Scottish Wildcats are normally solitary creatures except at meeting time or when they are raising their young. Some have been kept in enclosures and they can be friendly towards each other, but rarely towards humans. Even when they have been mated with domestic cats, they will only behave as pets while they are very young. They seem to respond more to the wild side than the domestic. One person tried captive breeding of Scottish Wildcats over several years and even though he managed to raise litters, all the kittens ultimately rejected human companionship and left to live in the wild.
It is hard to imagine that deliberate cross breeding of wild cats with other breeds occurred because it would have been very difficult, especially in a domestic sense, as it would have been physically too difficult. Even today, to obtain the colouring of the wild cat as a pet without introducing the wild temperament is still causing difficulties.
It appears that specific breeding of cats by man for type, colour character did not begin until the late 19th century. This was when the first cat Show was held in London. This glee. Previous word.
The Scottish wildcat was also known as the British wildcat as it was found virtually throughout the country. But as agriculture grew and the natural Woods and forests were cut down, the number of these Wildcats steadily declined. This Wildcats were also hunted for their fur which would have contributed to their decline.
It is thought that the last of the Wildcats in the south areas of England probably died out in the 16th century although a few could still be found in the north east of the country until the 18th century. They were killed by gamekeepers and farmers. Up until the First World War when their population was at its lowest and there could only be found in the West of Scotland. During the second world war when many men were off fighting the enemy, the population of the wild cat was able to grow slightly.
Scottish Wildcats can still be found in sporadic populations, though they still avoid low land areas which are farmed or managed intensively. The wildcat of Europe is suffering the same challenge in its remaining natural open forest habitats in Greece, Italy, France, Russia and Central Europe. However, these populations have adapted well although it is now rare to find racial purity of the wildcat outside the walls of a zoo.
To stay alive in a possibly unfriendly world, small wild or feral cats feed on a wide range of prey so that they can survive, even if they are only limited to a few types of foods during certain times of the year. This could occur when they are in a harsher environment where there may not be too much variety of prey available.
In the wild, diets usually range from rodents such as mice, rats, plus voles and rabbits, depending on where the cat lives. One breed of cat in Japan eats almost 40 different species of beetles and insects. In India, the fishing cat will lie on an overhanging branch above a river watching quietly until a fish passes underneath. This cat uses its mouth rather than its paws to catch its prey. In sandy areas such as deserts cats have been found preying on small reptiles such as geckos and snakes as well and insects. I have frequently seen my cats eat a spider.
Feral cats will eat just about anything they can get hold of to survive. They quickly learn to keep close to rubbish bins outside hotels and restaurants, waiting for dinner. Where necessary, a wild cat will also eat carrion.
No matter which strategy cats use to obtain their prey, they are all extremely effective hunters, just as you would expect from such a perfectly designed animal. Their ability to use their senses, physique, stealth, patience and cunning when launching an attack on their prey is beautiful to watch. Compare this hunting animal to the domestic cat, which is, normally, non-aggressive and apart from fights over territory or mates, very gentle, even in play.
Your domestic cat may sleep anywhere up to 18 hours per day, which is twice as much as we do or would want to do, even if we could. Of course kittens, like babies, sleep more than this each day.
As cats are carnivores, their meat diet is rich in protein. This means they need to consume much less food than her bed for animals like cattle or sheep, which require long periods of grazing to get enough energy from the vegetable matter.
Have you ever noticed your cat wiggling his bottom before pouncing or leaping? This wiggling provides alternating fields of vision of the cat and gives the brain the impression that the prey is moving and helps him aim his strike better. Cats respond to the movement of their prey rather than the smell so the wiggling bottom the hunting may stop if the mouse or prey stops and remains motionless.
Cats, unlike dogs, can survive and live quite well in an unfriendly world where they have no home. This superb hunting ability means they should never go hungry.
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