With their furry bodies and tails, even the wildest of wild cats still looks like a cat. Some cats are faster, others are bigger, and a few have short, stubby tails. Some, like the 705 pound (320 kilogram) Tiger, are much bigger than the tiny Sand Cat, which weighs only 4.5 to 6.5 pounds (two or three kilograms). Both are members of the family Felidae.
There are 37 species of wild cats, and all are in the family Felidae (Fee-li-day). These cats are divided into three sub-families: Pantherinae (the big cats), Felinae (the small cats), and the Cheetahs, which are considered to be a sub-family all on their own. Cheetahs are the only wild cats without claws that can be pulled in; they lack the sheathes (covers) that other cats have on their claws.
