or cat bear or bear cat Long-tailed nocturnal raccoonlike carnivore (Ailurus fulgens, family Procyonidae) that inhabits high mountain forests in the Himalayas and adjacent eastern Asia. It is 20-26 in. (50-65 cm) long, excluding the 12-20-in. (30-50-cm) bushy, faintly ringed tail. It weighs 6-10 lbs (3-4.5 kg) and has soft, thick, reddish brown fur. The face is white, with a red-brown stripe from the eyes to the mouth. It eats plants, especially bamboo, and fruits and insects. Though an agile climber, it mostly feeds while on the ground