Wildcat

Wildcats populate Europe, Africa, and western Asia. They come in three subspecies: the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris), the black cat or African wildcat (Felis silvestris Libya), and the steppe cat or Asian wildcat (Felis silvestris ornata).

Origin and Breed History

In addition, there is the descendant of these cats that we all know, our house cat (Felis silvestris catus). Although it has ancestors from all the wildcat forms mentioned, on balance it is almost exclusively descended from the black cat. This is about the European wildcat. This also lives among us but hardly anyone has ever been able to observe it in freedom.

In contrast to the house cat, it avoids people. With her extremely keen senses, she notices the arrival of a two-legged friend long before we even suspect her proximity. With the help of photo traps, you have a certain overview of their inventory today. At first glance, our wildcat looks like a tabby domestic cat. But it is built much bigger and stronger. The differences in lifestyle and nature are even greater. She is a staunch loner. On her hunts, she roams huge areas. Kuder, in the hunter’s language for a hangover, can cover up to 20 kilometers in one night. The European wildcat loves open forest landscapes. However, it is very reluctant to move in clearings or areas without cover. That is why you are making the urban sprawl of our landscape very difficult.

The European wildcat has a very different way of hunting than our domestic cat. She is a stalker or stalker. Our house cat, on the other hand, is a hide hunter. The wildcat’s diet is very special and not very flexible: it only hunts small mammals such as mice or young rabbits. As a rule, she is not interested in carrion, frogs, birds, or insects. This makes them susceptible to natural events such as extreme weather conditions, where they can hardly resort to other food. It cannot be tamed and in the thousands of years since the house cat came to Europe with humans, it has only very rarely mixed with it.

Description

At first glance, our wildcat looks like a tabby house cat. But it is built much bigger and stronger. Their tail is thick, rather short, and ends bluntly. It has a typical three-ring curl. Their fur is thicker and slightly longer than that of the house cat. Their fur pattern looks rather fuzzy in contrast to the wild-colored domestic cats. She wears a continuous black line of eel on her back. It also has a flesh-colored tip of the nose. Our domestic cats tend to have darker noses in many different colors. The European wildcat weighs 2.5 to 6.5 kilograms with a total length including a tail up to one meter. Hangovers are stronger than cats. The only sounds they know are hissing and growling. The meowing of our domestic cats is only shown by wildcat pups.

Temperament and Essence

Wildcats are solitary stalkers who sneak up on their prey unnoticed and catch it in one jump with a surprise attack.

Our house cat, on the other hand, is – like its ancestor, the fallow cat – a hide hunter. It waits for hours in front of a mouse hole and then strikes at lightning speed. The European wildcat only maintains short-term social contacts during the mating season. This also contributes to the fact that it is considered to be the only cat species in the world that cannot be tamed. Even specimens that have grown up in the care of humans from birth avoid humans and, even in captivity, only approach them within two meters at best in order to collect a desirable piece of food. You can never be touched willingly.

Attitude

The European wildcat is completely unsuitable as a pet. She is a pure wild animal. Even raised by humans in captivity, it remains wild. If for various reasons it is necessary to keep them in the enclosure, it must be very large and above all offer plenty of options so that the wildcat can withdraw and hide. In the wild, she never returns to a hiding place found by a human. She largely avoids an encounter with a person.

Upbringing

The European wildcat is completely resistant to human training.

Nutrition / Feed

The European wildcat is a food specialist. Their main diet is made up of voles, wood mice, field mice or young hares, and rabbits.

Life Expectancy

In the wild, the European wildcat rarely lives beyond 4 years. Only less than half of a litter survives the first year of life. Under optimal conditions, wild cats can live up to twelve years of age in captivity.

Buy Wildcat

The Wildcat lives exclusively in the wild and cannot be purchased.