What is your favourite small cat species ?

Favorite species I've seen: black-footed cats and servals.

Favorite species I haven't seen: fishing cats (I really need to head up to San Francisco) and flat-headed cats.

To be fair though, all cats are good cats and every other species mentioned in the thread is A+

 

Favorite species I've seen: Fishing cat

Favorite species I've yet to see: Pallas's cat

Favorite name: Jaguarundi

Species that holds a special place in my heart: Margay (because I grew up with one at my local zoo)

Just be aware that a visit does not guarantee a viewing. It may live in a fairly small exhibit but it's a good hider. Of my last three visits I only saw the cat on one, and that's because it was being fed.

 

Favorite species I've seen: Fishing cat and clouded leopard(very interesting species)

Favorite species I haven't seen: African golden cat
One museum that I visit almost every year which has a mounted African golden cat, but it took me several years to figure out which species it was. This mount was placed on top of a high display case, therefore I couldn't read the signage. Eventually my dad climbed on a bench which allowed him to read it...

 

What about the black footed cat makes it your favourite ?

Where did you see this species and are they common in zoos in the United States?

The first time I saw a Pallas cat I just found it so simultaneously cute and angry looking that it really made me laugh. Hope you get to see one soon as they are very special cats.

I also like margays but less aesthetically (though their markings are beautiful) and more in terms of their ecology and behaviour.

Margays are quite an enigma but the more we are learning about them (and particularly their predatory behaviour) the more fascinating they appear to be.

 

I really would like to see this species too.

To be honest even seeing a taxidermy specimen of this cat would be interesting for me.

Where is this museum that you mention ?

Wow, I assumed it to be a cub.

I think it is because of how broad / rounded the head / skull is and how large / prominent the eyes are which made me think that this was a very young animal.

 

Honestly, it's least 50% the cute factor, they're adorable. But most of my favorite cat species have spots, so that's another point for black-footed cats, and their small size + their amazing success rate in hunting is really neat. They're not particularly common in U.S zoos, but they're exhibited at several as far as I'm aware. I had the good fortune of having one at my local zoo for several years that I got to visit frequently and grow fond of. She and her kittens have left for other facilities unfortunately, but hopefully I'll get the chance to see one again.

 

Oh I agree, they are a beautiful species (haven't seen one of these in the flesh yet but hope to one day).

Judging from what I've read and heard they have supersize personalities for such a tiny cat too. I find the indigenous San "bushmen" mythology that surrounds this species in Africa to be particularly interesting.

I remember reading somewhere that there have historically been steep difficulties with establishing this species in captivity so it is great to know that there has been some captive breeding achieved in US institutions.

 

The museum is called 'Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente' erected in 1911 and was the first natural history museum in The Netherlands that was open to the public. This museum is located in the town called Denekamp (The Netherlands) and has a collection consisting of fossils, minerals and a large variety of taxidermy animals.

 

I'm looking at some images of the museum on google images. It reminds me a bit of Tring in terms of the look of their galleries.

Unfortunately I can't find any images of the golden cat though

 

That's a shame, neither can I. I hope that I remembered correctly whether they do have a golden cat. I have to admit to most of their taxidermy animals are very old and therefore could be a bit inaccurate. However it's still a fun museum to visit after which you could go to Tierpark Nordhorn which is really close by.

 

Don't worry about it, it was probably indeed an African golden cat that you saw.

It definitely sounds like a very important museum in terms of Natural history in the Nethelands and maybe one day I might have visit

 

ALL. OF. THEM.
Cheetahs first.
I couldn't begin to rank the rest of them. I could do a few minor rankings, like Iberian lynx over other lynx, but beyond that who knows.

 

My favorite felid in general is the m̶a̶l̶t̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶g̶e̶r̶ clouded leopard, I wouldn't describe a cat much larger than an ocelot as small however.

So sand cat, black-footed cat or kodkod for me, mostly but not limited to the cuteness factor. At least aesthetically I'd say black-footed cat, because of the usual green eyes!

 

Have to admit, I struggle with thinking of the cheetah as a small cat though I am aware it is in a different genus from Panthera.

Clouded leopards are beautiful animals indeed but I do struggle with seeing them as small cats too.

What is a "Maltese tiger" ? I'm almost certain that there are no tigers or other non-domestic felines native to Malta.

 

As TinoPup I cannot say which one is my fave, I have phases on them, however...

Asian Golden Cats are fascinating and when I finally was able to see my first in Wuppertal I promised myself to try to meet every in Europe, as every individual is so unique, striking and mysterious so it's like the invitation to get to know more the species.

I love Rusty-spotted Cats as they could be seen as little, grey and tiny but when you get closer you'll see the muscular and agile hunter with amazingly beautiful markings. And try to look in their eyes! I'm very sad that they are so underrated in zoos, as from I see and talk with zoopeople they don't tend to be very hard in keeping/breeding. As a tiny, sweet hunters they could be a true star if the design of enclosure and communication lead proper. I had to start working on campaign about them...

As a child I loved Servals. They tend to be so independent, agile and quite weird (perfect combination!).

Well and I can go on... Eurasian lynxes as forest magicians, Bobcats as cats of American dream, Pallas's Cats as essence of grumpiness because of living in that mad world too long, Marbled Cats, Flat-headed Cats, Black-footed Cats, Margays, both Oncillas, Pampas Cats... They all have something unique, something fascinating, always something new to know.

A special place in my heart will always go to Geoffroy's cat as they look like everyman (everycat?) but they hide great secrets and abilities. They also invited me to the Felinae World.

 

I'm curious what you thought under the charismatic Fishing Cats, why you associate them with a charisma? I don't want to lead a discussion or argue, I'm just very interesting what meanings, values, associations people have with <especially small> felids.

Anyway, I let myself to refer to post above mine. When I think about "small cats" I rather don't think about the cheetah, however it indeed belongs to Felinae. Like a cougar. And cloudies are still in Pantherinae. I think that stuff often arouse emotions in discussions .

 

No, its ok, dont wory, I didn't interpret your comment in that way at all.

I'm quite interested in the meanings , values, ontologies and associations that people have relating to small felids too as I think it is ultimately very relevant for their conservation. This is actually why I started this thread in order to find out more about how people on this site perceive these animals.

It is hard to avoid making anthromorphic statements when it comes to animals (probably impossible) but for me the fishing cat is a very charismatic animal. I have never worked with them but I've seen a couple of these cats in zoos over the years and even just observing them for a while they always seem to have such large and interesting characters and to be more amiable than other felid species.

I sometimes read news regarding their in-situ conservation in India , Sri Lanka and South-East Asia and frankly I find it apalling that they do not receive the same amount of attention or resources for their conservation as larger Asiatic cats such as the tiger or snowleopard.

 

Seems like you are quite the fan of the small felids which is actually very encouraging as these animals need all of the fans they can get at such a critical time.

I'm curious, how did the Geoffroy's cat spark your interest in felines ?

 

Agreed. The cultural research could also allow to create new meanings, associations etc. which seems to me very important in conservation of less known species. I've tried this in my latest educational project (about Felidae family especially concerning small species) and try to connect terms like "introvert life", "fantasy world" or "perfectionism/being a master" with cat species to show them in new colours and more understandable. I believe that a storytelling and an emotional narration can change, however of course these aren't ideal tools, especially with a risk of an "bad anthropomorphism". In that way I tried to emphasize also that our and their worlds are different; not better/worse, but different.
Well, these are thoughts of someone who is still on the beginning and there is a lot to learn.

I was very fascinated about your words about Fishing cat! Thank you for sharing and glad to see another perspective and how small cats could be seen. Again I agree that there is too little about an outstanding world of smaller cats like Fishing cat or Rusty-spotted cat (what a predator!).
According to news I was very positive surprised when Fishing cats in smaller Polish zoo, ZOO Toruń, became true stars - there were a lot of articles about their arriving and what an unusual species came to Toruń. However I think it's still not an often situation...

Geoffroy's cats were the first Felinae species which allowed me to enter their world at least a little. I was a child and I spent hours (...and then months ) observing interactions between the whole family, playing fights, learning hunting skills, running, jumping, resting together... I was fascinated and I think they showed me lots more than jaguars and tigers (which I of course also respect), maybe because their world was full of mysteries and brand new. Still remember the first day when we met and their big, curious, blue eyes!