Examining a Puma (Puma concolor) cub

This is a photograph of a 78-day old female puma. Yesterday it was my privilege to attend the semi-rural police station where it was being held pending relocation to a big cat sanctuary in São Paulo,

The photograph was taken soon after I had completed my physical examination of the animal.

Chemical restraint was not reesorted to.  Instead, with the aid of an assistant I was able to obtain

• heart rate
• respiratory rate
• corporal temperatire 
• capillary refill time
• the body weight had to be estimated. 

When choosing an assistant, it helps if he or she is relatively fearless.  Mine started to comment on how painfaul hos wrist was some minutes into the examination.  However, I will be eternally grateful for his willingness to help me out.

The cub returned to feed as soon as she had been unceremoniously thrust back into her enclosure, indicating that, even ubder stress, her appetite was unaffected.  

I did feel that her body condition score was lower than it should have been. Other body systems seemed fine: heart, musculoskeletal, respiratory, ears, skin, nervous system, urogenital, . ocular, lymphatic, oral cavit.  But I scored the bosy condition as 2/5. 

Discussing the case with a colleague that afternoon, two questions arose:  what is the weaning age for a pum cub, and what is its correct nutrition?

Weaning age is approx three months and correct food should match that which the mother would provide in the wild state.