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What To Know About A Siamese Cat
The Siamese is a cat breed native to Thailand. Today, it's considered one of the most popular breeds in North America and Europe. People have always been fascinated by them due to their unique look and highly intelligent nature. They're the classic "people cat," for they love to interact with their owners, sleep next to them, and climb on their lap.
Siamese cats are a popular and outgoing breed, but it's important to consider their health needs and yours if you decide to make one your pet. (Photo Credit: Moment/Getty Images)
If you're looking for a loyal and sociable cat who would always stay by your side, the Siamese may be the right breed for you.
Siamese cats go back hundreds of years. They originated in Siam (now called Thailand), which also gives them their name. According to legend, these cats were used to guard Buddhist temples and were considered very sacred. The fact that they were so highly prized is also proven by their native Thai name, wichien-maat, which means "moon diamond" in English.
They first appeared in the U.S. When the American consul in Bangkok, David Sickels, gifted a Siamese cat to President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Hayes via a letter in 1878. When the cat named Siam arrived in 1879, she became the pet of their daughter Fanny. Almost 100 years later, more First families had Siamese cats as pets. President Gerald Ford's daughter Susan brought a male Siamese named Shan to the White House in 1974. President Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy also had a male Siamese cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang when her father took office in 1977.
In 1884, Edward Blencowe Gould, the British consul-general in Bangkok at that time, brought a pair of Siamese cats to London after he received them from the king of Siam. Soon, everybody in the city came to know about them and wished to own one of these exotic cats.
However, it was only after a Siamese cat won a champion title in 1898 that the breed was developed at a rapid pace. Within a decade, in 1906, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) officially recognized them as an independent breed.
Over the years, Siamese cats have been featured in animated movies and TV shows and are today considered one of the most popular cat breeds.
Physical characteristics
Siamese cats are medium-sized and take about a year to reach their full size. They have a lithe, muscular body that supports a distinct wedge-shaped head and a long, slender neck. However, the feature that might most likely catch your attention would be their slanted, deep blue, almond-shaped eyes.
Siamese cats have a short, soft coat that lies close to their body. You can find them in various colors. These cats have dark color patterns on the cooler areas of their body, including their face, ears, legs, feet, and tails. This color pattern — commonly known as points — is considered the most important characteristic of Siamese cats.
When it comes to the size of Siamese cats, males are generally larger and heavier than females. The weight of male cats ranges from 10 to 15 pounds, and females stay in the range of 8-12 pounds. The length of this breed doesn't exceed 24 inches, so it's sometimes said that well-bred Siamese cats generally feel heavier than they appear.
Siamese cat personality
Most breeders describe the personality of Siamese cats as highly social, extroverted, and outgoing. They show immense loyalty and, like dogs, form strong bonds with humans. As their owner, you might find them constantly following you around and demanding your attention.
Siamese cats are notoriously vocal and noisy. Due to their loud, low-pitched voice, they're often fondly called "meezers." Many owners report how these cats keep "talking" with them as if they share a common language and, at times, even scold them if they think they're being ignored.
Siamese cats can be distinguished by their body shape.
Classic Siamese. Also called traditional Siamese, old-style Siamese, and the "Thai" breed, these cats look like the original Siamese cats from Thailand (formerly Siam). They are short-haired and moderate in build. Traditional Siamese are also called "applehead" Siamese due to their head being round like an apple.
Modern Siamese. The modern Siamese grew in popularity in the mid-20th century due to breeding that resulted in extreme features. This type is also called "wedgehead" due to their triangular faces. They have large, pointy ears and slender bodies.
In terms of their fur coats, Siamese cats are all born white or cream-colored, but they develop their colorful "points" a few weeks after birth. The typical color on their extremities is dark brown and called "seal point." Other types of Siamese cats based on fur color include:
Chocolate point Siamese. These cats have a creamy white body, and their legs, tail, ears, and mask are milk chocolate.
Blue point Siamese. They have a bluish-white body with slate-blue extremities.
Lilac point Siamese. They have white bodies with pinkish-gray points that appear lilac in color.
Lynx point Siamese. This type has lynx/tabby (striped) points on its body, regardless of color.
Flame point Siamese. Also called red point Siamese, it is a rare Siamese breed with orange coats and pink points that give them a flamelike look.
Black Siamese cat. Some people may refer to a Siamese's dark brown seal point coloring as black, but Siamese cats won't be completely black. Other parts of the Siamese breed group, such as the Oriental Shorthair or Oriental Longhair, have the distinctive body shape of Siamese cats but may have all-black fur.
Other Siamese cat types
Persian Siamese cat. This crossbreed of the Persian and Siamese cat first documented in the 1930s and later expanded in the 1950s, is today called the Himalayan breed. They were created in the hopes of having a new breed with Persian hair length and quality and Siamese colors. Himalayans are less active than typical Siamese but more active than Persians.
Long-haired Siamese cat. Also called Balinese, this breed originated in the U.S. But is named after dancers on the island of Bali. Its fur is light with a shaggy undercoat.
Hairless Siamese cat. There isn't a hairless kind of Siamese cat, but the Sphynx breed could be mistaken for them because of their large, pointed ears and social personality.
Siamese cat grooming
Like other shorthair cat breeds, Siamese are known to take care of their coats by themselves. Brushing their coat once a week should be enough to remove loose hair and lower the risk of hairballs — a small collection of hair formed in the stomach of animals who accidentally ingest hair while grooming themselves.
As these cats are prone to dental problems, start brushing their teeth daily from the time they're kittens. Also, make sure to trim their claws every 10-14 days.
Exercise
Siamese cats are a spirited and energetic breed. You need to engage them in various physical and mental activities to keep them happy and healthy. Structures such as a cat tree can give them a way to climb, jump, and run, which will help keep them in shape.
To keep their agile mind active, you can have your Siamese play different kinds of teaser toys and puzzle toys. Doing so might also help lower their risk of cognitive dysfunction.
As their owner, you should keep in mind that these cats get bored very easily. If you don't keep them entertained, they might claw at your furniture, climb your curtains, or indulge in other destructive activities to relieve their excess energy.
Training Siamese cats
Siamese cats learn things easily, thanks to their smart and curious nature, but they are also mischievous, which can make it hard for you to train them. For example, if they feel you aren't noticing them, they might start knocking off objects from your table to get your attention.
Begin house training and obedience training while they're still kittens. Just like you may do with a dog, you can use commands to teach your Siamese to sit and come when called. Training them this way will keep them from forming negative behaviors and will also help you bond with them.
You can train your cat to do fun tricks or fetch a toy using clicker training. Clicker training is a positive reinforcement technique in which you use a clicker to tell your cat that they have behaved well. Then, you follow it with a reward, which motivates them to do the right thing again in the future.
Siamese cat food
Make sure your Siamese always has access to clean, fresh water. If they don't have enough water, add wet food to their diet to provide them with enough fluids. If you also wish to give them dry or canned food, discuss with your veterinarian what kind will suit them best.
If your pet likes to overeat, avoid free-feeding them. Also, limit their meals to two times a day and get rid of any uneaten food to help them maintain a healthy weight.
You may need to provide them with a different diet as they get older. You can talk to your vet to understand which food will best suit their age and nutritional needs.
Medical care
Siamese cats are prone to bacterial and viral infections such as panleukopenia, rabies, feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), and other upper respiratory infections. Your vet can suggest some "core" vaccines -- specific to each of these conditions -- to prevent such infections.
These cats can also become infested with bugs such as fleas, ticks, ear mites, and worms such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and heartworms. You can check for these parasites by getting your Siamese tested regularly and reducing their risk with preventative medications.
Many of the deaths in this breed occur due to mammary tumors. Besides this serious health issue, some genetic conditions are commonly seen in Siamese cats, which include:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is a congenital heart defect that can cause the heart muscles of your cat to thicken abnormally, weakening their heart and eventually leading to heart failure.
Amyloidosis. In this condition, amyloid protein deposits build up in your pet's organs, such as the liver and kidneys. While mild cases lead to high blood pressure in cats, tissue damage and organ failure also occur in more severe cases.
Hip dysplasia. This painful condition can lead to lameness and limping in your pet. It occurs when the ball and socket joints of their hip fail to develop normally.
Asthma. Siamese cats -- particularly those with wedge-shaped heads -- are more prone to asthma. Cats with this condition have inflamed and narrow lungs and nasal passages. If your pet coughs continuously and has difficulty breathing, it could be a sign that they're developing asthma. In that case, take your pet to the veterinarian, who can diagnose your cat's condition using chest radiographs.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Cats with PRA usually have poor vision quality and, in extreme cases, blindness. This condition is caused by a group of genetic disorders that result in the loss or wasting of the cells in your pet's retina -- the innermost light-sensitive layer of the eye.
Siamese cat lifespan
The average lifespan of Siamese cats is around 10-12.5 years. Some may live for as long as 15 years. Research shows that spayed or neutered cats (cats whose reproductive organs have been removed) lived longer than intact cats.
Siamese cats make great family pets. Due to their gentle, playful nature and friendly personality, they get along well with kids, as well as other pets. However, some people don't like them for their highly vocal nature and noisy habits. If you prefer a quiet cat breed, then the Siamese may not be right for you.
These cats crave constant interaction and human companionship. If left alone for a long time, they tend to develop depression. You should think twice before getting them if you work all day and don't have other pets to give them company. It's for this reason that many people get two Siamese cats as pets.
An important thing to keep in mind is that most cats of this breed have faulty vision wiring in their brain. This means that compared to other cat breeds, their vision at night is less sharp and clear. Always keep an eye on them when they're playing outside, even if it's within a securely fenced yard. With their playful nature, they might escape. If it's dark outside, they might be unable to see clearly and may get hit by a vehicle.
Keep scratching posts in your house, as these cats love scratching against surfaces. These cat scratcher products may also help increase the life of your woodwork and upholstery.
Siamese cats are not hypoallergenic. If you're allergic to cats, you should think before getting a Siamese as a pet. Even though they shed very lightly, the proteins in their saliva and urine could cause an allergy.
Adoption
You can adopt a Siamese kitten or cat from animal shelters and rescue organizations. If you have enough experience with them, you can adopt one with special medical and behavioral needs.
Before adopting the cat, you can meet them at the adoption center. With the help of the shelter or rescue group team, you can learn more about the cat and see if you're a good fit. You may need to bring along other pets and family members living with you to introduce them to the cat and see how they get along with one another.
After you agree to get the cat, you may have to sign a contract, which can include terms such as taking the cat to a veterinarian within 14 days of adopting them and accepting to care for them as long as they are alive. The cat will be sterilized, vaccinated, spayed or neutered (the removal of reproductive organs), and microchipped before you can take them home.
Siamese cat rescue
You can adopt a Siamese cat, mixed-breed or purebred, that has been abandoned and has no home from Siamese rescue groups. Before you adopt a Siamese cat, choose a rescue group or shelter that knows the breed well and tries to understand how you live, including whether you live with family members and pets. They can use this information to find the most suitable addition to your family and lifestyle.
Siamese cat breeders
You can also buy purebred Siamese cats from reputable breeders. The breeder should know the cats well enough to match you with the best fit for your family and lifestyle. You can find a breeder listing from websites such as The International Cat Association and consider breeders with memberships with reputable cat organizations such as the Cat Fanciers' Association.
Siamese cat price
Adopting a Siamese cat may cost between $30 and $300. This fee covers the medical cost of preparing the cat for adoption and the cat's adoption guide. Depending on the age and breed, you can buy a Siamese cat for $600-$2,500.
The Siamese cat is one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. They're active, very friendly, and have a stunning look. If you want to adopt one, contact a rescue group or animal shelter. Once you get a Siamese cat, you can always expect to have them in your space, as they love to be with people. They can be independent when it comes to grooming but are also prone to infections. Get them as many essential vaccines as possible and go for regular checkups with your veterinarian.
Are Siamese cats very cuddly?
Yes, Siamese cats are very cuddly and may also enjoy climbing on you.
Are Siamese cats expensive?
Yes, they can be expensive. But you can adopt them for a fraction of the price.
Are Siamese cats good pets?
Yes, Siamese cats are great companions and can be a vibrant addition to your home. These cats have a lot of energy and like attention, so it's important to consider your family's lifestyle when deciding to adopt a Siamese cat as a pet.
Out Of The Shadows, The Wildcats You've Never Seen
This story appears in the February 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine."She's very close," Germán Garrote whispers, pointing to a handheld receiver picking up Helena's signal. Somewhere in this olive grove beside a busy highway in southern Spain, the Iberian lynx and her two cubs are probably watching us. If it weren't for her radio collar, we'd never know that one of the world's rarest cats is crouching among the neat rows of trees. At five years old Helena has learned to meld invisibly into the human landscape, even hiding with her newborns in a vacant house during a raucous Holy Week fiesta.
pallas's catOTOCOLOBUS MANUL A famously grumpy expression made this Central Asian species an Internet star. Conservationists hope the cat's celebrity will help save its habitat from encroaching farms and other threats.
Photographed At Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio
Iberian LynxLYNX PARDINUS One of the world's rarest cats, the Iberian lynx is slowly increasing in number as scientists release captive-raised cats and boost populations of rabbits, the lynx's staple food.
Photographed At Madrid Zoo and Aquarium, Spain
"Ten years ago we couldn't imagine the lynx would be breeding in a habitat like this," says Garrote, a biologist with the Life+Iberlince project, a government-led group of more than 20 organizations working to bring the spotted predator back to the Iberian Peninsula. Standing in the scorching heat with traffic rushing at our backs, he tells me that the cat's future is to live in fragmented areas. "Lynx have more ecological plasticity than we thought," he says.
Indeed, the amber-eyed, bushy-bearded feline has finally started to land on its feet after decades of decline. When Iberlince stepped in to rescue the lynx in 2002, fewer than a hundred of the cats were scattered throughout the Mediterranean scrubland, their numbers chipped away by hunting and a virus that nearly erased the region's European rabbits, the lynx's staple food. The lynx population was so depleted that it was suffering from dangerously low genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to disease and birth defects.
Luckily for the scientists, lynx breed well in captivity, and 176 have been reintroduced into carefully selected habitats since 2010. Four breeding centers and one zoo raised most of the cats, all of which were outfitted with tracking collars. Sixty percent of the reintroduced lynx have survived, and a few have surpassed expectations.
A captive Iberian lynx hunts a live rabbit at the La Olivilla Breeding Center in Santa Elena, Spain. Each cat gets one rabbit daily to hone their hunting prowess and prepare them for eventual release into the wild.
Two lynx made "a spectacular trip across the whole Iberian Peninsula," each walking more than 1,500 miles to new territory, says biologist Miguel Simón, director of the reintroduction program. The team works closely with private landowners to earn their trust and persuade them to welcome lynx on their property. In 2012, when the population hit 313—about half of which were old enough to breed—the International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded the lynx's status from critically endangered to endangered.
Not far from the olive grove, I duck thankfully into the coolness of a drainage tunnel that runs under the highway. Cars and trucks are the leading killers of lynx, so Simón and his team are working with the government to widen these tunnels into wildlife underpasses. Simón crouches, pointing to animal tracks in the sand. One belongs to a badger, he says, but the other is a paw print—a lynx! Helena could have trotted through here minutes ago.
Matthew W. Chwastyk, ngm staff. Sources: IUCN; Life+Iberlince Project; Alejandro Rodríguez and Miguel Delibes, Estación Biológica de Doñana; Miguel SimÓn, Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucía
Back in the sun, I ask Simón what the Spanish think of their native cat. He pauses, surprised at the question. Everyone knows the Iberian lynx, he tells me. It's a beloved national figure.
That's not the case for most of the lynx's relatives. Of the world's 38 wildcat species, 31 are considered small cats. Ranging in size from the three-pound rusty-spotted cat to the 50-pound Eurasian lynx, they inhabit five of the world's seven continents (excluding Australia and Antarctica) and are superbly adapted to an array of natural—and increasingly unnatural—environments, from deserts to rain forests to city parks. Unfortunately, these lesser members of the family Felidae also live in the long shadow cast by their larger cousins, the big cats: lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, and their kin. These celebrity species attract the lion's share of attention and conservation dollars, even though 12 of the world's 18 most threatened wild felids are small cats.
Jim Sanderson, a small-cat expert and program manager at the Texas-based Global Wildlife Conservation, estimates that more than 99 percent of funds spent on wild felids since 2009 have gone to help jaguars, tigers, and other large cats. As a result, many small cats are vastly understudied or not studied at all. Their skill at eluding attention also contributes to their obscurity.
Fishing CatPRIONAILURUS VIVERRINUS The cat may look peculiar, but it's perfectly adapted to its lifestyle: Big eyes help snare prey underwater, double-coated fur keeps out the wet, and partially webbed feet and a muscular, rudderlike tail aid in swimming.
Photographed At Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington
Eurasian lynxLYNX LYNX The largest of the four lynx species, the Eurasian lynx also has a huge range, including most of Europe and parts of Central Asia and Russia. Unlike many other small cats, its population is stable and threats are relatively low—although some isolated subgroups are critically endangered.
Photographed At Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio
JaguarundisHERPAILURUS YAGOUAROUNDI With long, squat bodies and tiny ears, jaguarundis are otterlike in appearance. Thanks to their huge range—parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America—and lack of widespread hunting, the cat is considered a species of least concern.
Photographed At Bear Creek Feline Center, Florida
The rarely seen bay cat, for example, is native only to the forests of Borneo and remains as opaque to science as it was in 1858, the year of its discovery. All that's known of Southeast Asia's marbled cat comes from a study of a single female in Thailand. "We have no idea what it eats," Sanderson says.
Small cats suffer another disadvantage: people's tendency to view them as simply wild versions of their own pets. (The domestic cat—considered a subspecies of the wildcat—evolved from wildcats in the Fertile Crescent about 10,000 years ago.) The public isn't as "awe-inspired" by small cats as by more exotic beasts, says Alexander Sliwa, a curator at Germany's Cologne Zoo. "This perpetuates the situation that little is known about smaller cats, and if you can't tell people about a cat's biology or lifestyle, then people are not hooked."
They should be. Small cats are lean feats of evolution, high-performance predators that hit their stride millions of years ago and have changed little ever since. What they lack in stature, they make up for in grit. The black-footed cat, for example, is the smallest cat in Africa, weighing less than five pounds. But it's nicknamed the anthill tiger because it lives in abandoned termite mounds and fights tooth and claw if threatened, even jumping in the face of the much larger jackal. The resourceful fishing cat of South Asia is a denizen of swamps and wetlands but can scratch out a living wherever fish are found. Cameras in downtown Colombo, Sri Lanka, once caught a fishing cat stealing koi from an office fishpond. It was a "shocker to all of us," says Anya Ratnayaka, the primary researcher at the Urban Fishing Cat Conservation Project. "There's not a wetland anywhere near this place."
Small wildcats have adopted other clever ways to coexist. In Suriname, Sanderson and his colleagues photographed five cat species living in the same rain forest: jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, and jaguarundi. They do this by "dividing space and time," he says. Each animal has its niche, whether it's hunting on the ground during the day, like the jaguarundi, or hunting in the trees at night, like the margay.
Though some small cats are capable of killing goats and sheep, they pose no threat to humans. On the contrary, as predators often at the top of their food chain, they help keep ecosystems running smoothly and prey populations—including many rodents—in check.
Of the five continents roamed by wildcats, Asia has the most to lose. Not only is it home to the greatest number of small-cat species—14—it's also where the animals are least understood and under the greatest threat.
Much of Southeast Asia's forestland has been developed or turned into sprawling plantations for palm oil, a common food ingredient whose production has doubled worldwide since 2000. This is likely devastating for the flat-headed cat and the fishing cat, both animals that typically rely on lowland wetlands for the fish they eat.
The spread of palm oil plantations is such a concern that Le Parc des Félins, a zoological park outside Paris that houses the most species of small cats in the world, has put two shopping carts on display—one filled with products made with palm oil, the other with products that don't have it. The items in both carts—ice cream, cookies, cereal—look basically the same.
Daisy Chung, ngm staff. Sources: IUCN (2016); William Murphy, Texas A&M University; Luke Hunter, Panthera; Andrew Kitchener, National Museum of Scotland
"We don't ask people to donate money but to eat less palm oil," says Aurélie Roudel, an educator at the leafy, 175-acre park.
Another threat facing small cats is the illegal wildlife trade, particularly poaching for skins, furs, and other animal parts, Roudel says. China is a hub for such criminal activities. In large cities merchants sell clothing and gloves made from the skins of small cats. In the 1980s China exported the skins of hundreds of thousands of leopard cats, a species that ranges throughout Asia. Though demand for skins has dropped considerably, leopard cats in China are still hunted and killed for preying on domestic animals.
Leopard cats, I soon discover, are impressive enough creatures on their own. On this drizzly June day, most of the French park's residents are huddled in their boxes, but the two leopard cats are out and about, their coats a glossy tapestry of brown and black. One balances expertly on a log, licking its front paw, while the other chews tall blades of grass, reminding me of my Maine coon cat back home.
Leopard catPRIONAILURUS BENGALENSIS
Photographed At Anderson, Indiana
Then I check myself, remembering what Alexander Sliwa, the Cologne Zoo curator, had said: Small cats are very different from house cats, particularly because they're always on the go. The black-footed cat, for instance, can walk nearly 20 miles and eat one-fifth of its body weight in food every night. Unlike Fluffy on the couch, "it cannot afford to lie around."
Neither can conservationists, who've begun to lift some species out of obscurity in hopes of saving them. In 2016 they launched an international effort to study and save Central Asia's Pallas's cat, a species in decline but largely hidden in the shadow of the famous snow leopard.
"A lot of our work is putting the Pallas's cat on the map," says David Barclay, coordinator of the European Endangered Species Programme for the Pallas's Cat. He's got some help, thanks to the cat-crazy Internet. The round, fluffy feline has become a hit online because of its grumpy expression and its odd manner of scuttling about its mountainous home. Though people are "laughing their way through the videos," Barclay says, "they're becoming subconsciously aware."
rusty-spotted catPRIONAILURUS RUBIGINOSUS The smallest of the small cats, the rusty-spotted cat, a native of India and Sri Lanka, can weigh as little as two pounds. Not much is known about the speckled feline, but destruction of habitat, hunting, and hybridizing with domestic cats are threats.
Photographed At Exmoor Zoo, England
African golden catCARACAL AURATA Inhabiting the rain forests of West and Central Africa, this species is threatened by forest loss and bush-meat hunters. This seven-year-old male, Tigri, is likely the only cat of its kind in captivity.
Photographed At Parc Assango, Libreville, Gabon
A long-term conservation program in Japan has stabilized the population of the Iriomote cat, a critically endangered subspecies of the leopard cat that lives only on Iriomote Island. Cartoon cats plaster the sides of buses, and the animal even has a brand of sake named in its honor.
MAGAZINE
How this golden-eyed feline became the biggest comeback in cat conservationANIMALS
The adorable clouded tiger-cat is brand-new to science—and already under threatANIMALS
Here's how your cat experiences the worldAnd in Spain's Sierra de Andújar Natural Park, near where Helena and her fellow lynx live, ecotourism involving lynx-watching has sprung up in recent years alongside rabbit and deer hunting, traditional mainstays of southern Spain.
"We are business partners," Luis Ramón Barrios Cáceres, owner of the Los Pinos resort, says of the lynx, laughing. "They pay the bills." Lynx-watching tour groups often base their operations at the country hotel, whose gift shop brims with tchotchkes inspired by the local star.
On the nearby San Fernando Ranch, Pedro López Fernández allows both rabbit hunters (when rabbit numbers are plentiful) and lynx on his nearly 700-acre property. López, whose family has ranched in the region for four generations, is clearly proud of his land, where cows wander hilly forests of holm oak and cork, accented with blooms of pink oleander.
MARBLED CATPARDOFELIS MARMORATA A supersize tail likely helps this house-cat-size species balance as it navigates the forests of Southeast Asia at night. Due largely to its secretive lifestyle, it is one of the least known small wildcats.
Photographed At Private Zoo
The lynx is "one of the most valuable species, because it only comes from here," López tells me. Not all landowners agree that the cats should be protected. Some are wary of government interference and don't want lynx on their land. But López believes that the lynx is part of Spain's heritage and the country should make sure it thrives.
At La Olivilla Breeding Center in Santa Elena, scientists are working around the clock to do just that. Sitting in front of an array of computer monitors, keepers record behaviors of their 41 Iberian lynx on the hour, 24/7. On this hot afternoon, the animals—a mix of breeding females, cubs, and juveniles being readied for reintroduction—are mostly resting indoors.
The center's veterinarian, María José Pérez, explains the painstaking lengths taken to prepare young lynx for release into the wild: surrounding their enclosures with black barriers so they don't see people, feeding them rabbits through vegetation-covered tubes, scaring them with horns so they learn to fear cars. "I feel privileged to contribute to the lynx not going extinct," Pérez says.
At his desk, keeper Antonio Esteban clicks over to a video feed of a mother lynx and her four cubs sprawled on the ground, paws tucked close to their tiny faces. Someday these animals will be crucial to the survival of their species. But for now they're doing what felines do best: taking a catnap.
The National Geographic Photo Ark is a multiyear effort with photographer Joel Sartore to photograph all captive species and help save these animals before many disappear forever. Learn more at NatGeoPhotoArk.Org. The National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative supports scientists and conservationists working to save big cats in the wild. Learn more at NatGeoBigCats.Org.Jungle Cat: A Savage Inhabitant Of The Caucasus Wild
This wild cat has several names - reed cat, swamp lynx, Felis chaus or just jungle cat.
As a rule, this cat lives in China and Central Asia. In Russia, it lives, for the most part, in Dagestan and Stavropol Territory, choosing flat territories, reed and thicket fields near rivers and swamps and avoiding open spaces and mountains. It is not afraid of snakes and likes to fish. It hunts by ambushing its prey.
The jungle cat differs from domestic cats by its particularly large size - it can grow up to 12 kg. But, its tail is short and it has tufts on its ears, like a lynx. As a kitten, a jungle cat has stripes that disappear with age.
However, the chances of meeting one in the wild are practically zero: it is very secretive and avoids people. Besides, there are only about 500 left (less than Amur tigers!) and, of course, they are listed in the 'Red Book of Russia'. They suffer from poachers who catch kittens and sell them to exotic lovers. Such cats should never be kept as a pet, as they are wild and need freedom.
It was first found and described in 1776 by naturalist Johann Anton Güldenstädt, who, on behalf of Empress Catherine the Great, went to study the south of Russia. Incidentally, he worked under the scientific supervision of Peter Pallas, who discovered the Pallas's cat (manul) in Siberia.
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