Lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars are all creatures that are fascinating in their own right, although trying to cuddle with one is probably asking for trouble.
But what about cats that don’t fit into either category – those that won’t necessarily turn you into cat food, but are also not meant to be pets?
As it turns out, the feline family is surprisingly big and diverse. Here’s a selection of lesser-known meowsers to sate your curiosity for all things catty.
1. Canada lynx
Make no mistake: while the Canada lynx and the rest of the genus are the size of your average housecat, they are not pet material – they are ferocious creatures that find themselves at home in the thick forests of North America.
Excellent nocturnal animals, they tend to lag in the speed department but compensate by being extremely sneaky while hunting.
Subsisting on a diet of small mammals like rabbits and birds, they can also take down larger prey like reindeer.
In addition to their distinctive ears, which have long tufts of fur sticking out at the tips, their bobbed tails end with a black tip.
2. Caracal
With a habitat that stretches from Africa to India, the caracal is a strange-looking feline famous for its tufted ears and long legs.
These ears are impressive even by cat standards, each having over 20 muscles that allow it to rotate towards the sound of prey.
Caracals are considered to be among the fastest cats of their size group, with their golden fur allowing them to camouflage in vegetation.
They are also excellent climbers, known to pursue monkeys up trees, and can leap up to 3m in the air.
3. Serval
While they have spotted fur coats like leopards, these African wildcats are a lot more unusual than their bigger relatives.
Their legs are disproportionately long, their heads look tiny when compared with their bodies, and their ears are huge in proportion to their heads.
Despite their odd looks, servals are among the best hunters in their family, surpassing even the lion in terms of success.
Given how good they are at hunting, you would be hard-pressed to find them scavenging the leftovers of other predators’ kills, unlike most other big cats.
Their spotted coats, which are unique to each individual, help them disappear into the tall grass of the African savannah.
4. Pallas’ cat
Furry and adorable, the Pallas’ cat could easily be mistaken for a housecat, but once you discover their fiery temper, you will probably want to back off to a safe distance.
Also known as manul, they are equipped with a thick fur coat that allows them to survive the cold climate of the Asian steppes.
Unlike their other relatives whose eyes can narrow into slits, Pallas’ cats have human-like irises that contract into small circles in darkness.
These felines might look huge but it’s mostly the fur that makes them appear so – they have the longest and densest coat of any living cat species.
Extremely solitary even by cat standards, you are likely to find only about 10 Pallas’ cats living in an area of 100 sq km.
5. Sand cat
Also known as the Sahara or sand dune cat, the sand cat strongly resembles its domestic relatives but are truly among the toughest survivors out there.
Small but stocky, their sandy fur allows them to all but disappear in the desert, where they can stay hidden until nightfall.
Their limited size means they can’t climb or jump like their bigger cousins, but they make excellent diggers who burrow tunnels to take refuge in during the day.
When night comes, the sand cat prowls a 10km area in search of prey, which ranges from insects to birds.
Having long adapted to their desert homes, sand cats require little water, getting most of their moisture from their kills.
6. Rusty-spotted cat
Believed to be among the tiniest cat species out there, the rusty-spotted cat – which weighs on average about 1.6kg – fits comfortably in your palm.
Inhabitants of south Asia, they are highly evasive creatures, appearing only in the night when it’s safe to hunt without predators around.
They are ambush hunters, hiding in patches of tall grass or bamboo before pouncing on their unsuspecting victims. Due to their size, they mostly kill small mammals and birds, although they have been seen eating frogs as well.
Unfortunately this cat has recently been threatened by humans, with farmers sometimes killing them for preying on their chickens.
7. Fishing cat
While domestic cats stereotypically consider water to be their bane of existence, fishing cats see it as their hunting ground.
Unlike their domestic relatives, fishing cats are unable to retract their claws and have a rudder-like tail to help them swim.
As their name implies, they subsist mostly on fish, and are excellent divers for this very purpose. Blessed with high stamina, they are capable swimmers who will relentlessly chase after fish if they have to.
While found mostly in the wetlands of India, they have also been found in some parts of southeast Asia.
Catat Ulasan