The cougar is a carnivore, feeding mainly on moose, wapiti, white-tailed deer, and caribou. They also eat smaller creatures such as voles, squirrels, mice, muskrat, beaver, raccoon, coyote, birds, fish and occasionally domesticated animals. The preferred method of hunting for the cougar is the stalk and ambush technique. A cougar will lay in wait and when a suitable animal comes by it will then jump on it s back and with its powerful jaw and teeth it will break the neck of its prey. Cougars are solitary, nocturnal animals, coming together only to mate or when females have young.
Cougars make a variety of sounds such as chirps, growls, purrs, and hisses.
Mating occurs every other year from December to March. Gestation lasts from 82 to 96 days and one to six cubs are produced. The cubs are born blind and spotted and weigh 226 to 453 grams. In 10 days their eyes open and in about 40 days they are fully weaned. The cubs remain with their mother for about 12 months.