🐱 Cat vs Lion 🦁
The lion is about 4 times as long as the cat. The lion weighs about 45 times as much as the cat.
| Row | 🐱 Cat | 🦁 Lion |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The lion weighs about 45 times as much as the cat. | 7.9 to 11 lb3.6 to 5 kg1 | 414 lb188 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 13 to 17 years13 to 17 years1 | 16 years16 years3 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | cat food, which is mostly meat | zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other grazing animals |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | homes and farms all over the world | the savannas of Africa, and one forest in India |
Which one? Cat or lion
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the cat or the lion yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
Compare two more
Getting the animals ready…
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/cat-vs-lion
Where these numbers come from
- USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, free-ranging and feral cats (PDF), checked 31 October 2026.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Register 2015 (Listing Two Lion Subspecies), checked 30 October 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Lion, checked 30 October 2026.