The title of the paintings is the life of a Far Eastern cat. Far Eastern cat (leopard cat): description, habitat, nutrition
The Amur forest cat is a mammal, a predatory animal of the cat family. This breed is closely related to the Bengal (Asian) cat. Second name for Amur forest cat- “leopard”. He received it due to his color, similar to that of a leopard.
Relatives of the Amur forest cat live in warm regions. Surprisingly, his ancestors ended up in the taiga. This is also explained by the fact that, perhaps, it was once much warmer here than it is now. After the reversal of the poles and the cooling of this amazing beauty cats had to somehow adapt to the harsh climatic conditions Russia.
Habitats
On Russian territory wild cat lives on Far East, V Amur region and Ussuri region. Outside Russian Federation settles on the coast Sea of Japan, in China and the Hindustan Peninsula.
The habitat of the forest cat is bushes river valleys, lakeside reed thickets, low foothills covered with mixed forest. Usually the Amur cat does not climb high into the mountains. It tolerates cold, harsh winters well, but is completely unsuited to life in snowy areas.
Description of the breed
Representatives of the Amur forest cat breed are the smallest among Asian cats. According to the description of the breed and appearance, they are no different from domestic pets:
- The weight of an adult varies from 4 to 8 kg.
- The body is strong and muscular. Its length, including its tail, is approximately one meter.
- Head small size and has an elongated shape.
- The eyes are large, deep-set and located at a short distance from each other.
- The ears are rounded in shape.
- The powerful paws of this animal are longer than those of a domestic cat, and are equipped with short and strong claws.
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The fur of the Amur forest cat is very thick and soft. The color can have different variations from gray-sand to yellow-brown. Oval reddish spots are scattered throughout the body. They may have vague or clear outline. Thanks to these spots, similar to ancient Chinese coins, it is called the “money cat” in China. Three distinct stripes run along the back, several more stripes run along the throat and chest, and two more light stripes run along the forehead.
Wild steppe cats - lifestyle, character, possibility of taming
Lifestyle and character
The Far Eastern forest cat is a solitary predator, leading night look life. He is quite shy and cautious, making him very difficult to detect. When danger arises, it has the habit of climbing trees. The Amur forest cat prefers to hunt from ambush, overtaking its prey with a deft leap. It hunts well both on the ground and in trees.
The diet of a wild cat includes mouse-like rodents, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, fish and snakes. It can also handle larger animals such as hares or young roe deer. He usually hides the remains of uneaten prey by burying them in the snow, and after a while returns to finish them. Despite their shyness and caution, severe frosts force these cats to approach human habitation and hunt rodents and poultry in old houses.
More than one live next door to a wild forest cat major representatives The cat families are lynx, leopard and tiger. A meeting with them could end badly for him, so he tries to avoid them. But it is worth noting that Amur forest cats have enough cool temperament And enormous strength for their sizes. Without hesitation, they are able to engage in battle with an enemy larger than them.
This representative of the cat family prefers to organize its lair in the hollows of old trees and rock crevices. He also uses old, abandoned badger and fox holes. The bottom of its home is usually covered with dry leaves and grass. In the area where the wildcat lives, there are several temporary shelters, which he visits from time to time. In harsh winters, he uses one - the safest.
People have tried to domesticate the forest cat more than once. The positive results of such experiments are very low:
- At home, the lifespan of these cats is short.
- The wild nature of the predator creates a danger for cohabitation with other pets. And he treats people with caution.
- Even if you tame a tiny newborn kitten, it will still have the desire to run away into the forest.
Reproduction
Breeding period leopard cats from February to March. With a loud, abrupt cry, the male calls the female to mate. If a female has two contenders, then competitive battles break out between them with loud hissing and meowing, where the strongest of them wins.
The female's pregnancy lasts 65–72 days. By the end of May, new offspring appear in the amount of 1–2 kittens, a maximum of 4 kittens. The weight of a newborn kitten is about 80 grams. They are born blind, and only after 10 days they will be able to see the world.
The mother cat cares and protects them. In case of danger, hides the kittens in another place safe place. The father also takes part in the kittens' lives. By the age of six months, animals become independent and leave the parental nest. The lifespan of these cats ranges from 8 to 15 years.
Interesting fact: there are known cases of leopard cat mating with a domestic cat. Kittens of this litter are completely uncontrollable. Males resulting from such mating are incapable of procreation, unlike females.
Security measures
There is no exact data on the number of individuals of Amur cats. Due to their secrecy, it is impossible to make even an approximate calculation. Despite this, the Far Eastern forest cat is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
Interesting fact: the Far Eastern forest cat poses no danger to human life. However, in Soviet period for a long time he was on the black list, along with the wolf, and was subject to extermination. This innocent animal was killed for a small reward from the authorities. And the Chinese are the “money cat” for a long time exterminated because of its fur.
The main threats to this feline species are: weather conditions, habitat loss and interbreeding with domestic cats. To save forest cats, measures are being taken to protect them in the form of a complete ban on fishing and random capture. Also, extensive explanatory work is being carried out among hunters and the population about the significance and importance of preserving this species in the list of territorial fauna. It is known that for last years their population began to increase.
The Amur forest cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) belongs to the subspecies of the Bengal cat. He is considered a relative Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard. However, unlike its brothers, the Far Eastern cat was undeservedly deprived of attention.
Amur forest cat: description of the species
Cold indifference to this harmless animal has led to disappointing consequences - now the Amur cat is listed in the Red Book as an endangered subspecies. Thanks to the efforts of animal rights activists, in recent years the situation has leveled out - the population size is gradually increasing.
The Amur cat settled along the shores of the Sea of Japan and near the Amur basin. In addition to Russia, the Far Eastern cat is common in China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, inhabiting the entire space from Hindustan to the Malay Archipelago.
Since the area inhabited by the Amur cat is large and heterogeneous in climatic feature, the habits of wild cats from different regions may vary. In particular, the habitat affects the breeding periods and the mass of cats.
The tropical orientation of the Far Eastern cat suggests that impenetrable forests are not the best place for animals like him. However, circumstances were such that the Amur cat emigrated to the snowy Ussuri region and remained to live there forever.
Appearance
The weight of an adult Amur cat varies from 4 to 7 kg; there are also particularly large specimens weighing up to 15 kg. The body length of the cat reaches 75-90 cm, the tail of representatives of the subspecies reaches 40 cm in size.
Some wild cats are smaller in size than domestic cats. The size of Far Eastern cats depends on both location and time of year. In the summer, thanks to the diligent accumulation of fat, the leopard cat weighs significantly more than in the winter, when it wastes the energy reserves acquired over the summer.
Table 1. Exterior of the Amur forest cat
Part of the body | Description |
---|---|
Head Jaws | Small in size, has an elongated shape Deeply set, have oval shape, located at a short distance from each other Rounded, slightly oblong, without tassels at the ends, movable Large, grey-red hue. There is a wide hairless stripe on the nose Equipped with sharp fangs, the upper fangs are long and thick |
Limbs Claws | Medium length, with small claws Short, strong, easily retracted into paws |
Tail tip of the tail | Long, thin, equal to half the length of the body, covered with dense and fluffy fur Black or dark grey, no tassel |
Color
The color of the Far Eastern cat was formed in inextricable connection with the pragmatic function. In summer, when the sun is high, the dense leafy crowns scatter glare everywhere. The resulting play of light and shadow became the prototype for the stripes decorating the face of a wild cat. In the iridescent rays of the sun, the color of the animal maneuvering between the trees provides reliable camouflage. The predator is unlikely to figure out whether it is a wild cat running or just a flickering shadow from the branches. All representatives of the subspecies, without exception, have such stripes. This color arose as a result of adaptation to the environment - the mixed Ussuri taiga.
Blend with background - main function fancy colored wild cat
The number of spots on an Amur cat is an indicator of age. The younger the cat, the fewer spots cover its fur. The spots can be either clear or blurry. It was for these dark red circles that the forest cat was nicknamed “money” by the Japanese - these spots were very much like ancient Japanese coins in their minds. In young individuals, the leopard print coloring is more pronounced. Over the years, the color becomes less contrasting, tending towards uniformity.
In general, the color of the Far Eastern forest cat is so heterogeneous that for clarity it makes sense to resort to a schematic description:
Table 2. Color of the Amur forest cat
Part of the body | Color |
---|---|
Head | From internal corners two white stripes run parallel up the forehead and further along the crown of the eye |
Chin | Almost white |
Throat | Four to five rusty-brown transverse stripes |
Back | Three brown stripes formed by elongated narrow spots. Sometimes they merge into one wide belt |
Sides and lower body | Always several shades lighter than the back |
Stomach | Off white with yellow undertones |
Front legs | Cross stripes |
Tail | Dark gray, sometimes one-color, more often it has up to seven black-gray incomplete rings. The tip of the tail is pure black or dark gray |
Fur
The fur of the Amur cat reaches five centimeters in length, which is why the animal reminds many of a plush toy. But first impressions are deceiving. The color of the coat can vary from gray-yellow to gray-brown. Fortunately for the leopard cat, its fur is not particularly valuable: how fur-bearing animal it does not attract hunters.
Despite the thick warm fur, the snow does not best friend Amur cat
In winter, wild cats have lighter and thicker fur, which prevents hypothermia. Far Eastern cats shed twice a year - in spring and autumn.
Population status
On this moment The Amur forest cat is included in the Red Book. The exact number of cats of this subspecies is unknown today. According to rough estimates, it does not exceed two and a half to three thousand individuals.
According to the generally accepted point of view, the number of Amur cats has decreased by at least a third. Part of the responsibility for the sharp decline in wild cats lies with humans themselves, as they are involved in:
- plowing virgin soil;
- cutting down bushes;
- setting fire to stakes (small forests in the fields).
Many representatives of the subspecies fell into hunting traps and snares, originally intended for hares. Uncontrolled natural fires also played a destructive role.
By the way! During the Soviet era, the forest cat was considered an enemy of man, along with the wolf and lynx. For the capture and killing of wild cats, the village council provided a reward, which led to an increase in those wishing to exterminate the harmless cat.
All of the above negative factors led to the fact that in 2015 there were only a few thousand Amur forest cats.
Prevention of extermination
Thanks to the efforts of animal rights activists, a significant fine was introduced for the destruction of Amur cats, reaching several thousand rubles. Systematic information is planned in the near future local residents, especially hunters, about rare representatives of the local fauna, as well as about the usefulness of a wild cat in the fight against rodents. Also, Far Eastern cats are under vigilant supervision in Japan, where about fifty representatives of the subspecies live.
Reserves
It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of protected areas in the regions, which provide greater safety for animals. The list of such territories includes
- Land of the Leopard National Park;
- Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve;
- Bolshekhehtsirsky Nature Reserve;
- Lazovsky Reserve;
- Khanka Nature Reserve;
- Ussuri Nature Reserve.
Zoos
The Far Eastern leopard cat is a rare guest in zoos. It is mainly kept in zoos in China and Japan, but in Russia there are several places where this animal lives, for example, the Barnaul Zoo.
There are several reasons for such a low prevalence of the Amur cat. Firstly, catching a wild cat specifically for collection is not an easy task. That is why the Amur cat was and remains one of the most poorly studied subspecies.
Secondly, leopard cats languish in captivity. Even in a zoo, where no one and nothing threatens the cat, wild animal remains wild and extremely cautious. As a rule, he builds a hole for himself or uses an already prepared one, only occasionally coming into contact with people and other inhabitants.
Despite the unadaptability of wild cats to life in a cage, in zoos and enclosures the life expectancy of representatives of the subspecies is 17-18 years, while in the wild they are given 10-12 years. However, there are a variety of assumptions about the number of years allotted to a forest cat by nature. Some argue that 18 years is not the limit.
Amur cat in the wild
Despite the dangers that await the animal at every step, the leopard cat is deservedly considered a long-liver among cats. Perhaps the secret of the Amur cat's longevity is its specific measured rhythm of life and phlegmatic temperament.
The Amur cat is least likely to be in a hurry. In winter, his metabolism slows down and heartbeat. During cold weather, life seems to freeze for a wild cat, which extends the number of days allotted to it.
The furry animal lives in all suitable zones - in broad-leaved and coniferous forests, in the steppe, on the banks of lakes and rivers.
Lifestyle
Far Eastern forest cats are avid loners. It is very rare to notice them in someone's company. The cases when leopard cats can be found in pairs can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Otherwise, these self-sufficient animals live and hunt in complete solitude.
The Ussuri taiga is unofficially divided by leopard cats into “fiefdoms” with an area of approximately 9-10 km2 - each with its own owner. The size of each Amur cat's personal territory depends on the abundance of prey.
The leopard cat is very attached to a specific area and is faithful to its habitat. He does not leave his territory even when faced with great danger.
In the spring, in mating season, Far Eastern cats remember that they are not alone in the universe, and begin to look for a mate. On such days, the quiet, thoughtful forest is filled with the abrupt roars of males looking for mates. Often, in the process of searching, they come close to nearby settlements and even enter them.
By the way! Roar is the only sound that can be heard from the Far Eastern cat. In other cases, the cat prefers to hiss, but does not do this often - only in case of a direct threat.
The hiss made by a leopard cat is almost inaudible to the human ear.
Video - Life of an Amur cat in the harsh taiga
Reproduction
The mating season directly depends on the territory in which the Far Eastern cat lives. For the northern regions, mating activity occurs at the end of February and throughout March, while for the southern regions there is no season limit.
Females bear kittens for 9-10 weeks, producing up to four kittens by early summer. The optimal number of cubs in a litter is one or two individuals.
Far Eastern cats can rightfully be called excellent parents. Females carefully guard the kittens, periodically moving them to a new place at the slightest hint of danger.
Males take part in feeding the young on an equal basis with females. The duration of guardianship can extend up to six months.
In rare cases, primiparous females feel anxious and ignore their young. There have been situations in which domestic cats took abandoned wild kittens under their care.
Growing up
The cubs are born blind and unadapted to independent life. Their eyes open on the tenth day. Kittens begin to explore nearby territories at two months, gradually leaving the den.
After six months, they are already independent enough to leave the “parental home” and set up their own area for hunting and recreation. Far Eastern cats become fully mature, according to various estimates, in a year and a half.
Hybridization
In the spring, leopard cats do not disdain domestic cats, as a result of which many hybrids are born. Kittens, which are a cross between domestic and wild individuals, do not become tame, and, inheriting the genes of their father, rush into the forest. Home image life cannot be forcibly instilled into these little savages.
The attitude towards such half-breeds is ambivalent. Some experts believe that such kittens pose a danger to the Amur cats themselves. The reason is that the hybrids themselves later mate with true forest wild cats, and subsequent offspring move further and further away from their original roots. If the situation does not change, the Amur cat will sooner or later face a real threat of extinction.
By the way! When crossing wild individuals with domesticated relatives, an interesting pattern was revealed: males born in this unequal union turned out to be infertile, while cats could have offspring.
Scientists at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, on the contrary, are confident that interspecific crossing will help Amur cats increase their numbers and disappear forever from the Red Book. However, they do not propose to leave the spontaneous March crossing of cats as is. According to experts, it is necessary with the help artificial insemination(IVF) control mating between domestic and wild individuals. On this moment experiments continue.
Main Enemies
The life of a forest cat can hardly be called simple. In the snowy forests of the taiga he is surrounded by many enemies - wolves, golden eagles, owls, eagle owls. The sable even happily eats blind defenseless kittens, scooping them out of their nests. It is not surprising that surrounded by such dangerous predators The Amur cat quickly learned caution, which became one of its characteristic traits.
Even those representatives of the fauna that are its potential dinner can emerge victorious from a fight with a forest cat. For example, martens and ferrets are powerful opponents. Any mistake in a decisive battle can result in death for the Amur cat. Hunting dogs also show hostility towards wild cats and pose a significant threat to them.
Hunting
Amur cats are natural and successful hunters. Prey caught can range from small rodents to rabbits and roe deer. Not every dog dares to challenge a wild cat. The advantage of a leopard cat, like wild cats in general, is that it can hunt not only horizontally, but also vertically.
Wild cats have mastered trees perfectly, and therefore pose a danger not only on the ground. Overtaking a gaping jay and destroying a nest with chicks is a trifle for these dexterous animals. As for the rest, Far Eastern cats clearly prefer conservation to energy consumption. Just as they prefer waiting and ambush to direct confrontation. This quality is perfectly reflected in their habit of overtaking prey in one jump.
Strategist Skills
If necessary, there is no doubt that the cat will show itself with the best side and will emerge victorious even from a fight with an enemy to whom he is inferior both in size and strength. It’s not for nothing that many hunters note that they would prefer to meet a lynx than this furry animal. But the furry beast will not rush headlong into a superior enemy.
The Amur cat is, first of all, a strategist. He knows how to wait and knows the value of time. Because a battle with an Amur cat is not last resort battle of intellects. The leopard cat prefers waiting in ambush to open confrontation, assuming that the prey will come on its own. In many cases, the cat's calculations turn out to be correct.
Housing
By arranging a bed for himself, the forest cat again proves himself to be a competent analyst, calculating the predator’s moves in advance. As a home, Amur cats prefer snow-covered windbreaks, which not every animal dares to enter. If someone is lucky enough to get to the Far Eastern cat, then catching it without twisting its limbs is an almost impossible task.
A wild cat is too smart to stop at one hiding place. Usually he builds several tactically important points, between which it moves to further complicate the task for the predator. The leopard cat does not disdain burrows left by other animals. Sometimes the choice of forest cats falls on rock crevices. When frost strikes, the Amur cat chooses the most protected place and spends the winter there.
Migration
The Far Eastern forest cat is a tireless traveler. The frequent change of places is not groundless: each new home is explained by the greater security with which the leopard cat seeks to surround itself.
Before the snow falls, the Amur cat must move to areas densely covered with dense bushes in order to subsequently lie down under it. It is in the area of dense thickets that the snow is compacted as much as possible, creating a real impregnable “ice fortress” with branches in the form of a frame.
When the frost reaches a critical level, wild cats rush to the villages. It is at such moments that people most often catch them. Cats are attracted to old barns, sheds and other abandoned buildings because they are infested with rodents. In more warm times year, the Amur cat prefers a variety of edges, meadows with tall, dense grass, and the banks of reservoirs.
Activity hours
Given the extreme caution and control over the situation characteristic of forest cats, it is almost impossible to see them during the day while walking. Amur cats are crepuscular animals, preferring the cover of night to the light of day. Spending the entire day in its secluded spot, the wild cat waits until sunset to hunt, remaining as undetected as possible.
Nutrition
In harsh winter conditions, Amur cats have adapted to a hoarding lifestyle. The period of active hunting and feeding for Far Eastern cats occurs in summer and early autumn.
It must be said that wild cats have an immodest appetite. In summer, Amur cats eat 15-20 mice and 3-4 birds per day. In addition to mice and birds, the menu of wild cats includes rodents, snakes, squirrels, hares, and muskrats. In short, any small warm-blooded animals that catch the animal’s eye. In some cases, they even manage to feast on roe deer.
However, this “gluttony” becomes completely understandable if we take into account the fact that in winter these animals often sit for weeks without food, and even without water, the substitute of which is snow. Accumulating fat over the summer and gradually using it up in the winter is the only way for a wild cat to survive. Moreover, Amur cats also store the food itself, hiding it close to their home.
In winter, Amur cats rarely leave their homes and prefer “passive” hunting, patiently waiting for some rodent that mistakenly runs into its shelter. An Amur cat can afford to chase through snowdrifts only in extreme cases, since it runs the risk of getting stuck in the snow and becoming hypothermic.
The real holiday for the Amur cat comes when he discovers partridges stuck under the snow in the form of almost ready-made dish. These birds sit on branches until the evening, and at night they fall into the snow, forming a snow capsule. However, in the morning they do not always manage to get out from under the crust that has formed. Then it comes finest hour cat - his instinct allows him to quickly detect a still fresh corpse, dig it up and eat it.
Despite the fact that the wild cat is very reluctant to make contact with humans and other animals, there are cases when Amur cats visited neighboring villages in search of easy prey. It could be chickens or other poultry.
Attitude towards a person
Despite the fact that hunters prefer to avoid the leopard cat, this animal is not aggressive towards humans. In the absence of a reason, he will never attack first. Even in cases where a person persistently tries to catch a cat or find his home, he will prefer defense to attack, and at any opportunity he will disappear from sight.
Unfortunately, some hunters recklessly shoot wild cats for fun, which endangers the species itself.
As already mentioned, a secretive lifestyle is not an obstacle to periodic forays into villages - the main place where treasured living creatures gather. Some cats were repeatedly caught trying to steal several chickens. The outcome of such pranks can be different - some animals are forgiven and released into the wild, some are killed, and the luckiest ones are awarded a place in the zoo and live warm and well-fed.
Amur cat and man
When spending a long time side by side with a person, the forest cat gets used to people and stops hiding from them. However, the trust of this cat extends only to a narrow circle of familiar, trusted people. The Far Eastern cat will always be wary of strangers.
A domesticated castrated cat loses its wild features. In habits and temperament, he approaches the usual domestic cat. The Amur cat is well accustomed to the tray, provided that its size is larger than an ordinary tray. It is advisable to use sawdust or sand as a filler.
Domestication
When you first meet a Far Eastern cat, you can easily confuse him with other domestic cats. In this regard, the desire of some people to tame this furry beast is understandable.
There are several points of view on the possibility of domesticating a leopard cat and on the degree of humaneness of such a decision. As previously noted, the Far Eastern cat is not adapted to life in captivity. This animal is a predator, hunter, strategist - at home, all these qualities remain irrelevant.
However, there are many examples of keeping the Amur cat both within the house and in the enclosure. Indeed, there is a chance to tame kittens up to three months, but you should keep in mind that upon reaching puberty the animal will become uncontrollable and rush into its natural habitat. Grown-up cats will never become domestic cats, regardless of the time they spend next to a person.
Home conditions are inferior to those of an outdoor enclosure, since the enclosure can be arranged as closely as possible to the forest environment familiar to a leopard cat. The degree of comfort of the pet and its longevity depend on the competent development of the enclosure plan.
It is advisable to select a special area in the enclosure (one or several, depending on the area) and cover it with a thick layer of earth for subsequent cultivation herbaceous plants, such as clover and calendula. Plants will provide direct contact with the earth, the deficiency of which the Amur cat will acutely feel in captivity. A more detailed guide to setting up an enclosure is given below.
Feeding
If the desire to tame a wild cat turns out to be great, you should still remember that it will never become completely domestic. The forest cat needs “live” food - the one for which he hunted so skillfully in the forest. Partridges, quails, rabbits, rodents.
Processed meat with the entrails removed is also not suitable - the leopard cat consumes the contents of the intestines, brain and other organs.
Carefully monitoring a feral cat's diet is necessary to prevent obesity. Due to the fact that in captivity he spends where smaller quantity energy, periodic only fasting days can save an animal from overweight. It is recommended to have a “hungry” day once a week - during this day the cat is not allowed to eat meat or live food.
Unbalanced feeding of the Amur cat can lead to excessive obesity and disease
Average, daily norm wild cat includes two small rodents or one big rat, as well as 200-300 gr. lean meat (for example, beef or turkey).
By the way! Fish should be given to your cat no more than once a week. Otherwise, calcium will gradually be washed out of the animal’s body, which can lead to rickets.
Castration
Timely castration of the pet can help cope with the unbridled temper of a leopard cat, after which its rebellious temper will be pacified. But those owners who would like to have Far Eastern cats in their collection are advised to think twice. Whether it makes sense to deprive an animal of the ability to produce offspring (even in conditions of its gradual disappearance) in order to gain a furry “toy” is ultimately up to them to decide.
Is it possible to buy an Amur cat?
If all the listed features of keeping a leopard cat do not scare off the potential owner, then he will have to pay a significant amount for this rare individual. At the moment, the price tag starts from 25 thousand rubles, and ends where it is convenient for a particular seller.
At the same time, we should not forget that there are no official suppliers of this breed, and a sold kitten can easily turn out to be not purebred. It is necessary to keep in mind the following fact: by purchasing an Amur cat, the buyer takes indirect participation in breaking the law.
The sale of Far Eastern forest cats is not only unofficial - it is illegal. Moreover, there is a gradual tightening of punishment for such underground trade in Red Book animals. Considering the crisis status of the Amur cat population, similar measures completely justified.
However, every rule has exceptions. There are also happy owners of Far Eastern cats who have managed to find a common language with these difficult animals.
According to reviews from happy owners, the leopard cat is a beast with character
“Georgy Ivanovich, aka Goga, aka Gosha, aka Yuri, aka Gora, aka Zhora, lives here?” Remember? Well, how can you not remember! Amur wild cat, Amur leopard cat, Far Eastern Amur cat, Ussuri forest cat... Do you feel like there is something in common? Let's try to get to know the latter better and find out who is who.
Indeed, Felis bengalensis ssp. Euptilura from the class of mammals, order of carnivores, family of cats has several Russian-language names, and is also a rare subspecies of the Bengal cat. Its habitat in Russia is very limited, and its numbers are constantly declining. I never found the reason for the appearance of several names for this interesting animal, but in the Red Book of the Primorsky Territory it is listed as the Amur forest cat - this is probably its most correct name.
Amur cat: external data
If you get to know the Amur forest cat closer, you will see that it is a very small animal, the body length of which is only 70–90 cm. And this is with a tail, which is about 40 cm. The weight of the animals is from 3 to 5 kg, less often it reaches 8 and greatly depends on the season.
The Amur cat has a dull color, from pale grayish-yellow to grayish-brown, with numerous and random dark red spots scattered throughout the body.
There are three distinct stripes along the back of the animal, another four to five descend from the neck to the chest, and two light stripes run along the forehead. The wool itself is very pleasant to the touch - soft and fluffy.
Where does the Far Eastern Amur cat live?
This animal can be found throughout the Primorsky and southern parts of the Khabarovsk Territory. In the Amur region, the border of the range starts from the mouth of the Zeya River, then goes along the Amur several tens of kilometers from the river, and in the southern bend, moving a little away from it, turns to the southeast and, crossing the Amur below the mouth of the B. Bira, goes to the People's Republic of China. Outside Russia, the Amur forest cat lives in the North-Eastern and Eastern China, on the Korean Peninsula and some islands in the Korea Strait.
The habitats of these animals are perfectly described in the Red Book of the Primorsky Territory by K.S. Gonta. He says that the Amur forest cat willingly settles in sparse forests of the Manchurian type, especially Mongolian oak and variegated hazel; as well as in thickets of reeds and reed grass with the presence of dry hills, bushes or individual trees.
What do Amur cats eat?
These animals avoid open spaces and are found everywhere in ribbon forests along rivers flowing among agricultural areas. Wild cats do not like wetlands overgrown with sedge; you will not find them here.
The Amur cat feeds on mice, voles, squirrels, birds, and sometimes hunts hares and small roe deer.
Amur kittens: interesting facts
Amur cats and female cats become adults at approximately 1 year of age, almost the same as our domestic cats. Just like theirs, pregnancy lasts about 60–70 days; on average, 4 kittens are born in an Amur Forest litter. The female feeds the cubs for about 2.5 months, and the kittens remain next to her until 4.5–5 months.
Wild cats do not like publicity; they rarely provide researchers with interesting facts, and the Amur cat - Amur kittens are an exception. The secret of their upbringing has long been known to zoologists: the fact is that the father tinkers with the babies (teaching, training, encouraging, punishing) almost more often than the mother cat.
In Primorye they say: “A harsh winter means wait for a cat.”
Winter is the most difficult period in the lives of these wild cats. Having thin and short paws - this can be seen even from the photo - the Amur cat practically cannot move through deep, loose snow. Only present day saves. If it is not there, the animals are unable to hunt and starve for weeks.
The reserve of fat that the Amur cat stores in advance in the fall helps. With an average weight of 4 kg, the animal can increase its weight to 8–9 kg, significantly changing in appearance, practically turning into a ball of fur.
Director of the Lazovsky Nature Reserve Alexander Laptev tells interesting facts: the Amur forest cat, it turns out, is especially snowy winters operates in village chicken coops, where he feeds on poultry - chickens, ducks. In particular, such cases became more frequent in March 2010, when heavy snowfalls made it very difficult for Amur cats to feed themselves.
“The Far Eastern forest cat is not dangerous for humans. As a rule, when people approach, he runs away,” says Alexander Laptev. As soon as the first warmth sets in and the snow begins to melt, the forays of Far Eastern cats into the villages stop.
Is it possible to buy an Amur cat?
It is important not to confuse the Far Eastern (Amur) leopard cat with the Bengal, information about which you can find on the websites of people involved in crossbreeding various types wild cats for profit. These “breeders” will tell you about the delights of such pets, but you shouldn’t believe them. There are also people who sell taiga cats.
But even if you really like the Amur cat, buying one secondhand is a bad idea. But the main thing is not even the price ( Amur cat and a leopard cat are expensive, but cost even more), and another. We think any sane person understands that the place of wild cats is in natural environment their habitat, and from humans they only need a place in the sun, peace and cleanliness of the environment.
What threatens the Far Eastern predator?
The Amur forest cat is considered a rare animal, the number of which is not known specifically. The most serious reason affecting population decline is considered economic activity people and, as a consequence, a decrease protective properties biotopes. In addition, the presence of stray dogs and systematic burning of vegetation are also important. The Far Eastern Amur cat has difficulty adapting to changes in natural landscapes introduced by human activities.
This is very sad, because the Amur cat, photos of which cannot even convey all the beauty and charm of this predator, is a unique animal. By the way, the Bank of Russia depicted the Amur forest cat on a silver coin issued in the “Red Book” series in 2004.
What canned food tastes best for cats?
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Amir, along with Far Eastern leopard Elisha is one of the first representatives of cats in our zoo. He is unsociable, withdrawn, but at night he behaves like small cat. Last year, a female Mira was brought to him. He already had negative experiences with females. But this time they have been neighbors for six months already. Amir and Mira are used to each other, and the most interesting thing is that they only communicate at night.
Photos of the animal
About the type of animal
The Amur forest cat is a type of Bengal cat. From regular domestic cat differs primarily in size: the body of the Far Eastern cat can reach 90 centimeters in length, the tail - 37 centimeters, and weight - 6 kilograms. The fur of such a cat is grayish-yellow with dark red spots.
Distinctive features of the Far Eastern forest cat:
- He is timid and extremely cautious; it is almost impossible to catch him.
- The Amur cat swims well and climbs rocks and trees.
- Far Eastern cats hunt from ambush and overtake their prey in one jump.
- The Amur cat lives in the wild for up to 18 years.
The Far Eastern forest cat's diet consists of small animals: hares, lizards and birds.
Females carry their cubs for 65–70 days and give birth to up to 4 blind kittens. Having reached the age of 50 days, babies begin to actively master the world under the protection of the mother. At six months of age, cats leave the den and hunt on their own.
The Far Eastern forest cat is listed in the Red Book. As of 2015, the animal population does not exceed several thousand individuals.
Interesting facts about the Far Eastern cat:
- The Amur cat is depicted on a 1 ruble coin from the “Red Book” series.
- During the “wedding season” you can hear the cat’s famous roar; the only sound he makes the rest of the time is hissing.
- The cat has light longitudinal stripes on its forehead, individual for each individual.
The Far Eastern forest cat (euptilurus bengalensis) is the northernmost representative of the cat family, which lives in Central Asia. The animal is classified as a representative of the Asian small cats. They are often called Far Eastern leopard cats (FEL), due to the fact that the animals have speckles on their fur. dark color. Far Eastern cat relatively studied, but not as well as representatives of large cats. Its subspecies - the Amur forest cat, the photo of which shows their certain similarities, has also not been studied in detail. In rare cases, the Far Eastern wild cat can be kept as a pet, but his character will not be similar to the usual cats and will not please the owner with pleasant communication, forever retaining his wild instincts.
Appearance
The Amur wild cat is a fairly large animal, despite the fact that it belongs to small cats. Its weight is about 15 kg, and its body length without tail is 90 cm. The tail adds up to 40 cm.
The cat's legs are long and strong, with well-developed muscles. The head is compact. The tail is thin. The coat is lush and thick. It feels very soft to the touch. The length of the guard hairs is up to 5 centimeters. Fur protects the animal very well from heat, cold and moisture, which makes the cat easily tolerate various weather conditions.
The color of the animal’s coat is quite complex and bright, which is why the Far Eastern cat is also called leopard:
- the main background is yellowish-brown;
- spots round shape dark red color;
- light belly color.
Along the cat's back there are stripes formed by brown hair. The stripes are not always clearly separated and can merge into one continuous stripe, making the entire back of the animal appear dark. Appearance The Far Eastern forest cat is beautiful and does not lose its wild features.
Habitats
The habitat of the Far Eastern forest cat is:
- Amur River basin;
- coast of the Sea of Japan;
- China.
For life, the Amur cat prefers dense forests on the slopes of mountains, as well as thickets of bushes in secluded areas rarely visited by people. By nature, animals are very cautious and therefore strive with all their might to avoid contact with humans. Because of this, the Far Eastern cat immediately tries to leave if any problems begin in its habitat. active work. He moves to a calmer and quiet place, in which human contact is extremely rare.
Features of life and nutrition
The Far Eastern forest cat can navigate well in the twilight and prefers a predominantly nocturnal and evening lifestyle; although in the daytime, unlike other nocturnal inhabitants of the forests, he sees excellently. Due to the special care of the cat and its color, which allows you to completely merge with environment, it is not so easy to notice the animal, and you can walk very close to the cat and not even suspect its presence.
Like all cats, the Far Eastern cat is a predator. Its size and strength allow it to hunt game average size. The cat's main menu is:
- hares,
- birds,
- small ungulates,
- herding rats,
- fish.
In times of famine, the Far Eastern forest cat does not refuse such food as insects, which usually can always be found in the forests. In particularly difficult conditions, the Far Eastern cat can approach human habitation. There the animal can eat the remains of meat food in landfills and hunt domestic cats and even small dogs. It is also not uncommon for a Far Eastern cat to raid poultry houses during times of famine. He is capable of breaking weak buildings and, crushing them, dragging all its inhabitants into his lair overnight.
The high hunting abilities, which allow cats to hunt even rats and small dogs, are due to the fact that the predator’s jaws are very strong, and the fangs are sharp, thick and very powerful. Because of this, if the Far Eastern cat is forced to defend itself from a person, it can cause very serious injuries that will require medical care. This should be taken into account not only by those who for some reason visit the forest in the habitat of this predator, but also by those who decide to get such a pet.
The Far Eastern cat hunts mainly from ambush. It can stalk its prey from a tree or hidden in the bush.
Some very large cats can take risks and hunt martens when there is no other prey. However, despite all the power of the predator, the outcome of such a hunt is impossible to imagine, and instead of receiving food, the cat can sometimes lose its life. Due to its preference for hunting from ambush, a cat, if it manages to take the animal by surprise and makes a successful jump, inflicts mortal wounds on the neck and throat, but while the enemy is in agony, he himself is at risk, since if his jaws weaken, the marten can easily mortally wound him.
Reproduction
The Far Eastern cat prefers a solitary lifestyle and does not create a permanent pair. The meeting of a cat with a cat occurs only in early spring, when the mating period begins. Cats call their friends very loudly and with a sharp cry. After mating, the cats separate again.
Pregnancy in a female lasts from 65 to 70 days. Kittens are born in May. In a litter there are mainly 1-2 kittens and very rarely 4 cubs. Like all cats, kittens are born blind and completely helpless. They are completely dependent on their mother and begin to leave the nest only after they are 45 days old. In rare cases, the male takes part in raising the offspring, but this is observed mainly in hungry years, when instincts push Far Eastern cats to stay together after mating in order to ensure the birth and survival of kittens.
At the age of six months, kittens can already lead an independent lifestyle and are left with the female. They're starting independent life, choosing a free area of the forest, or conquering it from weaker individuals.
The Far Eastern cat becomes sexually mature at the age of 12 months. The lifespan of this predator is from 8 to 15 years. It is largely influenced by weather conditions during the winter months.
Keeping at home
A Far Eastern cat should not be kept at home. This is highly not recommended, since the animal, even if raised with small age human, in 96% of cases retains its wild habits. The Far Eastern cat will not become affectionate and tame and, having matured, will constantly hide from its owner. When trying to treat an animal like a normal house cat, a person runs the risk of serious injury.
A lover who wants to have a pet at home with a spectacular coloring reminiscent of the color of wild cats is better off purchasing a Bengal cat; and with an addiction to big cats- Maine Coon. Cats of these breeds resemble wild ones, but are affectionate and cheerful pets.
The exact number of the animal is unknown due to the fact that its special secrecy does not allow full-fledged work to study the species. The animal is classified as conditionally rare, since signs of its presence are not found everywhere in places where the Far Eastern cat would normally live.
Experiments were conducted when a Far Eastern cat was crossed with a domestic one. As it turned out, the offspring produced by the Far Eastern cat and the domestic one turn out to be partially sterile. Males from such crossings are infertile, but cats can bear offspring.