of the cat. We have to start at the beginning, which is the era when the cat did not exist on the planet. Of course, the first cats were wildcats and it stayed that way for millions of years until relatively recently.

This first cat history picture shows the complete development from the animal that was the precursor to the cat, the Miacid, to a highly selectively bred purebred cat in this case a Snowshoe cat - but it could be anyone of the well established cat breeds in the picture.

The time frame from the bottom picture to the top picture is about 60,000,000 years (60m or 60 Ma).

It is believed that the genus Felis (Felis lunensis - Martelli's Cat) appeared about 12 million years ago. 2.4 million years ago the ancestor to the European wild cat appeared.

The Near-eastern wildcat or African wildcat was first domesticated about 9,500 years ago we think so you can see how relatively recent the domestic cat is. Read more on domestic cat history.

The earliest recorded lion fossil is dated about 3.5 million years ago. The picture, left is of a lion in cave paintings from the Palaeolithic period (2.6 million years ago - 10,000 years ago).

However, the history of the big cats is not certain. It is thought by some that the lion appeared in African about 1 million years ago.

Jaguars roamed over Europe about 1.64 million years ago. See history of the big cats.

Jumping forward to relatively modern times, the picture left shows the domestic cat in Ancient Egyptian times 1400 BC - almost 3,500 years ago.

The picture shows a slice of cat history. It appears to be of a domesticated or semi-domesticated cat, the precursor of today's Egyptian Mau purebred cat, catching a bird. It appears that the cat was trained by the person in the picture to do this. Cheetahs were also trained to hunt (16th century)

The Ancient Egyptians had a long and close relationship with the domestic cat and worshiped the cat at one time for a period of 2,000 years. The cat was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, which includes the Nile delta in Egypt.

Above : picture of a statue of the goddess Bastet from the temple of Queen Berenice, who was the wife of King Ptolemy III (246-222 BC). Location: Alexandria, Egypt. See post.

Bastet festivals were popular until about AD 390. People made sacrifices to the god. Cats were killed for the purpose. Were the Egyptians truly cat lovers?

It seems not. See Egyptian cat art.

Moving to modern times, cat history now is more about the development of the cat fancy and the cat breeds.

The picture left is of a champion purebred show cat, CHAMPION FULMER ZAIDA, of 1902. The cat fancy started not long before that in the late 1800s in England, UK. See Persian cat history. Development of new breeds has now, 2012, all but stopped.

However, the most pressing aspect of cat history for us today (2012) is not about the domestic cat but the wild cats and pressingly the demise of the tiger in the wild.

The tiger is heading for extinction and quite rapidly as the human population expands equally rapidly.

The extinction of the tiger (and the other wildcat species) began in earnest in the mid 1800s to early 1900s when they were shot for sport or skins. Poaching of the now rare tiger for tiger body parts to supply the Chinese medicine market (see e.g. tiger bone) continues today and is the biggest threat together with habitat loss. Ironically, as the tiger becomes rarer its bones become more precious to the commercial market and thus it is more likely to be shot or poisoned and dissected for its body parts.

At that time artists had the habit of anthropomorphizing the wildcats in drawings. See Tiger for a lot more.