Is it true wolves are closer to cats than dogs, in some way or other?
First of all, the word ‘vulpine’ refers to foxes. The word for wolves is ‘lupine’. Secondly, both foxes and wolves are members of the dog family, Canidae. The grey wolf is the direct ancestor of the domestic dog, and the two remain so close genetically that they are able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Cats belong to the family Felidae – they are a completely separate family. Though both belong to the order Carnivora, they are on separate branches of the order – the Canidae are on the Caniformia (dog-like) branch, together with the Ursidae (bears), Procyonidae (raccoons and relatives), Mustelidae (weasels), Otariidae (eared seals), and Phocidae (true seals). The Felidae are on the Feliformia (cat-like) branch, together with the Hyaenidae (hyenas), Viverridae (civets and genets), and Herpestidae (mongooses). Just compare a photo of a wolf or fox to a photo of, say, a German Shepherd, and then compare it to a photo of a domestic cat or a leopard. It’s pretty obvious which it
