Are Cats Faster Than Dogs?

The cheetah is the fastest land animal, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph (113 kph). Usain Bolt, the fasted human sprinter, can reach a top speed of 27 mph (44 kph). Greyhounds, the fastest dogs, are closely behind at 25 mph (40 kph). The fastest cats are lions and tigers, who can sprint up to 49-50 mph (80-80 kph). The smallest cat, and likely the fastes cat over short distance, is the black-footed cat, which can run 30 mph (48 kmh) in only 3 strides. While domesticated pet cats can only reach about 30 mph (48 km/h), and most house cat average 20 mph (32 km/h). So we can say, with the exception of the cheetah, dogs can generally beat cats in a straight race.