The Jaguarundi occupies a broad range of both open and closed habitats, from Monte desert, semi-arid thorn scrub, restinga, swamp and savanna woodland to primary rainforest (Nowell and Jackson 1996). However, in open areas it sticks to vegetative cover, including secondary growth habitat, disturbed areas, and human induced grasslands (Mexico), open areas with some protection, provided forest or other dense cover is present (de Oliveira 1994, Caso 2013). This felid is perceived as more tolerant of human disturbance due to its use of open habitats.

This small-sized felid (5 kg) body shape suggests the species to be mostly terrestrial. However, it moves about easily in trees (de Oliveira 1994). Its litter size is 1.9 kittens (1–4). Because it is mostly diurnal, it tends to be the most easily seen Neotropical felid, which lead to the false assumption it was common. Diet includes mostly small mammals, birds and reptiles, with a mean prey mass of 380 g. However, larger sized prey (>1 kg) are not unusual (de Oliveira and Cassaro 2005, de Oliveira et al. 2010). Home range size varies greatly, ranging up to 100 km², larger than for any other Neotropical small cat (Konecny 1989), but smaller in Mexico (16.2 male; 12.1 female  km²) (Caso 2013). The species is not the dominant small cat species in most areas, even in most areas of open habitats. Additionally, Jaguarundi is also negatively impacted by Ocelots (the “ocelot effect”) (de Oliveira et al. 2010, Caso 2013). It has several colour morphs - brownish-black, grey and reddish yellow - which can even be found in the same litter (de Oliveira 1998).

The Jaguarundi occurs from the eastern lowlands of Chipinque National Park in Nuevo Leon, Mexico (NE limit) and the western lowlands of Mexico, all the way to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay (Dotta et al. 2007) and south through central Argentina at ca 39ºS. This is predominantly a lowland species ranging up to 2,000 m, but in Colombia has been reported up to 3,200 m (Cuervo et al. 1986) It is probably extinct in the US (south Texas) (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002, Caso 2013).

Included on CITES Appendix II. Populations of Central and North America are CITES Appendix I. The species is protected across most of its range, with hunting prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, United States and Venezuela, and hunting regulations in place in Peru (Nowell and Jackson 1996). Further studies are required on the species ecology, demographics, natural history, and threats. Populations in protected areas are expected to be very low, likely because of the impact of the higher Ocelot densities (T.G. de Oliveira pers. comm.). This species is often perceived as not threatened due to its visibility (it is diurnal) and use of open habitats.