The lion is a member of the family felidae along with the domestic cat.
Felidae . Felinae comprises all the non-pantherine cats , which range in size from the small rusty-spotted cat to the big cat-sized puma and includes such diverse forms as the lynx , ocelot , serval and cheetah , as well as the domestic cat . The lion ( Panthera leo ) is one of the big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae .