Male sabertoothed cats were pussycats compared to macho lions. Duke Today, November 5, 2009. Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats. Picked up by the Durham Herald-Sun, Laelaps Science Blog, Fox News, MSNBC, and National Public Radio.