Baby Tigers

by Michael
(London, UK)

Tiger cub but still pretty big at 50lbs - photo by Financial Aid Podcast

Tiger cub but still pretty big at 50lbs - photo by Financial Aid Podcast

Here's some pictures and facts about baby tigers. Tigresses are very cautious and protective about their cubs. Tigresses will risk their lives and have charged at people who are inadvertently too near the den. The cubs are usually moved by the tigress to a safer area. Even in tourist areas where tigers are used to people being around, tigresses will "disappear" with their offspring during the first months of their lives.

The comments that people make when they see a video like the one above tells us a lot about our relationship with the tiger. This is the kind of thing people say:

I'd like tigers to stay small and like a cat. But they grow up and they are a whole different type of animal.

OMG CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!!!!!

until it grows up 'n eats u

I love tigers!!

It'd be f**king awesome to have a tiger as a pet.

oh no....they shouldn't be pets! that's soo sad...

i wanna baby tiger

We all have this kind of problem with baby tigers. We love them terribly. They are fantastically cute. We want to own one and cuddle it. This is partly because we know that this is a very strong and dangerous animal in the making. That makes the vulnerable baby tiger even more attractive and cute.

Then as is so often the case, when they grow up we sort of lose interest. We forget about them. We are scared of them as well. But the reverence for them remains. This apathy about the adult tiger and our reverence and admiration of it means it is abused by people who want to profit from it. This is why the tiger is a very endangered species of wildcat.

Our admiration for tigers also means that there are more pet tigers in America (12,000 or so) than there are wild tigers (about 1,400 Bengal, 400 Sumatran, 400 Siberian, South China 20). That is the way of the world.

captive mother and baby tiger
Captive mother and baby tiger. Photo by lembagg

Tiger cubs weigh about 2-4 lbs. at birth. The raising and feeding of baby tigers by people is pretty technical stuff. And there is little hard detail on the internet about it. This is a very complete article however: Feeding Baby Tiger Cubs (this takes you to a different website on a new page).

There is an interesting story about a one year old captive South China tiger who couldn't see because he had cataracts. On this occasion I must praise the Chinese as a surgeon operated on the tiger to restore sight. I have been critical of the China tiger farms etc. However, the reality is that the poor eyesight of this tiger cub is probably due to inbreeding. Inbreeding of tigers in captivity is a real problem and not often realised by people who are not involved in rearing captive tigers. The reason is low tiger populations in the wild is due to the depletion of habit and poaching to supply the tiger body part trade as major reasons. Sad isn't it.

The typical litter size for a tiger is 3 - 4 cubs. Baby tigers are born blind and helpless. The female rears the cubs alone. About half of all tiger cubs in the wild do not make it beyond 2 years of age, a high mortality rate. Infanticide (adult males killing cubs) occurs sometimes at the site of kills.

At about 8 weeks the babies explore, leaving the den and following their mother to a hunt but not joining her on it. At about 18 weeks they are more independent and about the size of a medium to large dog. They are weaned at about 6 months of age. They might do a bit of hunting of small animals at this stage but they don't have the permanent canine teeth to kill and eat larger prey.

At about 2+ years they become independent.

Baby Tigers to Home Page

Photos: published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs creative commons License -- this site is for charitable purposes in funding cat rescue.

Comments for
Baby Tigers

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May 17, 2012 Awwww
by: Anonymous

This looks so cute!!! !!!!


May 14, 2012 tiger
by: Anonymous

yea cute now but how about when it grows up


Mar 11, 2012 feel sorry for killed tigers and their babies
by: Anonymous

i love tiger babies but they are rapidly decreasing in number say a tiger baby is born it enjoys with its mother one day its mum goes to bring food for her it keeps on waiting for her suddenly it hears a sound what sound? sound of a hunters gun, can u imagine what might have happened there and will the mother tiger ever return to her kid with food say what do you feel? should baby tigers get orphans in the jungle since the greedy humans have killed its mom and maybe dad also for tiger claw brooches,their skin,teeth.nail,and what not.even some people kill tiger for a merry sport. i say if u like tiger just have some time to see the film "TWO BROTHERS".


Mar 08, 2012 sooooccccuutee
by: Anonymous

hi i am a tiger lover this tiger baby's are cute please save the tigers join me


Mar 05, 2012 tiger
by: Jordan

OOOOOMMMMGGGG tigers are the cutest thing ever


Feb 21, 2012 wow
by: portia

i can not believe how cute they are! I don't care if I spelt that word wrong. Tigers are my favorite animal.

Note: you spelled the word correctly. And I am pleased that you like tigers. Try and save them please because they are being killed in Asia faster than they can be created....Michael (Admin).


Dec 26, 2011 baby tigers
by: bobby

Omg that baby tiger is so cute!!!that's the cutiest thing I ever saw.if they weren't wild I would take it home as a pet.!!!!


Dec 01, 2011 omg
by: Anonymous

omg these tigers are cute


Nov 14, 2011 abouth tiger
by: Anonymous

greeting. I am a big fan of cats and has two females and one muzijaka.volio would know that you can recognize that the Tigrici is pregnant .. but she was four years .. and mated to a lot of times .. no luck .. please reply if you are opportunities in my hotmail or here on the site ... .. regards robertbavrka@hotmail.com


Aug 12, 2011 love
by: ashlie

i lllllllllove limhe


Feb 11, 2011 BABY CUBS.
by: ETHAN PARKER

Baby tigers have vision to see in the dark. The family carry the cubs.


Feb 11, 2011 BABY CUBS.
by: ETHAN PARKER

Baby tigers have vision to see in the dark. The family carry the cubs.


Feb 09, 2011 cuteeeeez
by: lozzie mareeeeeee

soooocute!


Feb 01, 2011 Cute
by: Anonymous

very very cute
cutest ever


Nov 26, 2010 soooooo adorable
by: Anonymous

Those baby tigers are so cute!!!!I love them soooo much i wish i can have one but too bad for me cause i have a chichua and of course it is going to eat it!!hahhahahah!The people who are building stores where these cute animals livethey have to stop doing it to the poor animals


Nov 15, 2010 CATS RULE!
by: AUDREY!!!

I LOVE TIGERS; Babies of coure,are 1st,as babies are always cutest;I also like BLK.Panthers,Lions,&most wild cats,but these are my favorite;I also really love house cats!!I've had 1 pretty much most of my life; I dont think I could go without,1 I really belive that if I had the place/room;&money I'd be a Cat person,I really would;I just wana be sure I could do it,so they wouldnt be neglected;I'd want them 2 be happy&care-free; Though I love Cats the best; I love all types of animals,that I'd like 2 have, or just work with;my choices right off;are Chimps{&other monkey,family}Bears,Black,Brown,Pandas,etc...,Wolves, Coytees,others dog types,there some I may be forgetting at the top of my head,but I'd loved 2 have,alot of these animals,& those I dont have I'd like 2 Work closely by them;expect 4 putting them down;I could do that ,I dont think. I cant under stand why we are so quickly 2 put a wild animal down,4 reason not there fault,only behaving what their instints are,I'm a strong beliver that you can raise a wild animal;but you do need 2 let go when they reach the age,that need 2 be with their own;and I do belive if you ran across this animal in a YR.or so later,he/she would know who you were,&come right 2 you.Its those who get attacked,if they do;think they can keep this animal as a pet,beyound,the time,he should be released ,those are the ones,who,are keeping them from their freedom,;same as us humans;when are child,reaches a certain age;you must let go,let them go out on their own. ]


Oct 26, 2010 Sooooo cute
by: Marie Rowland

I am a lover of any cat Big or small. I wish I could keep one of every type of cat. I should say the only one I'm not real fond of is the hairless, other than this breed I LOVE all CATS.It's just so sad that mankind is building in these beautiful animals habitant and they are being left with no where to live.


Oct 26, 2010 tigers
by: Anonymous

they are so cute i could just jump in and get it!!!


Oct 09, 2010 tigers
by: cienna

baby tigers are so cute.they are my favorite animal.i want one.


Sep 24, 2010 CUTEST THING EVER!!!!!!
by: Anonymous

Tigers are so cute, u should put more pics on ur page. I love the snowy tigers. They're so fluffy!!!! Nice pic up there, i want 1!!!! How do get a baby tiger? i wanna know!!! are they free? oh, by the way, who ever the creator of this page is, not to be rude but, i think you should add more info. this is a great website. i will use it 4 my school work!! thanks!!!


Aug 31, 2010 I loved tigers my whole life
by: Anonymous

Baby tigers are so cute and pretty and tigers are
awesome baby tigers are so pretty and beautiful i could look at baby tigers all the time


Aug 31, 2010 I loved tigers my whole life
by: Anonymous

Baby tigers are so cute and pretty and tigers are
awesome baby tigers are so pretty and beautiful i could look at baby tigers all the time


Jul 10, 2010 so cute
by: Anonymous

my kidds ARE loving this righ now=D


Jun 28, 2010 cuties
by: alisamaree

i just love baby tigers they are so lovely to look at and i love the big tiger cat also god made such wonderful animals for us to enjoy. love alisamaree.


May 23, 2010 cute tigers
by: hi

it so cute the baby tiger my favorite animal is a tiger


May 19, 2010 ?
by: Anonymous

that fake ass cub but real ones are cute


May 19, 2010 cutie
by: Anonymous

they r just the cutist thing ive seen


May 19, 2010 cute tigers
by: Anonymous

i think der sooo cute


May 15, 2010 cute tigers
by: anil

cubz are so cute......can i adopt one


May 13, 2010 ssssssssssoooooo cccuuuttee!!!!!!
by: fierceness

omg tigers are my favorite animals they are so cute.especially da cubs tigers are so fierce


May 11, 2010 They are so CUTE!!
by: Anonymous

the tiger cubs are so cute i want 1 4 free and i will never give it back i will run away with it and never come back. tiger cubs are so cute and cuddly and soft and furry and pritty they are the best big cats that i love and want. CAN I PLZ HAVE!!!!!! PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ. ME WANT 1 4 FREE PLZ! thank u


Mar 30, 2010 SO CUTE
by: Anonymous

THATS SO CUTE WANT 1 4 FREE


Mar 30, 2010 SO CUTE
by: Anonymous

THATS SO CUTE AHH I WOULD WANT ONE 4 FREE


Feb 11, 2010 🙂
by: Anonymous

i want a tiger!!! :DD
there so friggin cute


Feb 07, 2010 so cute
by: Lilly

Tigers are my favourite animals.
They are so cute.
I´d like to have a baby tiger for pet.
What a shame they are in danger if extinction.
Snif Snif SNIF


Feb 07, 2010 so cute
by: Lilly

Tigers are my favourite animals.
They are so cute.
I´d like to have a baby tiger for pet.
What a shame they are in danger if extinction.
Snif Snif SNIF


Feb 05, 2010 too cute
by: Anonymous

this is the kind of tiger I want to have as a pet(because it is way too cute!!!!!)


Oct 13, 2009 omg
by: ruby

omg they are so cute


Oct 05, 2009 cute
by: Jordan Ruff

OMG, this tiger is the frickin cutest tiger ever OFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sep 20, 2009 Bengal Tiger Cub
by: Anonymous

Here is a nice Bengal tiger cub from an Alabama zoo. I think the cub is a man made version of the Bengal tiger. I think these tigers are called "golden tabby tigers". I personally dislike that but he is very cute.

collage of Bengal tiger cub

Photo by The Pug Father on Flickr


Sep 20, 2009 cute or what
by: Anonymous

OMG that baby tiger is soooo cute.


Sep 11, 2009 CUTE
by: Stacie

That baby Tiger is the cutest tiger I could find on the internet. I'm using it for a project thing for school

So CUTE

Stacie xx


20 thoughts on “Baby Tigers”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. I know better than to think that I could/should keep one of these babies.
    But, I sure would love to play with one for a while.

    Reply

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