Small game - mammals

Wild cat (Felis silvestris)

The wild cat (Felis silvestris) is a small predator from the Felidae family. Its dimensions are slightly larger than those of the Domestic Cat that descended from it. It is widespread in Europe, Eastern and Central Asia and Africa. Her body is strong and stocky, covered with thick fur. Its length is from 45 to 80 cm (91), height up to 43 cm, tail 29-34 cm, weight from 3 to 8 kg. It lives in rocky or wooded areas and feeds on small mammals such as rodents and rabbits. Cases of attacks on younger roe deer and goats are also known. It prefers to hunt at night and avoids meetings with people, which is why the cases of its direct observation in nature are very rare. The wild cat is a territorial animal and, like most of its relatives in the Cat family, avoids the company of its own kind outside of the breeding season, which is twice a year (spring and autumn). After about two months of pregnancy, the female secludes herself in a hidden hollow in a tree and gives birth to three to six cubs, which she nurses for about four months. The kittens are born blind and helpless, just like the domestic cat. Nowadays, the wild cat has become a relatively rare animal, as domestic cats and humans displace it from the habitat it traditionally inhabited.