Can Pallas’s cat successfully mate with a domestic cat?

Pallas’s cat which is often incorrectly referred to as the ‘Pallas cat’, the scientific name of which is ‘manual’ can successfully mate with domestic cats according to Peter Pallas the naturalist who discovered Pallas’s cat in 1776 and after whom the cat species is named. This information is reported by Sarah Hartwell on her website messybeast.com, a reliable source I might add.

Can Pallas's cat successfully mate with a domestic cat?
Can Pallas’s cat successfully mate with a domestic cat? Image: MikeB

That is the question answered. It does not surprise me that it is physically possible as there is no size difference barrier. Pallas’s cat is smaller than a typical domestic cat at 2-4 kilograms (4.4 pounds to 8.8 pounds). The cat looks larger than it is because of copious amounts of dense fur to protect it from the harsh environment in which it lives. In Central Asia where it is found winter temperatures can fall to -50 degrees Celsius.

There would also appear to be no genetic barriers. It does beg the question why no one has tried to create a Pallas’s cat, domestic cat wild cat hybrid. When Hartwell wrote about this topic in the early 2000s (believed) she said that no one had tried it.

The era of the creation of the wild cat hybrids is over. In the late 1900s there was an interest in this sort of breeding but no longer. There are issues such as the offspring are half wild cat if they are first filials which makes them harder to handle and live with.

Modern life demands that domestic cats be as domesticated as possible with placid, home loving temperaments as full-time indoor living begins to look like the default norm. And cat owning people probably demand domestic cats that can more or less look after themselves.

Below are 3 more articles on Pallas’s cat. There are more if you care to search for them.

Are Pallas cats dangerous?

The adorable and cute Pallas’s cat is quite friendly

Pallas Cat

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