Where Do Cats Live?

Angelo DeSantis/CC-BY-2.0

Domestic cats typically live in homes or urban areas while feral cats live in forests, grasslands, tundras and wetlands, and big cats live in rainforests, deserts and in temperate climate zones. Where cats live depends primarily on the species. Domestic cats live in virtually every part of the world and primarily live indoors, which means that they can survive wherever humans live.

Domesticated cats are among the most common type of cat and are frequently found in urban areas. They are similar biologically to feral cats, which have a similar body shape and features as domestic cats but are considered untamed. Feral cats roam freely in many areas and are quite resilient. They can survive in extreme conditions, such as desert climates, cold regions and at high altitudes. Feral cats exist in many countries and live on all continents except for Antarctica. Some feral cats live alongside humans and domestic cats in urban areas, while others reside in remote locations. Larger cat species, such as jaguars, leopards and cheetahs, are also found in a variety of habitats around the world. The snow leopard is a large cat species that lives in the cold and remote peaks of Asian mountain ranges while lions and cheetahs reside in desert locations in Africa and Asia.

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