About Local Cougars: Cougar Dating Since 2013

To bring confident older women and the younger men who admire them together, with honesty, discretion and respect at the centre of everything we do.

The site began life in 2013 as LocalCougars.com, with sections for the UK, the USA, South Africa and Australia, and those same four countries are where our members live today. There are more than 2,000 of them: more than 1,000 in South Africa, more than 500 in the USA, more than 350 in the UK and the rest in Australia. Women here tend to be in their late thirties and forties, and three in four of the men are younger than 35. In the UK almost two thirds of members are women.

Why it works better here

On a general dating app, an older woman who likes younger men spends a lot of time filtering out people who are surprised by that, and a younger man who likes older women spends a lot of time wondering who will reply. Here the attraction is the starting point. That makes the first message easier and the conversation more honest, because nobody is guessing what the other person wants.

From first message to first date

We give every member a profile, daily match suggestions nearby, private messaging, a members' feed, and chat rooms and group chats. Joining and browsing are free; a paid membership lifts the daily message limit and adds extras. Read about our features and see every plan on the pricing page.

Real checks and real people behind every profile

The site runs on HubPeople, a dating platform that hosts many specialist dating sites. HubPeople provides the membership system, payments, moderation and the support team, so the same checks and the same round-the-clock help sit behind Local Cougars as behind every other site on the platform. HubPeople is involved with the Online Dating and Discovery Association, an industry body for safety standards. The protections are set out on our safety page.

Our house rules

Everyone who joins agrees to a few simple rules.

1. Adults only. This site is strictly 18+.
2. Genuine members only. Real people and real photos, and no selling goods or services to other members.
3. Be respectful. Age is the attraction here, never the joke. Treat people the way you would like to be treated, and if someone is not for you, say so kindly.
4. Be tolerant. Members come from every background. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and hate speech are not allowed.
5. Be safe. Keep first conversations on the site, never share bank details and never send money or gift cards.
6. Be discreet. If you recognise a member in public, only approach them if they have said you may.
7. Respect boundaries. If someone says no, move on, and ask before sharing images.
8. Follow the law. Nothing illegal, in messages or in media.