We know that the Scottish wildcat is either extinct in the wild in Scotland or very nearly so because of long-term hybridisation with domestic and feral cats. These two species i.e. the wildcat and the domestic cat readily mate. It … Continue reading →
This picture of a female Chinese mountain cat and her kittens has just emerged although the date on the camera trap photograph tells me that it was taken on 19 September 2018 at 5:51 PM in the afternoon. It seems … Continue reading →
There have been many reports that this small wild cat species is primarily a rodent catcher. They do also feed on larger animals such as young deer, rabbits and hares. To add some detail: in the Carpathian mountains wildcats mainly … Continue reading →
The wildcats of South Africa and Namibia are sometimes referred to as “caffre cats”. They are a species of small wild cat looking like a tabby domestic cat. The Mirriam-Webster dictionary tells us that the phrase “caffre cat” is a … Continue reading →
The answer is, Yes and No. By default they are not friendly because they are held back by fear and suspicion as they are inherently solitary and territorial. However, it seems that this small wildcat species decided that survival was … Continue reading →
This cat should be called the Chinese steppe cat (an area of flat, unforested grassland). Perhaps the name Chinese desert cat is misleading because it inhabits barren steppe country and mountain brush terrain. It lives in the same general area … Continue reading →
OPINION ON NEWS FROM THE SCOTSMAN: We know that one downside of the necessary expansion of wind farms is that they kill birds. We are also painfully aware that domestic and feral cats kill birds. Now we have a wind … Continue reading →
Yes, it is perfectly okay for domestic cats to eat flies, spiders and bugs of all kinds but see the caveat below. Wasps and bees are a problem because they can get stung. But it is completely natural for domestic … Continue reading →
The African wildcat is suffering the same barrier to survival as the Scottish wildcat. This small wild cat species has a tendency to mate with wandering domestic and feral cats. The offspring are hybrids, neither pure domestic cat nor pure … Continue reading →
There is talk about the reintroduction of the beautiful wildcat, which was once native to England, to the Derwent valley at a particular place, appropriately called Cattiside. This is said to be the last-known Derbyshire location of native wildcats centuries … Continue reading →
