Cats in the United States the appearance of humans in the Americas. Some prehistoric animals referred to as "saber-toothed cats" were in fact marsupials and not cats at all, but called such because of their resemblance to true felines with large canine teeth. Two main species of big cat currently inhabit the United States. One is the jaguar ("Panthera onca"), which is related to many species of big cat found on other continents and can be found in the southwestern US and as far south as northern Argentina. The other, the cougar ("Puma concolor"), which is also known as the puma or mountain lion, is
The Big Cat (film) arrives in the area to move into his mother's birthplace now owned by his stepfather Tom Eggars (Preston Foster). Tom is constantly threatened by a hostile neighbor, Gil Hawkes (Forrest Tucker). Shortly after Danny arrives Tom and Gil have a scuffle, a sure sign of a soon-to-be war. When Danny arrives he meets Doris Cooper (Peggy Ann Garner), whom he develops a crush on. After some close calls with Gil, the drought and the cougar become such big issues that the mayor of a nearby town announces that a hunt be started for the big cat. The hunt is unsuccessful,