Posted on 10/07/2012 11:10:54 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Seriously. Look at this guy. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Berlin Zoo has announced the birth of its first rusty-spotted cat kittens since it opened 168 years ago. Nicknamed ‘the hummingbirds of the cat family’, rusty spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus) rival the black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) of southern Africa for the title of world’s smallest wild cat. Their long bodies and tails, which can reach a total of 78 cm in the largest males, might out-stretch their African relatives, but they’re just a little bit lighter at 0.9 – 1.6 kg. To put this in perspective, the world record for the smallest adult tabby cat is 1.36 kg. And my giant beast of a tuxedo cat is 4 kg. Which, by the way, is the average weight for a domestic cat (I’m not a terrible mum).
-snip-
Unlike another very rare andsmall wildcat species, the Scottish wildcat, rusty-spotted cats are easy to tame, and there have been some reports of this species being bred with domestic cats. Nineteenth century British physician and zoologist Thomas C. Jerdon kept a number of rusty-spotted cats in his home for research, and according to Wild Cats of the World by Swiss naturalist and writer Charles Albert Walter Guggisberg, he said of them, “I had a kitten brought to me when very young in 1846, and it became quite tame, and was the delight and admiration of all who saw it. Its activity was quite marvellous and it was very playful and elegant in its motions.”
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.scientificamerican.com ...
Of course all it takes is seeing a kitty or sweet cat to change ones mind. Darling kitties!! Color is beautiful. Losing pet is like losing love--one may vow to never love again. But then a certain special someone walks through the door . . .. God bless our little girl lost. We miss her so.
My pleasure.
Done!
My condolences on your loss. Somewhere out there more kittehs are waiting for you.
Mine eyes!!!!
Hope you are doing well, RC. :)
OMG! Yeah, that did it, LOL.
Poor little guy...
Whew!!! Thank goodness. Thank you for agreeing.
Now we have to know where to apply for our new family.
I love that intense kitty cat household, domesticated expression in their eyes!!!!
One can see they are so full of mischief.
These little guys would keep me laughing all day long.
Waaaaaah!
You will definitely be safe from menacing socks and dust bunnies.
As well as I can, thank you.
Since they’re on the endangered species list, wouldn’t the logical thing be to catch a few, start breeding them then selling them to cat lovers?
Agreed. Just look at me (and be sure to inform my former girlfriend.)
Makes too much sense.
SO not going there... ;^)
I never liked cats and then I ended up on one’s staff. Now I have three bossing me around. :)
Geez, the picture of Bat Boy made me jump, LOL.
My thing is, I can’t understand why someone would say, “Hey, let’s develop a breed of cat that will be susceptible to cold and to sunburn by taking away its fur!”
The masters do not tolerate insolence.
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