Hyenas are more closely related to cats and other feliforms than to dogs. They belong to their own family, Hyaenidae, which has four living species: the aardwolf, striped hyena, brown hyena, and spotted hyena. Key points

• Taxonomic position: Feliform carnivorans in the family Hyaenidae. They are not canids (dogs) or felids (cats) even though they share some dog-like traits.
• Evolutionary relationships: Hyenas are more closely related to mongooses, civets, and other feliforms, and they share a common ancestor with other cat-like carnivores rather than with canines. The closest living relatives are within the broader feliform group (including mongoose-like and civet-like families) rather than with dogs.

• Species in the family: Four extant species—aardwolf (Proteles cristata), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).

• Common misconceptions: Hyenas may look dog-like, but their evolutionary lineage places them closer to cats and other feliforms; they form a distinct family rather than being a subset of dogs or cats.

If you’d like, I can provide quick comparisons between hyenas and dogs, or a brief note on how their social behavior and feeding adaptations reflect their unique evolutionary path.