Carnivores: Aardwolf African Wild Cat African Wild Dog Banded Mongoose Bat Eared Fox Black-backed Jackal Brown Hyena Cape Clawless Otter Cape Fox Caracal Cheetah Civet Dhole Large Spotted Genet Golden Jackal Honey badger Jaguar Leopard African Lion Asiatic Lion Sand Cat Serval Side Striped Jackal Snow Leopard Spotted Hyena Striped Hyena Suricate (Meercat) Tiger White Tailed Mongoose Yellow Mongoose
The African Wild Cat is similar in appearance to the domestic tabby cat but is slightly larger, being around 90cm in length, 35cm high at the shoulder, and weighing between 4 and 5 Kg.
The wild cat is a good climber, and when in danger will often escape up a tree. They make similar sounds to domestic cats - purring, hissing, spitting and mewing. Dens are made in areas of cover such as rocky areas or thickets.
The African Wild Cat is generally solitary except when mating, or when the female is raising kittens. Both males and females establish territories which they mark and defend.
Wild cats are mainly nocturnal and crepuscular (i.e. they are active at night and around dawn and dusk).
Wild Cats prey on small mammals such as rodents (e.g. Rats or mice), hyraxes, hares, and the young of small antelopes, as well as birds and sometimes invertebrates and reptiles. African Wild Cats will sometimes come into conflict with farmers by taking lambs and poultry.
The African Wild Cat has a gestation period of 56-60 days, and typically 2-4 kittens are born, and they are generally born in the rainy season. The kittens are blind and helpless when born, and their eyes open at 10-14 days old. After four to five weeks the kittens are mobile and by three months old are able to join their mother when hunting. By five months old they are fully independent. The kittens are fully grown at one year old, and the females are able to breed at this age. Males are fully mature at age 2 to 3. African Wild Cats are known to interbreed with domestic cats.
African Wild Cats are found in most habitat types with the exception of true deserts.
The African Wild Cat is found throughout Africa with the exceptions of the Sahara, and some lowland rainforest areas.
© Predator Conservation Trust.
