Tracing the Wild Cats
Our impression of cats may be limited to the cutesy, cuddly animals we find in our homes. However, not all cats can readily go into ones home and adapt to a domestic environment.
Wild cats are small predators native to Europe, Western Asia, and Africa. Wild cats hunt birds, small mammals, and other creatures of similar sizes. Sometimes, wild cats cannot be distinguished from a domestic cat in a home setting. However, wild cats that were taken in for domestication end up being feral animals in many environments.
Feral cats can become wild cats if they are abandoned by their owners and they adapt an isolationist environment. In Australia, the term feral cat is related to the cats breeding entirely in the wild. Wild cats are of the same nature even though it is a term used to cats that have never been domesticated.
Wild cats are very adaptable to a wide variety of habitat types. These environments include savanna, open forest, and steppe. Wild cats differ from domestic cats in variety as wild cats have more uniform brown coats and have much more muscular built. Wild cats range from eighteen to thirty two inches in length and weigh between three and eight kilograms. African wild cats are smaller and have a lighter brown color.
Wild cats are very timid. They prefer to conserve energy and only acts up when hunting. At the same time, wild cats avoid any human settlement. For a wild cat, solitary living is their path to survival. Wild cats have a territoriality of about three square kilometers. Wild cats in Europe cannot be mistaken for a domestic cat because of its large frame and thick fur. European wild cats are most active in day time which is different from the activity of domestic cats. African wild cats, also known as desert cats are sandy to yellow brown with black stripes on its tail. These cats are also found in the savannas and steppes in the Middle East. African wild cats are much different from European wild cats in their activity. They usually hunt during night time and raise its hair when under attack to intimidate opponents.
European wild cats and African wild cats have been separated from each other for 20,000 years. European wild cats have large distribution masses covering the whole Europe and as far as the Caspian Sea. European wild cats are dwindling in number due to the expansion of humans that led to much hunting of these cats. European wild cats are known to live in swampy areas. European wild cats have a different habitat pattern than African wild cats.
Wild cats are the known ancestors of domestic cats. When we look at the gentle nature of domestic cats, we sometimes forgot that they have the instincts of their ancestors that easily show when under tension. Understanding the variety of
wild cats and domestic cats will allow us to have a great perspective on the past of our beloved feline friends.