9 Wild Cats You Have Probably Never Heard Of

Jaguarundi

The jaguarundi shares most of its range with the ocelot. Found from southern Texas to northern Argentina, jaguarundis have a fairly wide distribution. They are closely related to cougars.

Chinese Mountain Cat

The Chinese mountain cat is actually a subspecies of the wild cat, but it looks quite different from the European and African subspecies. Until 2007, they were only known from skins in museums.

Margay

Margays are beautifully patterned cats native to dense, forested areas in Central and South America. Until the 1990s, they were pursued for the wildlife trade.

Sandcat

Sand cats truly are sand cats. They are found throughout the deserts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The long hairs growing between their toes allow them to comfortably.

Jungle Cat

The jungle cat is the largest of the Felis species, and it has a very wide distribution. It is found from Egypt to Southeast Asia. Oddly enough, despite the name, they are not found in rainforests.

Fishing Cat

Not many cats like water, but fishing cats are one of the few exceptions.They can swim long distances and are happy above and below the water. And, as you d expect, fish makes up 75% of their diet.

Leopard Cat

Leopard Cat The leopard cat (completely unrelated to leopards) is another wild cat species that inhabits Asia, generally in forests and plantations. They often climb trees in search of prey.

Rusty-Spotted Cat

The rusty-spotted cat looks quite similar to your average housecat, and they re among the smallest of all cat species. This species is only native to India and Sri Lanka, and their spopulations are unfortunately.

Serval

The serval is a magnificent-looking cat native to sub-Saharan Africa. They re excellent hunters, and can run up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers an hour), and they can leap.