wildcat

(without a space between ‘wild’ and ‘cat’ in this context; for the right pronunciation, please click here)

The ‘cat family’ is a large family of several groups. Scientifically cats are grouped into several ‘genius’, species and sub-species. Depending on the size, colour and habitat, we have grouped them – in layman’s terms – into some groups for our convenience and better understanding.

In the entry “cat”, we have grouped the cat family into three groups. This particular ‘wildcat’ group is not mentioned there in order to avoid confusion.

And now, the cats under this entry ‘wildcat’ belong to the species Felis silverstris, and other related species. These cats (African wildcats) are closer in size, and believed to be the ancestors of all the present domestic cats.

There are three types in this group: European wildcat; African wildcat; and Asiatic wildcat.

wildcat:

a wildcat

This group is the small cats – smaller than, and possibly the link between, the “medium-sized wild cat” and the present “domestic cats”. These cats are mostly grey brown with a bushy tail and a pattern of clear black stripes all over the body, and reddish-tinted fur on the backs of ears; size: 1½-2½ feet long, with a 1 foot-long tail, 1 foot tall at the shoulder, and weight: 3-8 Kg; feed on large insects, mice, rats, (several other rodents), rabbits, frogs, lizards, small snakes, birds and bird eggs; lives for 15 years; several sub-species, found, as their name types suggest, in Europe, Africa and Asia.