It’s easy to differentiate our regular tiny house cats to their big feline cousins. However, there are a few wild cats that have the same looks and are about the same size to your regular calico. When placed side by side, it can be quite difficult to distinguish these wild felines from a pet cat ( how they compare read here). Here are some small wild cats that you shouldn’t mistake for a neighborhood kitty.
African Wildcat
African wildcats share a lot of similarities with a regular cat. This is due to the fact that this is the specie from which domestic felines descended from. Some thousand years ago, Egyptians domesticated this wild cat to control rodents from invading their granaries. Since then, the symbiotic relationship between human and cat flourished.
Black-footed Cat
Black-footed cats, otherwise known as small-spotted cats are among those with striking resemblance to house cats. This specie is Africa’s smallest wild feline. Despite their adorable size and features, this cat is not to be messed with or you can easily engage with. Supposedly, black-footed cats are the deadliest felines; they have incredible tenacity that are sure to catch and defeat their preys. So, if ever you encounter one, which is very rare as these cats are hard to spot, stay away as their cute looks are just a cover to their ferocious selves.
Sand Cat
As its name suggest, sand cats are small wild cats exclusive to a desert habitat. They are known to be diggers as that’s where they find some of their preys as well as making burrows to where they’ll stay. Sand cats are nocturnal and survive with so little water that they consume through their preys.
European Wildcat
A subspecies of the wildcat, Europeaan wildcats have looks similar to tabby cats. Supposedly, even experts can have a hard time distinguishing them from regular tabbies.This small wild cat is the most common species mostly available around the world. Keeping this particular specie pure turns challenging over the years as they are crossbreeding with feral domestic cats.
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat, as its name suggests, looks like a leopard and a cat mixed into one. This wildcat is native to South, Southeast and East Asia. They can easily be mistaken for exotic cat breeds like Bengals or Savannahs due to their looks. Reportedly, there have been cases of people picking up leopard cat kittens mistaking them as abandoned. However, leopard cat moms just leave the offsprings when hunting, so it’s important that people would consult with vets or locals before taking any of these kittens.
Jungle Cat
Jungle cats, also known as swamp cats or reed cats, are also small wild cats that you mistake for a house cat. These wildcats inhabit wetlands like swamps and can be found near human settlements. To tell them apart from a feral or tame regular kitty, look for a yellowish red tinge on their coats and small tufts of black fur at the tip of their ears which can give their identity away.
We hope that cat lovers will be able to distinguish small wild cats from regular kitties. This is for the welfare of both parties as wildcats don’t have the same temperaments and inclinations from a regular tabby that most cat persons are familiar of. Read about 5 exotic breeds that look like wild cats here.
