10 Rare Wild Cats That Are Incredibly Beautiful

Pampas Cat

Physical Characteristics: The Pampas cat is a relatively small cat – its body length ranges from 18 to 30 inches. Its coat comes in three main variants, ranging from a reddish-brown to a grayish tinge with dark brown spots.
Behavior: These wild cats have not been studied much and little is known about their hunting habits. However, there have been reports of them hunting rodents and birds at night. They are also known to hunt domestic poultry.
Habitat: These cats are native to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. They’re currently classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN Red List as habitat conversion and destruction may cause the population to decline in the future.

Leopard Cat

Physical Characteristics: While the Leopard cat is roughly the size of a domestic cat, it is more slender, with longer legs and well-defined webs between its toes. Specimens from more southern populations tend to have yellowish-brown coats, but those that live further north tend to be silvery-grey.
Behavior: These cats are solitary, except during breeding season. Few are active during the day, with the majority hunting at night, stalking murids, tree shrews and hares.
Habitat: This small wild cat is native to South and East Asia. Though it has been assessed as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN, this cat is still threatened due to habitat loss and hunting.

Jaguarundi

Physical Characteristics: The Jaguarundi has short legs, an elongated body and a long tail. Its coat is uniform in color and usually varies from black to brownish-gray.
Behavior: Unlike most wild cat species, the Jaguarundi is primarily active during the day, as opposed to evenings or at night. They often lie in trees, but hunt on the ground. For prey, Jaguarundi typically catch a mixture of rodents, small reptiles and ground-feeding birds. They have also been observed killing larger prey such as rabbits and opossums.
Habitat: The Jaguarundi is typically found in Texas and Mexico, with some also spotted as far south as Argentina. They prefer to reside in lowland brush areas, with water nearby.

Fishing Cat

Physical Characteristics: Fishing cats are twice the size of a domestic cat, and have a stocky, muscular build with short-to-medium legs. Their fur is coarse and olive-gray in color with dark spots arranged in horizontal streaks running along the length of their bodies.
Behavior: As its name implies, these cats feed on fish and it should also come as no surprise that they feel very much at home in the water. In fact, they can swim long distances – females have been reported to swim areas of 4 to 6 km, while males can swim 16 to 22 km.
Habitat: Fishing cats are predominantly found in the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills in India and Nepal, and can also be spotted in swamps and marshy areas in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Serval

Physical Characteristics: The Serval is a medium-sized cat, measuring 23 to 36 inches long. It is a strong yet slender animal with long legs, making it one of the tallest cats around.
Behavior: The Serval is mainly a nocturnal hunter to avoid being detected by larger predators during the day. While it predominantly hunts rodents, the Serval is an opportunistic predator, with a diet that includes birds, hares, reptiles, insects, fish and frogs. It is known to travel as much as 3 to 4 km each night in search of food.
Habitat: The Serval is native to Africa and is predominantly found in the Sahara region, residing in mountainous area at elevations up to 9,800 feet.