First, look for claws in the tracks. Prints left by
a dog often show claws while cats have retractable claws
that won't show in tracks.
Most felines have an overall round shape to the paw print.
A circle around the dog track shows a gap between some of
the toes and the circle.
The cougar's front paw has four toes and palm or center area.
The toe and palm appear rounded and fleshy. A large palm, almost
twice the size of the digits, is characteristic of felines
and unlike the track left by dogs. The front paw is larger
than the rear.
Cat tracks also display an indentation at the top of the palm
along the midline just under the two middle toes.
The toes produce an oval shaped with the toes slightly offset
in the track. One toe is ahead or forward with the others
pointing in different directions.
One of the outer toes is forward of the other outer toe. In
dog tracks the toes all point straight ahead or slightly toward
The space between the toes and the palm pad forms a curved ridge,
which sometimes called a linked ridge. Canines do not have
this feature. They have a diamond or pyramid shape in this area of the track.
A line drawn in the space between the toe pads crosses inside
the palm. In a dog's track, the lines cross before the pad. The
inner toe furthest forward on the paw print points toward the