Far Eastern Amur cat: photos, facts. Amur forest cat - a predator a little more than a domestic cat Amur kittens: interesting facts

The Far Eastern Forest Cat is one of the northernmost representatives of the cat family living in Central Asia. Scientists attribute it to Asian small cats; this numerous genus is often called "leopard", for the characteristic coat color common to all representatives.

Appearance

Unlike their distant relatives, lynxes and Bengal cats, the Amur Far Eastern forest cat looks very similar to an ordinary domestic cat, although it belongs to a completely different subspecies. In length, it reaches 90 - 95 cm, and almost half (about 40 cm) is a flexible narrow tail.

• Weight can vary from 2.5 to 4 kg in females and 4 to 8 kg in males. Among small Asian cats, the Amur forest cat is the smallest.
• The body of this cautious predator is elongated, very flexible and muscular.
• Powerful paws and vibrissae longer than those of pets make it a rather dangerous opponent on the hunt.
• A small, elongated head is crowned with rounded ears without any hint of tassels: this feature makes it easy to distinguish a Far Eastern cat that is safe for humans from its more dangerous relatives.
• Important distinguishing feature: The eyes of Amur cats are located close to each other and are distinguished by a deep fit.
• In the middle of the nose, you can see a wide strip on which the hair is completely absent.
• The fangs of these forest hunters long and thick, and the claws, on the contrary, are rather short, but strong.

The tracks left by the Far Eastern forest cat in the snow are often confused with the tracks of domestic cats, since they differ mainly only in size.

The color of the "leopard" cat

The "leopard" cat has a very soft hairline, with a dense thick undercoat. The color of the skin can vary from grayish-sand to yellow-brown, with reddish oval spots scattered throughout the body. Because of these spots, reminiscent of ancient coins, the Chinese nicknamed the predator "Money Cat".

On the back, dark speckles merge into three black-brown stripes. The same stripes, only transverse, can be seen on the paws and throat of the cat. In young animals, the leopard coloration is more pronounced, with age, the color becomes more even.

On the belly of all representatives of this species, the hair is lighter than on the ridge (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chest and throat it approaches off-white). But the tail, on the contrary, is almost always monophonic, reddish-gray or brown. The tip is painted in dark gray or black. Sometimes on it you can see dark stripes ringing it.

Head forest cat decorated with two lighter stripes running from the inner corners of each eye. Between them, from the reddish-gray nose through the top of the head, a brown stripe stretches to the neck. The chin of the animal is almost white, but the tips of the ears, on the contrary, are painted black. In general, the brown-striped color serves as an excellent protection for Amur cats, making it almost invisible both on the branches of a tree and on the ground powdered with foliage.

habitats

The Amur forest cat, like many other inhabitants of the Far East, is endemic. It is not found anywhere else. This predator settles throughout the Amur, on the coast Sea of ​​Japan, in the area of ​​lakes Khanka and Khasan, on the Hindustan Peninsula, as well as almost throughout China up to the Malay Islands.

He is especially comfortable in nature reserves: Khanka, Ussuri, Lazovsky, Kedrovaya Pad. This is explained not so much by safety (the Amur cat has never been hunted on an industrial scale), but by the remoteness from human settlements.

This predator is also found on some of Japanese islands. Actually, this is where one of its names came from: “Tsushima Leopard Cat”.

It lives mainly in grassy floodplains, in deciduous or mixed forests. It is less common in the taiga, although its spotted skin can also be seen there. In Pomorie, its main habitat is shrubs and reed lowlands along the banks of oxbow lakes and lakes. In these places, you can often find the name "reed cat": it is not entirely correct, since a completely different representative of the cat family has the same name, but it well reflects the lifestyle of the Amur predator.

The Far Eastern cat feels quite confident on the rocks, although it does not climb high into the mountains. The reason for this is the snow that accumulates between stones in winter ( maximum depth snow cover, at which a predator can hunt, is 30-40 cm).

With the onset of winter, the cat hides in the nest, and does not leave it until a solid frozen crust forms on the surface of the snow that can withstand the weight of the animal. The only exceptions are cats that feed their cubs, and those of their cats who were unlucky in hunting before a snowstorm.

Habits and lifestyle

The forest cat is very cautious, even shy. It is not easy to notice him. Moreover, he is afraid of people and tries not to catch the eye.

In the crevices of rocks, old hollows, abandoned badger holes he makes his own nest. Like other predators of the feline family, the forest cat leads a predominantly twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. During the day it sleeps in the den, and after dark it goes hunting.

It feeds on small warm-blooded animals. First of all, these are, of course, rodents of all kinds. However, more large inhabitants forests - such as hares, squirrels, muskrats - can also easily become prey for this predator.

There are cases when the Amur cat attacked young roe deer and emerged victorious. Even representatives of the weasel family, ferrets and weasels, can get caught on his tooth. True, they themselves are serious opponents of the forest cat, so the outcome of such a fight is not known in advance. And, of course, birds: they form an important part of the diet of this predator. Thanks to his claws, he easily climbs trees, so it doesn’t cost him anything to catch a careless jay or ruin a nest.

Amur forest cats do not like direct collisions. They prefer to hunt from an ambush, often using tree branches as such. However, despite their stealth and small size, they do not hesitate to engage in open combat when necessary, even with an enemy that is superior in size.

Courage and wild disposition make them a serious adversary. So, near human habitation, the "Money Cat" often attacks pasyukov rats. With these aggressive and deadly rodents, even dogs that are several times their size do not always cope, but the Far Eastern forest cat usually emerges victorious from such a fight. And many of the Pomeranian hunters admit that they would prefer to meet in the forest with a larger lynx than with this cute fluffy cat.

reproduction

The Far Eastern Forest Cat is a rare individualist. He lives and hunts alone, and only in early spring, in March, does he find a mate. At this time, the forest resounds with loud jerky cries, with which the males call their girlfriends. Pregnancy in females lasts 65 - 70 days.

By the end of May, the cat brings kittens: usually one or two. The maximum number of cubs in a litter is 4. They are born blind, open their eyes only on the 10th day, and weigh no more than 80 grams. Only after one and a half to two months they leave the lair to explore their territory. All this time, the cat mother jealously takes care of them, dragging the kittens to another place at the slightest danger.

The father also participates in the upbringing of the offspring. By 6 months, the animals become completely independent and leave the nest to find their own hunting ground. Maturity in these predators occurs, according to various sources, at 12-18 months. In general, the life span is 8-15 years.

population

It may seem strange, but there is no exact data on the number of the Amur forest cat. They are so secretive that even an approximate calculation is not possible. However, at the moment they are listed in the Red Book as a species under threat of extinction.

The reason for this was not hunting, as it might seem, but the loss of places suitable for habitation. Every year there are less and less secluded forests or lowlands not plowed for fields. Huge danger for forest dwellers They also represent the annually held "burnings" - burning out last year's foliage and fallen branches.

The Far Eastern forest cat is not dangerous to humans, but in the USSR for half a century it was listed among the "enemies", along with the lynx and the wolf. Because of this harmless cat, they were often killed for no reason, solely for the sake of an insignificant reward from the village council.

Fortunately for the Far Eastern cat, he does not boast much valuable fur, and in Russia it has never been hunted as a fur-bearing animal. But in China, the "Money" predator long time killed just for the sake of furs. Now hunting for him is prohibited, and he is included in the list of animals protected by law.

Life in captivity

An inexperienced eye can easily confuse this resident of the taiga with a feral pet. Because of the "familiar" coloring, which makes the Amur forest cat look like an affectionate "Murka", they have repeatedly tried to tame the predator. These attempts were not crowned with success: at home, he does not live long, he treats his owners with suspicion, and his wild temper makes him a rather dangerous pet. Adult cats, even when taken to people immediately after birth, tend to go back to the forest.

When trying to cross the Far Eastern forest cats with their domesticated relatives, a curious fact turned out: the males that appeared from such parents were sterile, only cats could have offspring.

But the study of Amur cats is carried out regularly. For this, a trap cage is used, in which a piece of meat is placed. When the cat enters the cage to take the bait, it is caught, euthanized and put on a special collar with a beacon around its neck. This is how information about the life of these cautious and cunning inhabitants of the Amur and Pomorye was collected.

Far Eastern forest cat, another name for Amur leopard cat is a subspecies of the Bengal cat.

Appearance

The body size of the Amur leopard cat is 75-90 centimeters, the tail is 35-37 centimeters.

The weight of the male is up to 15 kg.

He has relatively long legs, small head, thin tail. The hairline is lush, thick, soft. The length of the guide guard hairs on the back reaches 49 millimeters. The main coat color of the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered rounded dark red spots of a blurry or clear outline. The back of the Far Eastern forest cat is slightly darker than the sides. The sides gradually lighten downwards. Three brown stripes stretch along the back of the leopard cat, these stripes are formed by elongated narrow spots. It happens that all three bands are vague and merge into one wide belt. There are four to five rusty-brown transverse stripes on the cat's throat, rows of spots also form transverse stripes on the front legs. The belly is off-white with a yellow tinge. The Chinese call this species the "money cat" because the spots on its coat are reminiscent of ancient Chinese coins. From the inner corners of the eyes, up the forehead and further along the crown of the head, two white stripes run parallel, between which there is a reddish-brown stripe running from the nose through the forehead and crown to the neck. The tail is 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 grey.

Habitat

This kind wild cats extended to Far East, along the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan and in the Amur River basin. The range of the Far Eastern forest cat extends through all of China, west to Hindustan and south to the Malay Archipelago.

Inhabits the Far Eastern forest cat deaf mountain forests, partly overgrown with shrubs.

Lifestyle, nutrition

The Far Eastern forest cat leads the twilight and night image life. It is shy and very cautious, it is difficult to detect it. Hunts from ambush (on the ground and trees), catches prey with one jump.

AT winter time migrates from mountains to river and lake valleys, hilltops covered with dense shrubs (where the snow is blown away by the wind and is well compacted).

AT very coldy can approach human habitation and hunt synanthropic rodents in old buildings. In times of danger, it is saved in the trees.

Shelter arranges in the hollows of old trees and rock crevices hidden in dense shrubs. Willingly uses the abandoned holes of foxes and badgers. The bottom of the den is lined with dry grass and foliage, wood dust.

Excellent climbs on rocks and trees, swims well.

The Amur forest cat has several temporary shelters on the site, which he periodically visits. In winter, it uses only one permanent and most secure lair.

The Far Eastern Forest Cat lives in pairs or alone. It is only during the breeding season that several cats come together.

An individual site of one individual occupies on average 5-9 km 2 and depends on the abundance of prey.

Life expectancy in nature is 15-18 years.

It feeds on small rodents: voles, mice, squirrels, also catches birds, sometimes attacks hares, young roe deer. The diet is often supplemented with herbs, eggs, birds and aquatic prey.

In snowy winters, the Amur leopard cat is forced to stay close to human habitation.

Reproduction and lifespanFar Eastern forest cat

Mating in Far Eastern cats occurs in early spring - in March.

Pregnancy in females lasts 65-70 days. Usually kittens appear in the second half of May. There are 1-2 (sometimes up to 4) blind and helpless kittens in the litter, weighing 75-80 g. Eyes open on the 10th day. The female actively protects the kittens and, in case of danger, takes them to another place. When the kittens are 45-50 days old, they begin to leave the den and explore the surrounding area. At 4-4.5 months, the weight of young cats reaches 3.2 kg, females up to 2.4 kg. At the age of 6 months (October-November), kittens leave their mother in search of their hunting ground. Puberty occurs according to some data at 8-10 months, according to others only by 18 months.

The cat-father also takes part in the upbringing of kittens.

Far Eastern forest cat in captivity

The forest Far Eastern cat can be kept both directly in the house as pet, and as an aviary animal in an aviary.

For home maintenance it is better to pick up a kitten up to 3 months old, grown in home-type nurseries. But even in this case, upon reaching puberty, the cat can become uncontrollable.

Amur leopard cat is quite well tamed to the tray. Usually a cat gets used to certain family members, and shuns other people.

When keeping an aviary, a cat needs to build an aviary with a minimum size of 1.5x3x1.5m. Cell size from 15x15 to 50x50 mm. The floor should be either wood or concrete (wood is preferred in the cold season). Sometimes a layer of earth or sand is poured onto concrete in outdoor enclosures.

To maintain cleanliness in the aviary, it is advisable to use behavioral features cats - the creation of a "latrine", under which, in the conditions of an aviary, they fit a tray with sand or sawdust. A shelter must be installed in the aviary. It can be a wooden booth with bedding inside (straw, or rags).

In the enclosures, shelves are installed on different height or vertically and horizontally cut trees of the appropriate diameter. With a large area of ​​\u200b\u200benclosures and its height of at least five meters, wooden or stone terraces are arranged for cats at the back wall.

Feeding in captivity

The main food of the Far Eastern forest cat in captivity is lean meats, such as beef, but without live food - rats, mice, day-old chickens and quails, it is difficult to maintain normal physiological activity and reproduction of animals, especially since the behavioral characteristics of the predator become dull, which leads to " obsessive movements, boredom of the animal. In addition, the animal eats not only fresh meat, but also the contents of the intestines, the brain, part of the skin with wool (feather) of "live" feed. It is believed that for the completeness of protein metabolism, it is advisable to offer fish once a week. But not all the time. An excess of fish in the diet can lead to calcium leaching from the animal's body and, accordingly, to associated diseases such as rickets.

For daily feeding of the Far Eastern forest cat, 2 mice are enough, or one rat and about 200g. lean meat. They feed once a day.

An equally important component of feeding is the weekly unloading or “hungry” day, when the animal (except for lactating females and kittens up to six months of age) is not given meat and live food. However, some experts, once a week, in addition to the “hungry” day, also arrange a “half-starved” day, when the norm of meat or live feed is given out at half the norm. This is important because in captivity, cats do not expend as much energy as they do in the wild, and therefore often get fat, get sick, and even die.

When keeping cats indoors, in good weather they need to be walked periodically. fresh air. On the street, the cat receives natural ultraviolet light (which is essential for the production of vitamin D, which in turn has a positive effect on health), feeds on meadow grass (looking for the right herbs for the body), and gets acquainted with new smells. Walking "domestic" cats is important for the full physical and psycho-emotional development of the animal.

Life expectancy in captivity is 20 years.

Population status and protection

The Far Eastern Forest Cat is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the CITES Convention (Appendix II). Population size in last years started to grow.

The main threats to the species are: loss of habitat (fires, logging, plowing of virgin lands with tall grass, hunting), weather factors, hybridization with domestic cats.

Forest cat or otherwise Anterior Asian leopard cat. This amazing animal lives in the cold conditions of our Far East. It is surprising because this animal is tropical and lives among our Russian snows. A wild cat, like a fox, is tied to its living space or its habitat. He does not leave his inhabited territory even in moments of the greatest danger. In the Far East, the cat is very common in both broad-leaved and coniferous forests. But he also lives in the steppe with pleasure. It should be noted that the population of the Far Eastern cat has increased greatly in recent years.

Interestingly, back in the twenties of the last century, the Soviet authorities in the Far East declared these animals "enemies of the people", as well as tigers, leopards, wolves. And for fifty, or even seventy years, a man hunted not to eat, and not to make a collar, but simply to kill and please the authorities. But this animal survived. And in general, it is distinguished by "longevity". Seventeen or eighteen years of life for a cat is far from the limit. It is believed that this is because his life is exceptionally measured, he is never in a hurry anywhere. And in those moments when he is resting, his metabolism and heart rate slow down. This greatly prolongs his days for him. As for force majeure in the life of a cat, these are undoubtedly those creatures who want to kill and eat him. These are owls, owls, wolves, and even sable eats with pleasure juvenile Far Eastern cat scooping helpless blind kittens out of their nest.

The whole life of this interesting animal is divided into two seasons: winter and summer. In summer it “lives”, and in winter it “exists”. Far Eastern cat- a beautiful and cruel hunter, as they say "there is no beast worse than a cat." In the summer he eats fifteen or twenty mice and three or four birds a day. And in winter, he can live for weeks without eating anything. He sits in a shelter and waits until a rodent runs there and grabs him there. During the summer season, he, like a bear, must eat up in order to take up lying down behind some branches or under a tree in winter. And there he can sit for weeks, tucking his paws and wait out the cold. At these moments, his whole “tropical” orientation simply screams that snow and cold are not for him. In winter, the haul-out of this predatory animal can be covered with deep snow and can only be detected by steam, which penetrates through small holes in the snow. The cat is distinguished by enviable patience. He is not embarrassed by the prospect of sitting by a mouse hole, for example, for four days, or hiding from someone and sitting there for two weeks. Maybe that's why his life is so little studied, so little unraveled by man. And, perhaps, that is why this representative of the cat family is practically not kept in any zoo.
One of distinctive external signs Far Eastern forest cats are longitudinal stripes on the muzzle. Everyone has wild representatives this subspecies, such a line is present and is an adaptation to environment. In summer, the dense crowns of the Ussuri mixed taiga scatter glare everywhere. And here, in the glaring sunlight, the stripes are a reliable disguise.

Wild Asian cats in spring come close to the villages and even enter the villages with the aim cover the local village cats. And many succeed: hybrids are born as a result. These kittens then do not rummage, go into the forest, and begin to lead wild image life. This factor represents greatest danger for the existence of this species, since subsequently, wild cats mate with these hybrids - the blood mixes, and the species may simply be lost forever.

Total pregnancy in wild cats lasts 60-70 days and 3-4 blind kittens are born. The coloration of kittens differs from that of adults. They have stripes and spots on their backs, which are more contrasting on the skin. In general, distinguish Far Eastern forest cat from everyone else quite easily: they have light spots on back side ears. These signs are also present in kittens. But not many other colors. Not so whitish, more yellow-lemon.

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12 comments to the message: “Far Eastern forest cat”

The Far Eastern cat (lat. Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus or lat. Felis bengalensis euptilura) is a subspecies of the Bengal cat. Another name is "Amur Leopard Cat".

Slightly larger than a domestic cat. The length of his body is 75-90 cm, tail - 35-37 cm, weight 4-6 kg. The main coat color of the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered round dark red spots. Distributed in the Far East, in the Amur River basin and along the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. Near Lake Khanka, the cat was found throughout the habitable area. It lives in the Bolshekhekhtsirsky, Khankaisky, Ussuriysky, Kedrovaya Pad, Lazovsky reserves.

Interestingly, Far Eastern cats make very specific sounds, more like not the usual meow or purr, but some kind of bird chirping. Usually these animals are silent, but during the rut they begin to “chirp” quite often, although their voice is not heard at a great distance, and, apparently, does not play a big role in attracting a potential bride or groom, as, for example, lynxes do.

yes, it's interesting that the Far Eastern forest cat has such features like bright spots on the back of the ears, and their color is simply amazing and it distinguishes this breed from other members of the cat family…..

The Far Eastern, or Amur, forest cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) is a well-defined and northernmost subspecies of the Bengal, leopard, or Far Eastern cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Order: Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 = Carnivores Family: Felidae Gray, 1821 = Felidae Genus: Felis Linnaeus, 1758 = Cats Species: Felis bengalensis euptilura Elliot, 1871 = Amur cat, Asian Far Eastern cat

Amur Forest Felis the cat bengalensis euptilura

A species with a relatively limited within Russia, rapidly decreasing range and decreasing numbers.

Body length 75-90 cm, tail - 35-37. Inhabitant of the forest zone.

Spreading. In Russia, the range of the species includes most territories of Primorsky Krai, some southern regions Khabarovsk Territory and Amur region

The Far Eastern cat (lat. Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus or lat. Felis bengalensis euptilura) is a subspecies of the Bengal cat. Another name is "Amur Leopard Cat". Slightly larger than a domestic cat. The length of his body is 75-90 cm, tail - 35-37 cm, weight 4-6 kg. The main coat color of the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered round dark red spots. Distributed in the Far East, in the Amur River basin and along the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. Near Lake Khanka, the cat was found throughout the habitable area. It lives in the Bolshekhekhtsirsky, Khankaisky, Ussuriysky, Kedrovaya Pad, Lazovsky reserves. It feeds on mice, voles, squirrels, birds, occasionally attacks hares and young roe deer. Mating takes place in March. Pregnancy lasts 65-70 days, the cat brings up to four kittens, in the upbringing of which the male also takes part. Life expectancy is 17-18 years.

The Far Eastern Forest Cat is larger than a domestic cat
The main coat color of the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered rounded dark red spots of a clear or indistinct outline.

The back is slightly darker than the sides. The sides gradually lighten downwards. Three brown stripes stretch along the back, which are formed by elongated narrow spots. Sometimes all three bands are vague and merge into one wide belt.
The cat inhabits dense mountain forests, partly thickets of shrubs, feeds on small rodents, sometimes attacks hares, young roe deer. In snowy winters, he is forced to stay close to human habitation.

Mating takes place in early spring. Pregnancy lasts 65-70 days. Kittens usually appear in the second half of May

The most difficult period in the life of a Far Eastern cat is winter. The cat does not have any adaptations for survival in difficult winter conditions Far East. Thin short paws do not allow you to quickly move through deep snow without crust. Often the cat cannot move at all, falling into the snow. At this time, cats are desperately hungry, sometimes for weeks. The only salvation of the Far Eastern cat is the storage of fat for the winter. With a normal weight of 5.5 kg in summer, by winter the cat weighs about 9 kg, turning into a fat ball.

The main coat color of the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered round dark red spots. Distributed in the Far East, in the Amur River basin and along the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan.

I wonder why, in the twenties of the last century, the Soviet authorities in the Far East declared these animals "enemies of the people", because this is an ordinary small animal. why did he not please the Soviet government?

It's good to hunt such an animal. It's not for you to shoot hares. The beast is cunning.

Amur forest cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) - beautiful child Far Eastern nature, undeservedly deprived of due attention and protection on the part of man. Small and dim, he remained in the shadow of his world-famous neighbors - the Amur tiger and the Amur (Far Eastern) leopard. Meanwhile, this "younger brother" of wild cats is very beautiful in its own way and worthy of study and preservation.

Amur forest cat: description

In size, the Amur forest cat is not much larger than its domestic counterparts, and even inferior to some of them. The average length of such a cat is around 70–90 centimeters. Half of this length falls on a thick and bushy tail. The legs are longer than those of other wild cats.

The weight of even the largest individuals usually does not exceed 7 kilograms. True, it depends very much on the season: wild Far Eastern cats hunt a lot and successfully in the summer, accumulating fat, and often starve in the winter, greatly losing weight.

The fur coat of such a cat is grayish-yellow or grayish-brown with dark round spots (for which in China these animals were called money cats). Young animals have more spots than older cats. The fur is thick and long - up to 5 centimeters.

There are usually 3 dark brown stripes along the ridge, several stripes across the neck. The pattern of light and dark stripes on the forehead is a kind of cat's passport, it is individual and never repeats. Chin, neck and chest are dirty white.

The head is small and rounded. The muzzle is very expressive, it is impossible to confuse the Amur cat with other representatives of the cat family. On a wide and short nose there is a hairless stripe. The eyes are deep-set, round, yellow. The ears are rounded and small, with a dark border, but without tassels.

Amur forest cat: a home for a hermit

The birthplace of the Amur cat, as is clear from its name, is the Far East. On the territory of our country, the animal is found in the Amur River basin and on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. Far Eastern cats also live in Japan (there it is called the Tsushima leopard cat), in China, on the Korean Peninsula.

The individual territory of each individual can reach 10 square kilometers. For this life little predator, despite the "unsociable" nature, does not choose an impenetrable dense forest. Its favorite habitats are edges, copses, clearings and fallows, thickets of bushes and reeds along the banks of reservoirs, meadows overgrown with tall grass.

The predator prefers not to climb high into the mountains - it is believed that it is not in its rules to “conquer” peaks more than half a kilometer in height. In winter, the Far Eastern cat generally prefers the valleys of rivers and lakes to the mountains.

Usually, on the territory of each animal there are several "apartments" that the cat uses - these can be crevices in stones, and tree hollows. The caudate does not disdain the abandoned burrows of other predators - for example, badgers and foxes. For comfort, it lines the floor of its dwelling with wood dust, fallen leaves and dry grass.

Amur forest cat: hunting and attitude to humans

This wild beast it is extremely cautious and leads a twilight lifestyle, so not much is known about its habits. He runs well on his long legs, swims, jumps perfectly (to a height of up to 2.5 meters!) And climbs trees remarkably thanks to long, curved and strong claws.

The cat hunts under the cover of darkness. Its main prey is mice and birds, but the predator also does not disdain any other rodents, lizards, and fish. You can see a photo in which the Amur forest cat, this successful hunter, holds a hare in his teeth, and sometimes, they say, a roe deer can become his prey.

From a person, this little predator prefers to stay away. The only thing that can force him to come close to human habitation is hunger. It is in winter that most often the Amur forest cat falls into the hands of a person. Some are caught carrying poultry around the villages.

But there are also funny cases. In order to study the life of these rare animals, zoologists in the Far East put radio collars on cats. But, of course, willingly wild cat it won't go for it. Therefore, special trap cells with tasty bait are placed in the forest.

So, one mustachioed savage, who was put on a radio collar and released into the wild, liked the delicacy so much that he literally settled next to the trap, waiting for a new portion of the treat. And what was the surprise of scientists when they found the same cat in a trap over and over again, already with a collar around his neck!

But this case is, of course, an exception. Wild Far Eastern cats are practically not tamed, they are very shy and, being caught, tend to run away at the first opportunity. A person is never attacked - only desperately defending himself. In the wild, such predators live 10–15, sometimes up to 18 years.

Amur forest cat: breeding

The voice of the Amur forest cats can be heard only at the end of winter and beginning of spring, when they begin to "sing" in search of a mate. The rest of the time cats only hiss or snort. Those who have heard these inviting sounds say that they sound intimidating, although they look like ordinary cat roulades.

AT mating season forest cats can live in pairs, although the rest of the time they prefer loneliness. Blind baby kittens appear in late April-early May. There can be up to 4 kittens in a litter, which, according to some reports, live with their mother for up to a year and a half.

Blondes - a categorical "no"!

By the way, an experiment conducted at the beginning of the 2000s showed that Amur forest cats can give birth in a pair with ordinary cats descended from South-East Asia. At the same time, it turned out that they were "cute" by partners of red and brown colors, but white - categorically not. The attitude towards such domestic cats was extremely aggressive.

Far Eastern, or Amur forest cat - an inhabitant of the same places as the famous Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards. But this neighbor and "younger brother" of the mustachioed giants is much less studied and popular. What's to blame? Most likely, modest size (even the largest males weigh no more than seven kilograms) and discreet appearance. Although, like all cats, wild Far Eastern cats are absolutely irresistible!

Color and appearance of the Amur forest cat

Sometimes Far Eastern cats are called leopard cats for their spotted color. The Chinese called them money, because the spots on the cat's skin remind them of coins. And many ordinary cat lovers say that this wild cat looks like Vaska from a neighboring yard. But not every Vaska has wool - five centimeters long, and an Amur cat cannot live without such a fur coat.

Light and dark longitudinal stripes on the forehead of the Amur forest cat are its distinguishing mark. By the pattern of these stripes, wild cats can be identified in the same way as people can be identified by fingerprints.

Amur forest cat: description of habits

The longest-legged among all small wild cats is the Amur forest cat, the photo demonstrates this perfectly. However, this did not help him "make friends" with deep snow. During heavy snowfalls, an animal can hide in a shelter for weeks, waiting for a crust to form.

But this cat climbs trees just fine. It is there that he usually hides when he sees a person. Although the main "menu" of the Amur cat includes mouse-like rodents and birds, sometimes small predators manage to overwhelm even a young roe deer.

A skilled and successful hunter, the Far Eastern wild cat almost never shows aggression towards people. There is no information about the attack of such cats on humans. On the contrary, he leads a secretive and, moreover, twilight way of life, trying not to attract too much attention to himself.

Severe predator with the appearance of a plush toy

They say that local hunters prefer not to meet the Amur cat in the forest - in case of danger, he defends himself fiercely. And there is something to defend yourself - just look at what teeth this grin shows!

However, in moments of rest, this mustachioed muzzle looks very cute. Round eyes, a “snub-nosed” nose and small rounded ears - in some photos, the Amur forest cat really looks like a plush toy, and not like a harsh predator.

It is best to admire this animal in zoos, where, however, they also behave very wary. But Far Eastern cats breed well in captivity and show themselves very well. caring parents, and both cats and cats. Up to four spotted kittens are born in the litter, which become independent by one and a half years.

By the way, the Amur forest cat went down in history - it is depicted on a silver coin of the Red Book series worth 1 ruble, issued in 2004. I think he deserved it. We hope that thanks to the protection of the state and the attention of scientists, we will learn even more about him and see many new beautiful photographs of the mustachioed Far Eastern miracle.

What canned food is best for cats?

ATTENTION, RESEARCH! Together with your cat you can participate in it! If you live in Moscow or the Moscow region and are ready to regularly observe how and how much your cat eats, and also do not forget to write it all down, they will bring you FREE WET FOOD KITS.

Project for 3-4 months. Organizer - Petkorm LLC.