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The Trappers Return, 1851 by George Caleb Bingham, Detroit Institute of Arts.
Bingham made a living painting portraits early in his career as an artist, but eventually switched to genre paintings like this. In this version you can see more of a resemblance to a bear cub.
Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, 1845 by George Caleb Bingham, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Bingham studied art in the US and in Europe, he lived in Missouri where his family had moved when he was a child. Bingham eventually took up a life in politics. Some experts differ as to the animal with the collar in the front of the boat. Some say it is a cat and some a bear cub.