5 interesting facts about Rusty-spotted cats: they behave like house cats in captivity

One of the smallest members of the feline family, they are comparable in size to the Black-footed cat, the world's smallest feline. In all, they can grow up to 48 cm and weigh 1.6 kg, but them being 35 cm and 0.9 kg are not uncommon. Their population is not only threatened by habitat loss but they are often hunted for their meat and because they are often considered a pest.

The Rusty-spotted cat is found in very few areas. They are native to some parts of southern India and Sri Lanka but have recently been sighted in more northern parts of India and Nepal.

They were among the firsts

Thanks to genetic analyses, we know that felids evolved in Asia in the Miocene period, sometime between 14.45 and 8.38 million years ago. The genus Prionailurus, which includes spotted, small cats, can all be traced back to a single ancestor. Studies suggest that the rusty-spotted cat was the first to deviate from this ancestor, sometime between 6.54 and 3.42 million years ago. They were followed by the Flat-headed cat and the Fishing cat.

2. Mysterious creatures

Like most feral cats, the Rusty-spotted cat lives a hidden life. Although they are kept in zoos around the world, we still know very little about their lifestyle and habits. Research shows that despite these qualities, they can very easily be habituated to humans in captivity. They can develop a deeper bond with their caretakers, allowing themselves to be petted and held. It has been reported that in intimate relationships, they often behave like domesticated cats.

3. They plan everything carefully

Observations so far suggest that this species is most active at night. But captive individuals have often emerged from their burrows for short periods during the day. They hunt rodents and smaller birds on the ground but often supplement their diet with reptiles. They flee from predators up into trees. These small felines prefer to attack their prey using a special technique: they wait for the right moment to pounce on their prey by crouching in a tree or bush. Because they are small, agile and nimble, they are often referred to as feline hummingbirds. Sometimes they also attack poultry for lack of food, causing locals to retaliate against them.

4. They also mate with domestic cats

In addition to deforestation and hunting, the 10,000 or so individuals that are thought to make up the world’s population face another challenge. Reproduction with domestic cats also makes the breed highly vulnerable, as these offspring possess the Rusty-spotted cat’s DNA but are no longer considered a Rusty-spotted cat. While the captive breeding programme works for captive breeding, there is no protection for the free-ranging population.

5. Possibly monogamous

Unlike most wild cats, there is a chance that the Rusty-spotted cat is monogamous. Although they have hardly been observed mating and caring for their offspring in the wild, some observations have been made of captive individuals. At the Berlin Zoo, the male Rusty-spotted cat brought food to his kittens and actively protected them from caretakers. This suggests that perhaps they are monogamous in the wild and the male also shares in the care of the offspring.

The kittens are black-spotted when they are born. The rust-coloured spots develop only after they mature, which is around 2 months of age.