The fishing cat got its name for the obvious reason that they are the only wild cat species that truly specialises in catching fish and other aquatic wildlife in natural water courses. That’s their skill but the experts still don’t know enough about them. This lack of comprehensive knowledge, by the way, applies to many small wild cat species which is also remarkable seeing as some of the species are gradually heading towards extinction. It’s entirely possible that some will become extinct before we know enough about them.

The fishing cat is found in the wetlands of Bangladesh among other areas. They tend to be nocturnal in their activity. They weigh about 35 pounds which makes them a small/medium-sized wild cat species.
Conservationists have been puzzled by how the fishing cats survives during Bangladesh’s wet season when monsoons flood the country’s low-lying wetlands. The conditions during the monsoon season in Bangladesh are not conducive to the survival of the fishing cat.

RELATED: Fishing Cat May Be on the Verge of Extinction in Indonesia
How do they find food at this time? Some remarkable imagery has revealed that they climb to the top of trees to prey on birds. It’s the first time that we’ve seen video footage from camera traps of this species of cat behaving like this.
The revelation comes from a study published on January 15 in the journal Mammalia. Over the period June-October 2022, video camera footage shows them attacking fledgling birds nesting 20 feet above ground in the canopy of trees.
In one segment, a fishing cat is seen to hunt three chicks while four more were missing.
Despite being adapted for fishing in streams, this cat is adept at climbing trees which perhaps should be unsurprising because all cat species are great climbers to varying degrees. Perhaps the best tree climber and tree dweller is the margay but there are others such as the cloud leopard.
Usual MO
The fishing cat’s usual modus operandi include diving into water to swim after fish, catching them in their mouths. This mostly nocturnal cat sometimes uses a tree branch of the diving board. They also have been known to tap the service of the water with their paws to attract fish and then scoop them out.
Video
Incidentally, when we see the kittens of domestic cats playing inside the home, they sometimes mimic this scooping out action when they throw toys into the air. It seems to be instinctive in all cats.
Under normal circumstances, the fishing cat will eat frogs and snakes, fish (obviously) and crabs and other shellfish. They are about the size of a basset hound.
Another strong swimmer is the flat-headed cat which lives in swampy areas in Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.
RELATED: Do fishing cats sometimes prey on livestock?
Note: I search for and failed to find the journal Mammalia and therefore failed to find the study referred to which is also remarkable! 😊