# Wildcat

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{{Short description|Species group of mammals}}
{{For|domestic cats (Felis catus) that live in the wild|Feral cat}}
{{About|the Old World wildcat}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| auto = yes
| name = Wildcat
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn/>
| image = European_Wildcat_Nationalpark_Bayerischer_Wald_03.jpg
| image_caption = [European wildcat](/source/European_wildcat) (''Felis silvestris'')
| image2  = Felis_silvestris_gordoni.jpg
| image2_caption = [African wildcat](/source/African_wildcat)  (''Felis lybica'')
| parent = Felis
| binomial = ''Felis silvestris''
| binomial_authority = [Schreber](/source/Johann_Christian_Daniel_von_Schreber), 1777
| binomial2 = ''Felis lybica''
| binomial2_authority = [Forster](/source/Georg_Forster), 1780
| range_map2 = Wild Cat Felis silvestris distribution map.png
| range_map2_caption = Distribution of the wildcat species complex<ref name=iucn/>
}}

The '''wildcat''' is a [species complex](/source/species_complex) comprising two [small wild cat](/source/Felinae) [species](/source/species): the [European wildcat](/source/European_wildcat) (''Felis silvestris'') and the [African wildcat](/source/African_wildcat) (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits [forest](/source/forest)s in [Europe](/source/Europe), [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia) and the [Caucasus](/source/Caucasus), while the African wildcat inhabits semi-[arid](/source/arid) landscapes and [steppe](/source/steppe)s in [Africa](/source/Africa), the [Arabian Peninsula](/source/Arabian_Peninsula), [Central Asia](/source/Central_Asia), into western [India](/source/India) and western [China](/source/China).<ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Breitenmoser-Würsten |first2=C. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Gentry |first4=A. |last5=Werdelin |first5=L. |last6=Wilting |first6=A. |last7=Yamaguchi |first7=N. |last8=Abramov |first8=A. V. |last9=Christiansen |first9=P. |last10=Driscoll |first10=C. |last11=Duckworth |first11=J. W. |last12=Johnson |first12=W. |last13=Luo |first13=S.-J. |last14=Meijaard |first14=E. |last15=O'Donoghue |first15=P. |last16=Sanderson |first16=J. |last17=Seymour |first17=K. |last18=Bruford |first18=M. |last19=Groves |first19=C. |last20=Hoffmann |first20=M. |last21=Nowell |first21=K. |last22=Timmons |first22=Z. |last23=Tobe |first23=S. |date=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=16−20 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref>
The wildcat species differ in fur pattern, tail, and size: the European wildcat has long fur and a bushy tail with a rounded tip; the smaller African wildcat is more faintly striped, has short sandy-gray fur and a tapering tail; the [Asiatic wildcat](/source/Asiatic_wildcat) (''F. lybica ornata'') is spotted.<ref name=Yama2004>{{cite journal |last1=Yamaguchi |first1=N. |author2=Kitchener, A. |author3=Driscoll, C. |author4=Nussberger, B. |name-list-style=amp |year=2004 |title= Craniological differentiation between European wildcats (''Felis silvestris silvestris''), African wildcats (''F. s. lybica'') and Asian wildcats (''F. s. ornata''): implications for their evolution and conservation |journal= Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=83 |pages=47–63 |url=http://www.filogenetica.org/cursos/deluna/morfometria/casos%20de%20estudio/catSkulls.pdf |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00372.x|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The wildcat and the other members of the [cat family](/source/Felidae) had a [common ancestor](/source/common_ancestor) about 10–15 million years ago.<ref name=Johnson1997>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=O'Brien |first2=S. J. |title=Phylogenetic Reconstruction of the Felidae Using 16S rRNA and NADH-5 Mitochondrial Genes |journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution |date=1997 |volume=44 |issue=S1 |pages=S98–S116 |doi=10.1007/PL00000060 |pmid=9071018 |bibcode=1997JMolE..44S..98J|s2cid=40185850 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1232587 }}</ref> The European wildcat [evolved](/source/Evolution) during the [Cromerian Stage](/source/Cromerian_Stage) about 866,000 to 478,000 years ago; its direct ancestor was ''[Felis lunensis](/source/Felis_lunensis)''.<ref name =Kurten>{{cite journal |last1=Kurtén |first1=B. |year=1965 |title=On the evolution of the European Wild Cat, ''Felis silvestris'' Schreber |journal=Acta Zoologica Fennica |volume=111 |pages=3–34 |url=https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/37765/299947_111_1965.pdf?sequence=1}}</ref> The ''silvestris'' and ''lybica'' lineages probably diverged about 173,000 years ago.<ref name="CA-Driscoll">{{cite journal |last1=Driscoll |first1=C. A. |last2=Menotti-Raymond |first2=M. |last3=Roca |first3=A. L. |last4=Hupe |first4=K. |last5=Johnson |first5=W. E. |last6=Geffen |first6=E. |last7=Harley |first7=E. H. |last8=Delibes |first8=M. |last9=Pontier |first9=D. |last10=Kitchener |first10=A. C. |last11=Yamaguchi |first11=N. |last12=O'Brien |first12=S. J. |last13=Macdonald |first13=D. W. |date=2007 |title=The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication |journal=[Science](/source/Science_(journal)) |volume=317 |issue=5837 |pages=519–523 |doi=10.1126/science.1139518 |pmid=17600185 |pmc=5612713 |bibcode=2007Sci...317..519D |url=http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/repr/add/domesticcat_driscoll2007.pdf}}</ref>

The wildcat is categorized as [Least Concern](/source/Least_Concern) on the [IUCN Red List](/source/IUCN_Red_List) since 2002, since it is widely distributed in a stable global population exceeding 20,000 mature individuals. Some local populations are threatened by [introgressive](/source/introgression) [hybridisation](/source/Hybridisation_(biology)) with the [domestic cat](/source/Cat) (''F. catus''), contagious disease, vehicle collisions and persecution.<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Felis silvestris'' |author= Yamaguchi, N. |author2=Kitchener, A. |author3=Driscoll, C. |author4=Nussberger, B. |article-number=e.T60354712A50652361 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T60354712A50652361.en |date=2015 |access-date=19 February 2022}}</ref>

The association of African wildcats and humans appears to have developed along with the establishment of settlements during the [Neolithic Revolution](/source/Neolithic_Revolution), when [rodent](/source/rodent)s in grain stores of early [farmer](/source/farmer)s attracted wildcats. This association ultimately led to it being [tamed](/source/tamed) and [domesticated](/source/domesticated): the domestic cat is the direct descendant of the African wildcat.<ref name="brock">{{Cite book |last=Clutton-Brock |first=J. |year=1999 |title=A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |edition=Second |pages=133–140 |isbn=978-0-521-63495-3 |chapter=Cats |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cgL-EbbB8a0C&pg=PA133}}</ref> It was one of the revered [cats in ancient Egypt](/source/cats_in_ancient_Egypt).<ref name=Baldwin>{{cite journal |title=Notes and speculations on the domestication of the cat in Egypt |last=Baldwin |first=J. A. |journal=Anthropos |date=1975 |volume=70 |issue=3/4 |pages=428−448}}</ref> The European wildcat has been the subject of [mythology](/source/mythology) and [literature](/source/literature).<ref name="k2" /><ref name="ha17"/>

==Taxonomy==
''Felis (catus) silvestris'' was the [scientific name](/source/scientific_name) used in 1777 by [Johann von Schreber](/source/Johann_Christian_Daniel_von_Schreber) when he [described](/source/scientific_description) the European wildcat based on descriptions and names proposed by earlier naturalists such as [Mathurin Jacques Brisson](/source/Mathurin_Jacques_Brisson), [Ulisse Aldrovandi](/source/Ulisse_Aldrovandi) and [Conrad Gessner](/source/Conrad_Gessner).<ref name=Schreber>{{cite book |last=Schreber |first=J. C. D. |date=1778 |chapter=Die wilde Kaze |chapter-url=http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schreber1875textbd3/0095?page_query=397&navmode=struct&action=pagesearch&sid=cc4bffe3d0372c2d2c5c1ddb03aed21d |pages=397–402 |title=Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (Dritter Theil) |trans-title=The mammals with illustrations and descriptions (Part 3) |publisher=Expedition des Schreber'schen Säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes |location=Erlangen}}</ref>
''Felis lybica'' was the name proposed in 1780 by [Georg Forster](/source/Georg_Forster), who described an African wildcat from [Gafsa](/source/Gafsa) on the [Barbary Coast](/source/Barbary_Coast).<ref>{{cite book |last=Forster |first=G. |date=1780 |chapter=LIII. Der Karakal |pages=304–307 |title=Herrn von Buffon's Naturgeschichte der vierfüssigen Thiere. Mit Vermehrungen, aus dem Französischen übersetzt |volume=6 |publisher=J. Pauli |location=Berlin |trans-title=M. de Buffon's Natural History of Quadrupeds. With additions, translated from French}}</ref>

In subsequent decades, several naturalists and explorers described 40 wildcat [specimen](/source/zoological_specimen)s collected in European, African and Asian range countries. In the 1940s, the taxonomist [Reginald Innes Pocock](/source/Reginald_Innes_Pocock) reviewed the collection of wildcat skins and skulls in the [Natural History Museum, London](/source/Natural_History_Museum%2C_London), and designated seven ''F. silvestris'' [subspecies](/source/subspecies) from Europe to [Asia Minor](/source/Anatolia), and 25 ''F. lybica'' subspecies from [Africa](/source/Africa), and [West](/source/West_Asia) to [Central Asia](/source/Central_Asia). Pocock differentiated the:<ref name=Pocock1951/><ref name=Pocock1951_2/>
* '''Forest wildcat''' subspecies (''silvestris'' group)
* '''Steppe wildcat''' subspecies (''ornata''-''caudata'' group): is distinguished from the forest wildcat by being smaller, with comparatively lighter fur colour, and longer and more sharply-pointed tails.<ref name=Pocock1951_2/> The domestic cat is thought to have derived from this group.<ref name="h452-455">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=452–455}}</ref><ref name="brock"/><ref name="CA-Driscoll"/>
* '''Bush wildcat''' subspecies (''ornata''-''lybica'' group): is distinguished from the steppe wildcat by paler fur, well-developed spot patterns and bands.<ref name=Pocock1951_2/>
In 2005, 22 subspecies were recognized by the authors of ''[Mammal Species of the World](/source/Mammal_Species_of_the_World)'', who allocated subspecies largely in line with Pocock's assessment.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft |id=14000057 |pages=536–537 |heading=Species ''Felis silvestris''}}</ref>

In 2006, the [Chinese mountain cat](/source/Chinese_mountain_cat) was placed within the wildcat lineage, being found to be more closely related to the Asiatic wildcat and the domestic cat than to the European wildcat through nuclear DNA,<ref name="CA-Driscoll"/><ref name="Johnson"/><ref name=Li_al2016>{{cite journal |author=Li, G. |author2=Davis, B. W. |author3=Eizirik, E. |name-list-style=amp |author4=Murphy, W. J. |year=2016 |title=Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae) |journal=Genome Research |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1101/gr.186668.114 |pmid=26518481 |pmc=4691742}}</ref> while being placed as an outgroup to the wildcat clade through mitochondrial DNA.<ref name="CA-Driscoll"/>

In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force revised the [taxonomy](/source/Taxonomy_(biology)) of the Felidae, and recognized the following as [valid](/source/Valid_name_(zoology)) taxa:<ref name="catsg"/>
{|class="wikitable"
! Species and subspecies !! Characteristics !! Image
|-- style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''[European wildcat](/source/European_wildcat)''' (''F. silvestris'') Schreber, 1777; {{small|[syn.](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) ''F. s. ferus'' [Erxleben](/source/Johann_Christian_Polycarp_Erxleben), 1777; ''obscura'' [Desmarest](/source/Anselme_Ga%C3%ABtan_Desmarest), 1820; ''hybrida'' [Fischer](/source/Johann_Baptist_Fischer), 1829; ''ferox'' Martorelli, 1896; ''morea'' [Trouessart](/source/%C3%89douard_Louis_Trouessart), 1904; [''grampia''](/source/Scottish_wildcat) [Miller](/source/Gerrit_Smith_Miller_Jr.), 1907; ''tartessia'' Miller, 1907; ''molisana'' [Altobello](/source/%3Ait%3AGiuseppe_Altobello), 1921; ''reyi'' [Lavauden](/source/Louis_Lavauden), 1929; ''jordansi'' [Schwarz](/source/Ernst_Schwarz_(zoologist)), 1930; ''euxina'' Pocock, 1943; ''cretensis'' [Haltenorth](/source/Theodor_Haltenorth), 1953}}
|This species and the [nominate subspecies](/source/nominate_subspecies) has dark grey fur with distinct transverse stripes on the sides and a bushy tail with a rounded black tip.<ref name=Schreber/><ref name=Pocock1951/>
|thumb
|-- style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''[Caucasian wildcat](/source/Caucasian_wildcat)''' (''F. s. caucasica'') [Satunin](/source/Konstantin_Satunin), 1905; {{small|syn. ''trapezia'' Blackler, 1916}}
|This subspecies is light grey with well developed patterns on the head and back and faint transverse bands and spots on the sides. The tail has three distinct black transverse rings.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Satunin, K. A. |year=1905 |title=Die Säugetiere des Talyschgebietes und der Mughansteppe |trans-title=The Mammals of the Talysh area and the Mughan steppe |journal=Mitteilungen des Kaukasischen Museums |issue=2 |pages=87–402}}</ref>
| 
|-- style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''[African wildcat](/source/African_wildcat)''' (''F. lybica'') Forster, 1780; {{small|syn. ''F. l. ocreata'' [Gmelin](/source/Johann_Friedrich_Gmelin), 1791; ''nubiensis'' [Kerr](/source/Robert_Kerr_(writer)), 1792; ''maniculata'' [Temminck](/source/Coenraad_Jacob_Temminck), 1824; ''mellandi'' Schwann, 1904; ''rubida'' Schwann, 1904; ''ugandae'' Schwann, 1904; ''mauritana'' [Cabrera](/source/%C3%81ngel_Cabrera_(naturalist)), 1906; ''nandae'' [Heller](/source/Edmund_Heller), 1913; ''taitae'' Heller, 1913; ''nesterovi'' Birula, 1916; ''iraki'' [Cheesman](/source/Robert_Ernest_Cheesman), 1921; ''hausa'' [Thomas](/source/Oldfield_Thomas) and [Hinton](/source/Martin_Hinton), 1921; ''griselda'' Thomas, 1926; ''brockmani'' Pocock, 1944; ''foxi'' Pocock, 1944; ''pyrrhus'' Pocock, 1944; [''gordoni''](/source/Arabian_wildcat) [Harrison](/source/David_Harrison_(zoologist)), 1968}}
|This species and the nominate subspecies has pale, buffish or light-greyish fur with a tinge of red on the dorsal band; the length of its pointed tail is about two-thirds of the head to body size.<ref name=Rosevear74>{{Cite book |last=Rosevear |first=D. R. |chapter=''Felis lybica'' Forster African Wild Cat |title=The carnivores of West Africa |location=London |publisher=Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) |year=1974 |pages=384−395 |isbn=978-0-565-00723-2 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/carnivoresofwest00rose/page/384}}</ref>
|thumb
|-- style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''[Southern African wildcat](/source/Southern_African_wildcat)''' (''F. l. cafra'') [Desmarest](/source/Anselme_Ga%C3%ABtan_Desmarest), 1822; {{small|syn. ''F. l. xanthella'' Thomas, 1926; ''vernayi'' [Roberts](/source/Austin_Roberts_(zoologist)), 1932}}
|This subspecies does not differ significantly in colour and pattern from the nominate one. The available zoological specimens merely have slightly longer skulls than those from farther north in Africa.<ref name=Pocock1951_2/>
|thumb
|-- style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''[Asiatic wildcat](/source/Asiatic_wildcat)''' (''F. l. ornata'') [Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray), 1830; {{small|syn. ''syriaca'' [Tristram](/source/Henry_Baker_Tristram), 1867; ''caudata'' Gray, 1874; ''maniculata'' Yerbury and Thomas, 1895; ''kozlovi'' Satunin, 1905; ''matschiei''  [Zukowsky](/source/%3Ade%3ALudwig_Zukowsky), 1914; ''griseoflava'' Zukowsky, 1915; ''longipilis'' Zukowsky, 1915; ''macrothrix'' Zukowsky, 1915; ''murgabensis'' Zukowsky, 1915; ''schnitnikovi'' Birula, 1915; ''issikulensis'' [Ognev](/source/Sergey_Ognev), 1930; ''tristrami'' Pocock, 1944}}
|This subspecies has dark spots on light, ochreous-grey coloured fur.<ref name=Pocock1951_2/>
|thumb
|}

==Evolution==
The wildcat is a member of the Felidae, a family that had a [common ancestor](/source/common_ancestor) about 10–15 million years ago.<ref name=Johnson1997/> ''Felis'' species [diverged](/source/Genetic_divergence) from the Felidae around 6–7 million years ago. The European wildcat diverged from ''Felis'' about 1.09 to 1.4 million years ago.<ref name="Johnson">{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=Eizirik |first2=E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery |first3=J. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |last5=Antunes |first5=A. |last6=Teeling |first6=E. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |date=2006 |title=The Late Miocene Radiation of Modern Felidae: A Genetic Assessment |journal=Science |volume=311 |issue=5757 |pages=73–77 |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |pmid=16400146 |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J|s2cid=41672825 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 }}</ref>

The European wildcat's direct ancestor was ''[Felis lunensis](/source/Felis_lunensis)'', which lived in Europe in the late [Pliocene](/source/Pliocene) and  [Villafranchian](/source/Villafranchian) periods. [Fossil](/source/Fossil) remains indicate that the transition from ''lunensis'' to ''silvestris''  was completed by the [Holstein interglacial](/source/Holstein_interglacial) about 340,000 to 325,000 years ago.<ref name=Kurten/>

While an extensive fossil record exists in Europe, the oldest wildcat fossils recovered in Africa and the Middle East originate from the [Late Pleistocene](/source/Late_Pleistocene) beginning roughly 130,000 years before present, which indicate that the wildcat probably migrated from Europe into the Middle East during this period, giving rise to the steppe wildcat [phenotype](/source/phenotype). A second wave of expansion occurred shortly afterwards from the Pleistocene Middle Eastern wildcat, eastward into Asia and southward through the [Sinai Peninsula](/source/Sinai_Peninsula) into Africa, the latter likely resulting in a [population bottleneck](/source/population_bottleneck).<ref name=Yama2004/> [Phylogenetic](/source/Phylogenetic) research revealed that the ''lybica'' lineage probably diverged from the ''silvestris'' lineage about 173,000 years ago.<ref name="CA-Driscoll"/> The steppe lineage did not re-enter Europe during its expansion, and the two lineages have remained genetically distinct since; hybridization between forest and domestic cats marks the first large-scale genetic connection between the two groups since their original divergence.<ref name=Yama2004/>

==Characteristics==
{{multiple image |direction=vertical |image2=Felis silvestris (European wild cat) fur skin.jpg |caption2=Skin of a European wildcat |image3=Felis silvestris ornata (Indian steppe wildcat) fur skin.jpg |caption3=Skin of an Asiatic wildcat from India |image1=Yawning Wildcat at the British Wildlife Centre, Newchapel, Surrey - geograph.org.uk - 2309509.jpg |caption1=European wildcat face}}

The wildcat has pointed ears, which are moderate in length and broad at the base.<ref name=Pocock1951>{{cite book |last=Pocock |first=R. I. |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/catalogueofgenus00brit#page/28/mode/2up |title=Catalogue of the Genus Felis |publisher=Trustees of the British Museum |location=London |date=1951 |pages=29−50 |chapter=''Felis silvestris'', Schreber}}</ref><ref name=Pocock1951_2>{{cite book |last=Pocock |first=R. I. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/catalogueofgenus00brit#page/50/mode/2up |title=Catalogue of the Genus Felis |publisher=Trustees of the British Museum |location=London |date=1951 |pages=50−133 |chapter=''Felis lybica'', Forster}}</ref>
Its [whiskers](/source/whiskers) are white, number 7 to 16 on each side and reach {{convert|5|-|8|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length on the muzzle. Whiskers are also present on the inner surface of the paw and measure {{convert|3|-|4|cm|in|abbr=on}}.
Its eyes are large, with vertical [pupil](/source/pupil)s and yellowish-green [irises](/source/iris_(anatomy)). The [eyelashes](/source/eyelashes) range from {{convert|5|-|6|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, and can number six to eight per side.<ref name="h402">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=402–403}}</ref><!--
The wildcat has good [night vision](/source/night_vision), having 20 to 100% higher [retinal ganglion cell](/source/retinal_ganglion_cell) densities{{Vague|date=June 2012|cell spacing in 1, 2, or 3 dimensions, or mass per volume within cells?}} than the domestic cat. It may{{Vague|date=June 2012|reason= ... or at least confusing: in most of this discussion "it" (species) vs. "they" (specimens) is an insignificant distinction. But here, it signals a vast difference between "no one is sure if the species is equipped for acting on 2- or 3-dimensional light intensities" and "some better nourished or genetically blessed individuals have it". I think you mean the former, as your wording suggests -- but your readers need a less subtle reason for inferring that, than a difference in grammatical number, which from some writers could be a meaningless verbal tic.}} have [colour vision](/source/colour_vision), since the densities of its cone receptors are more than 100% higher than in the domestic cat.{{cn|date=February 2019}} -->

The European wildcat has a greater [skull](/source/skull) volume than the domestic cat, a ratio known as [Schauenberg's index](/source/Schauenberg's_index).<ref>{{cite journal |author=Schauenberg, P. |year=1969 |title=L'identification du Chat forestier d'Europe ''Felis s. silvestris'' Schreber, 1777 par une méthode ostéométrique |journal=[Revue suisse de Zoologie](/source/Revue_suisse_de_Zoologie) |volume=76 |pages=433−441}}</ref> Further, its skull is more spherical in shape than that of the [jungle cat](/source/jungle_cat) (''F. chaus'') and [leopard cat](/source/leopard_cat) (''Prionailurus bengalensis''). Its [dentition](/source/dentition) is relatively smaller and weaker than the jungle cat's<!-- like it says, NOT "jungle cats'": one species -- tho "Geographic variation in the jungle cat is quite considerable", and [I](/source/User%3AJerzy), for one, don't know how much that applies to tooth size. -->.<ref name="h408">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=408–409}}</ref>

Both wildcat species are larger than the domestic cat.<ref name=Pocock1951/><ref name=Pocock1951_2/> The European wildcat has relatively longer legs and  a more robust build compared to the domestic cat.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Schauenberg, P. |year=1969 |title=L'identification du Chat forestier d'Europe ''Felis s. silvestris'' Schreber, 1777 par une méthode ostéométrique |journal=[Revue suisse de Zoologie](/source/Revue_suisse_de_Zoologie) |volume=76 |pages=433−441}}</ref> The tail is long, and usually slightly exceeds one-half of the animal's body length. The species size varies according to [Bergmann's rule](/source/Bergmann's_rule), with the largest specimens occurring in cool, northern areas of Europe and Asia such as [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia), [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria) and [Siberia](/source/Siberia).<ref name="h452">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=452}}</ref> Males measure {{convert|43|-|91|cm|in|abbr=on}} in head to body length, {{convert|23|-|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} in tail length, and normally weigh {{convert|5|-|8|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. Females are slightly smaller, measuring {{convert|40|-|77|cm|in|abbr=on}} in body length and {{convert|18|-|35|cm|in|abbr=on}} in tail length, and weighing {{convert|3|-|5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="h408" />

Both sexes have two [thoracic](/source/thoracic) and two [abdominal](/source/abdominal) [teat](/source/teat)s. Both sexes have pre-[anal gland](/source/anal_gland)s, consisting of moderately sized [sweat](/source/sweat_glands) and [sebaceous gland](/source/sebaceous_gland)s around the [anal opening](/source/Anus). Large-sized sebaceous and [scent gland](/source/scent_gland)s extend along the full length of the tail on the dorsal side. Male wildcats have pre-anal pockets on the tail, activated upon reaching [sexual maturity](/source/sexual_maturity), play a significant role in reproduction and [territorial marking](/source/territorial_marking).<ref name="h405">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=405–407}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
{{main|European wildcat#Distribution and habitat}}
The European wildcat inhabits [temperate broadleaf and mixed forest](/source/temperate_broadleaf_and_mixed_forest)s in [Europe](/source/Europe), [Turkey](/source/Turkey) and the Caucasus. In the [Iberian Peninsula](/source/Iberian_Peninsula), it occurs from sea level to {{convert|2250|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the [Pyrenees](/source/Pyrenees). Between the late 17th and mid 20th centuries, its European range became fragmented due to large-scale hunting and regional extirpation. It is possibly extinct in the [Czech Republic](/source/Czech_Republic), and considered regionally extinct in [Austria](/source/Austria), though vagrants from [Italy](/source/Italy) are spreading into Austria. It has never inhabited [Fennoscandia](/source/Fennoscandia) or [Estonia](/source/Estonia).<ref name=iucn/> [Sicily](/source/Sicily) is the only island in the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea) with a native wildcat population.<ref>{{cite journal |year=2013 |title=Genetic structure of wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') populations in Italy |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=3 |issue=8 |pages=2443–2458 |doi=10.1002/ece3.569 |doi-access=free |last1=Mattucci |first1=F. |last2=Oliveira |first2=R. |last3=Bizzarri |first3=L. |last4=Vercillo |first4=F. |last5=Anile |first5=S. |last6=Ragni |first6=B. |last7=Lapini |first7=L. |last8=Sforzi |first8=A. |last9=Alves |first9=P. C. |last10=Lyons |first10=L. A. |last11=Randi |first11=E. |bibcode=2013EcoEv...3.2443M |hdl=10447/600656 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

{{main|African wildcat#Distribution and habitat|Asiatic wildcat#Distribution and habitat}}
The African wildcat lives in a wide range of habitats except [rainforest](/source/rainforest), but throughout the [savannah](/source/savannah)s of Africa from [Mauritania](/source/Mauritania) on the [Atlantic](/source/Atlantic) coast eastward to the [Horn of Africa](/source/Horn_of_Africa) up to altitudes of {{convert|3000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Small populations live in the [Sahara](/source/Sahara) and [Nubian Desert](/source/Nubian_Desert)s, [Karoo](/source/Karoo) region, [Kalahari](/source/Kalahari) and [Namib Desert](/source/Namib_Desert)s.<ref name=Nowell1996>{{cite book |last1=Nowell |first1=K. |last2=Jackson |first2=P. |year=1996 |title=Wild Cats: status survey and conservation action plan |location=Gland, Switzerland |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |chapter=African Wildcat ''Felis silvestris, lybica group'' (Forster, 1770) |pages=32−35 |chapter-url=http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/libyca01.htm |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180912/http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/libyca01.htm |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> It occurs around the [Arabian Peninsula](/source/Arabian_Peninsula)'s periphery to the Caspian Sea, encompassing [Mesopotamia](/source/Mesopotamia), [Israel](/source/Israel) and [Palestine region](/source/Palestine_(region)). In Central Asia, it ranges into [Xinjiang](/source/Xinjiang) and southern [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia), and in [South Asia](/source/South_Asia) into the [Thar Desert](/source/Thar_Desert) and arid regions in [India](/source/India).<ref name=iucn/>

==Behaviour and ecology==
Both wildcat species are largely [nocturnal](/source/Nocturnal_animal) and [solitary](/source/Solitary_(animals)), except during the breeding period and when females have young. The size of [home range](/source/home_range)s of females and males varies according to terrain, the availability of food, habitat quality and the age structure of the population. Male and female home ranges overlap, though core areas within [territories](/source/Territory_(animal)) are avoided by other cats. Females tend to be more [sedentary](/source/sedentary) than males, as they require an exclusive hunting area when raising kittens. Wildcats usually spend the day in a hollow tree, a rock crevice or in dense thickets.<ref name=Guggisberg1975>{{cite book |last=Guggisberg |first=C. A. W. |chapter=African Wildcat ''Felis silvestris lybica'' (Forster, 1780) |title=Wild Cats of the World |year=1975 |publisher=Taplinger Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8008-8324-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00gugg/page/32 32–35] |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00gugg |url=https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00gugg/page/32 }}</ref><ref name="wcow">{{cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |year=2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |location=Chicago |publisher=The University of Chicago Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00sunq/page/85 85–91] |chapter=European wildcat ''Felis silvestris silvestris'' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA85 |isbn=0-226-77999-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00sunq/page/85 }}</ref>
It is also reported to shelter in abandoned [burrow](/source/burrow)s of other species such as of [red fox](/source/red_fox) (''Vulpes vulpes'') and in [European badger](/source/European_badger) (''Meles meles'') [sett](/source/sett)s in Europe,<ref name="h433">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=433–434}}</ref> and of [fennec](/source/fennec_fox) (''Vulpes zerda'') in Africa.<ref name=Rosevear74/>

When threatened, it retreats into a burrow, rather than climb trees. When taking residence in a tree hollow, it selects one low to the ground. Dens in rocks or burrows are lined with dry grasses and bird [feather](/source/feather)s. Dens in tree hollows usually contain enough sawdust to make lining unnecessary. If the den becomes infested with [flea](/source/flea)s, the wildcat shifts to another den. During winter, when snowfall prevents the European wildcat from travelling long distances, it remains within its den until travel conditions improve.<ref name="h433" />

Territorial marking consists of [spraying urine](/source/Urine_marking) on trees, vegetation and rocks, depositing faeces in conspicuous places, and leaving scent marks through glands in its paws. It also leaves visual marks by scratching trees.<ref name="y403">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|p=403}}</ref>

===Hunting and prey===
{{multiple image | header=Paintings of wildcats |direction=vertical
 |image1=Lydekker cat fawn.png |caption1=European wildcat killing a deer fawn, by [Lydekker](/source/Richard_Lydekker)'s ''Wild Life of the World'' (1916)
 |image2=WildcatThorburn1902.jpg |caption2=Scottish wildcat with [black grouse](/source/black_grouse) carcass, by [Archibald Thorburn](/source/Archibald_Thorburn) (1902)
 |image3=Felis ornata.jpg |caption3=Asian wildcat hunting monitor lizard, by [Daniel Giraud Elliot](/source/Daniel_Giraud_Elliot) (1883)
}}

[Sight](/source/Visual_perception) and [hearing](/source/hearing_(sense)) are the wildcat's primary senses when hunting.
It lies in wait for prey, then catches it by executing a few leaps, which can span three metres. When hunting near water courses, it waits on trees overhanging the water. It kills small prey by grabbing it in its claws, and piercing the neck or [occiput](/source/occiput) with its fangs. When attacking large prey, it leaps upon the animal's back, and attempts to bite the neck or [carotid](/source/carotid). It does not persist in attacking if prey manages to escape.<ref name="h432">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=432}}</ref>

The European wildcat primarily preys on small mammals such as [European rabbit](/source/European_rabbit) (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') and [rodent](/source/rodent)s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lozano |first1=J. |last2=Moleón |first2=M. |last3=Virgós |first3=E. |year=2006 |title=Biogeographical patterns in the diet of the wildcat, ''Felis silvestris'' Schreber, in Eurasia: factors affecting the trophic diversity |journal=Journal of Biogeography |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=1076−1085 |doi= 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01474.x|bibcode=2006JBiog..33.1076L |s2cid=3096866 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9788/e83e2d6e6de5a49fa572a33fc2d2830a46a9.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219015552/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9788/e83e2d6e6de5a49fa572a33fc2d2830a46a9.pdf |archive-date=2019-02-19 }}</ref>
It also preys on [dormice](/source/dormouse), [hare](/source/hare)s, [nutria](/source/nutria) (''Myocastor coypus'') and [bird](/source/bird)s, especially [duck](/source/duck)s and other [waterfowl](/source/waterfowl), [galliformes](/source/galliformes), [pigeon](/source/pigeon)s and [passerines](/source/passerines).<ref name="h429">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=429–431}}</ref> It can consume large [bone](/source/bone) fragments.<ref name="t50">{{Harvnb|Tomkies|2008|pp=50}}</ref> Although it kills [insectivore](/source/insectivore)s such as [moles](/source/mole_(animal)) and [shrew](/source/shrew)s, it rarely eats them.<ref name="h429" /> When living close to human settlements, it preys on [poultry](/source/poultry).<ref name="h429" /> In the wild, it consumes up to {{convert|600|g|abbr=on}} of food daily.<ref name="h480">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=480}}</ref>

The African wildcat preys foremost on [murids](/source/Muridae), to a lesser extent also on birds, small reptiles and [invertebrate](/source/invertebrate)s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Herbst |first1=M. |last2=Mills |first2=M. G. L. |year=2010 |title=The feeding habits of the Southern African wildcat, a facultative trophic specialist, in the southern Kalahari (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa/Botswana) |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=280 |issue=4 |pages=403−413 |doi= 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00679.x|hdl=2263/16378 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

===Reproduction and development===
[[File:Scottish wildcat & kitten.jpg|thumb|Scottish wildcat with kitten, [British Wildlife Centre](/source/British_Wildlife_Centre), Surrey]]
The wildcat has two [estrus](/source/estrus) periods, one in December–February and another in May–July.<ref name="h434-437">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=434–437}}</ref> Estrus lasts 5–9 days, with a [gestation period](/source/gestation_period) lasting 60–68 days.<ref name="y404">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|p=404}}</ref> [Ovulation](/source/Ovulation) is [induced through copulation](/source/induced_ovulation_(animals)). [Spermatogenesis](/source/Spermatogenesis) occurs throughout the year. During the [mating season](/source/mating_season), males fight viciously,<ref name="h434-437" /> and may congregate around a single female. There are records of male and female wildcats becoming temporarily monogamous. Kittens are usually born between April and May, and up to August. Litter size ranges from 1–7 kittens.<ref name="y404" />

Kittens are born with closed eyes and are covered in a fuzzy coat.<ref name="h434-437" /> They weigh {{convert|65|-|163|g|abbr=on}} at birth, and kittens under {{convert|90|g|abbr=on}} usually do not survive. They are born with pink paw pads, which blacken at the age of three months, and blue eyes, which turn amber after five months.<ref name="y404" /> Their eyes open after 9–12 days, and their [incisor](/source/incisor)s erupt after 14–30 days. The kittens' [milk teeth](/source/milk_teeth) are replaced by their [permanent dentition](/source/permanent_dentition) at the age of 160–240 days. The kittens start hunting with their mother at the age of 60 days, and start moving independently after 140–150 days. [Lactation](/source/Lactation) lasts 3–4 months, though the kittens eat meat as early as 1.5 months of age. [Sexual maturity](/source/Sexual_maturity) is attained at the age of 300 days.<ref name="h434-437" /> Similarly to the domestic cat, the physical development of African wildcat kittens over the first two weeks of their lives is much faster than that of European wildcats.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hemmer |first=H.  |title=Domestication: the decline of environmental appreciation |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-521-34178-3 |chapter=The origins of domestic animals |pages=35−80 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTZRRwjwP3AC&pg=PA47}}</ref> The kittens are largely fully grown by 10 months, though skeletal growth continues for over 18–19 months. The family dissolves after roughly five months, and the kittens disperse to establish their own territories.<ref name="y404" /> Their [maximum life span](/source/maximum_life_span) is 21 years, though they usually live up to 13–14 years.<ref name="h434-437" />

[Generation length](/source/Generation_time) of the wildcat is about eight years.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Generation length for mammals |last1=Pacifici |first1=M. |last2=Santini |first2= L. |last3=Di Marco |first3=M. |last4=Baisero |first4=D. |last5=Francucci |first5=L. |last6=Grottolo Marasini |first6=G. |last7=Visconti |first7=P. |last8=Rondinini |first8=C. |journal=Nature Conservation |year=2013 |issue=5 |pages=87–94}}</ref>

===Predators and competitors===
Because of its habit of living in areas with rocks and tall trees for refuge, dense thickets and abandoned burrows, wildcats have few natural predators. In Central Europe, many kittens are killed by [European pine marten](/source/European_pine_marten) (''Martes martes''), and there is at least one account of an adult wildcat being killed and eaten. Competitors include the [golden jackal](/source/golden_jackal) (''Canis aureus''), red fox, marten, and other predators.<ref name="h438">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=438}}</ref> In the steppe regions of Europe and Asia, village dogs constitute serious enemies of wildcats, along with the much larger [Eurasian lynx](/source/Eurasian_lynx), one of the rare habitual predators of healthy adult wildcats. In Tajikistan, the [grey wolf](/source/grey_wolf) (''Canis lupus'') is the most serious competitor, having been observed to destroy cat burrows. [Birds of prey](/source/Birds_of_prey), including [Eurasian eagle-owl](/source/Eurasian_eagle-owl) (''Bubo bubo'') and [saker falcon](/source/saker_falcon) (''Falco cherrug''), have been recorded to kill wildcat kittens.<ref name="h491">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=491–493}}</ref> [Golden eagle](/source/Golden_eagle) (''Aquila chrysaetos'') are known to hunt both adults and kittens.<ref>Hunter, Luke. Field guide to carnivores of the world. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.</ref> [Seton Gordon](/source/Seton_Gordon) recorded an instance where a wildcat fought a golden eagle, resulting in the deaths of both combatants.<ref>{{cite book |author=Watson, J. |year=2010 |title=The Golden Eagle |location=London |publisher=T & AD Poyser |isbn=978-1-4081-3455-9 |edition=Second |pages=291−307 |chapter=Mortality |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aj5MNvCkun0C&pg=PA306}}</ref>
In Africa, wildcats are occasionally killed and eaten by [Central African rock python](/source/Central_African_rock_python) (''Python sebae'')<ref name="king316">{{Harvnb|Kingdon|1988|pp=316}}</ref> and [martial eagle](/source/martial_eagle) (''Polemaetus bellicosus'').<ref>Hatfield, Richard Stratton. "Diet and space use of the martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya." (2018).</ref>

== Threats ==
[[File:Catintrap.png|thumb|European wildcat caught in jaw trap, as illustrated in ''[Brehms Tierleben](/source/Brehms_Tierleben)'']]

Wildcat populations are foremost threatened by hybridization with the domestic cat.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=Yama2004/> Due to their greater physical similarity, hybridization produces less visible effects in steppe type wildcats. In the Middle East, North Africa, and southwest Asia, it can thus be difficult to reliably distinguish steppe wildcats and free-living domestic cats living in the same dry environments, and it is possible that some populations derive primarily from early feral cats.<ref name=Yama2004/>

Mortality due to traffic accidents is a threat especially in Europe.<ref name=iucn/> The wildcat population in Scotland has declined since the turn of the 20th century due to [habitat loss](/source/habitat_loss) and persecution by landowners.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. W. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=N. |last3=Kitchener |first3=A. C. |last4=Daniels |first4=M. |last5=Kilshaw |first5=K. |last6=Driscoll |first6=C. |year=2010 |title=The Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=471–492 |chapter=Reversing cryptic extinction: the history, present and future of the Scottish Wildcat |editor1-last=Macdonald, D. W. |editor2-last=Loveridge, A. J. |isbn=978-0-19-923444-8 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/download/43471624/The_Scottish_wildcat_On_the_way_to_crypt20160307-646-1o03cnv.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In the [former Soviet Union](/source/former_Soviet_Union), wildcats were caught accidentally in traps set for European pine marten. In modern times, they are caught in unbaited traps on pathways or at abandoned trails of red fox, European badger, European hare or pheasant. One method of catching wildcats consists of using a modified muskrat trap with a spring placed in a concealed pit. A scent trail of pheasant viscera leads the cat to the pit. Wildcat skins were of little commercial value and sometimes converted into imitation [seal](/source/Pinniped)skin; the fur usually fetched between 50 and 60 [kopeck](/source/kopeck)s.<ref name="h440">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=440–441 & 496–498}}</ref>
Wildcat skins were almost solely used for making cheap [scarf](/source/scarf)s, [muffs](/source/muff_(handwarmer)) and coats for ladies.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bachrach |first1=M. |year=1953 |title=Fur, a practical treatise |location=New York |publisher=Prentice-Hall Incorporated |pages=188–189 |edition=Third |chapter=Cat family − Lynx Cat and Wild Cat }}</ref>

== Conservation ==
Wildcat species are protected in most range countries and listed in [CITES Appendix II](/source/CITES_Appendix_II). The European wildcat is also listed in Appendix II of the [Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats](/source/Berne_Convention_on_the_Conservation_of_European_Wildlife_and_Natural_Habitats) and in the [European Union](/source/European_Union)'s [Habitats and Species Directive](/source/Habitats_Directive).<ref name=iucn />
Conservation Action Plans have been developed in Germany and Scotland.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vogel |first1=B. |last2=Mölich |first2=T. |last3=Klar |first3=N. |year=2009 |title=Der Wildkatzenwegeplan – Ein strategisches Instrument des Naturschutzes |trans-title=The Wildcat Infrastructure Plan – a strategic instrument of nature conservation |journal=Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung |volume=41 |issue=11 |pages=333–340 |url=http://wildkatzet3.bund.net/fileadmin/bilder/weiterfuehrendes/NuL11-09_333-340-Vogel_Moelich_Klar.pdf |access-date=2019-02-03 |archive-date=2019-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129181853/http://wildkatzet3.bund.net/fileadmin/bilder/weiterfuehrendes/NuL11-09_333-340-Vogel_Moelich_Klar.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |author=Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group |year=2013 |title=Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan |publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage |location=Edinburgh |url=https://www.nature.scot/scottish-wildcat-conservation-action-plan |access-date=2019-02-03 |archive-date=2020-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731022434/https://www.nature.scot/scottish-wildcat-conservation-action-plan }}</ref>

==In culture==
===Domestication===
{{main|Cat#Domestication|Evolution of the domesticated cat}}
An African wildcat skeleton [excavated](/source/Excavation_(archaeology)) in a 9,500-year-old Neolithic grave in Cyprus is the earliest known indication for a close relationship between a human and a possibly tamed cat.  As no cat species is native to Cyprus, this discovery indicates that Neolithic farmers may have brought cats to Cyprus from the Near East.<ref name=Vigne2004>{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1=J. D. |last2=Guilaine |first2=J. |last3=Debue |first3=K. |last4=Haye |first4=L. |last5=Gérard |first5=P. |date=2004 |title=Early taming of the cat in Cyprus |journal=Science |volume=304 |issue=5668 |page=259 |doi=10.1126/science.1095335|pmid=15073370|s2cid=28294367 }}</ref> Results of [genetics](/source/genetics) and [morphological](/source/morphology_(biology)) research corroborated that the African wildcat is the ancestor of the domestic cat. The first individuals were probably domesticated in the [Fertile Crescent](/source/Fertile_Crescent) around the time of the introduction of agriculture.<ref name="CA-Driscoll"/><ref name="brock"/><ref name="h452-455"/> [Mural](/source/Mural)s and statuettes depicting cats as well as [mummified](/source/Mummification_in_Ancient_Egypt) cats indicate that it was commonly kept by ancient Egyptians since at least the [Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt](/source/Twelfth_Dynasty_of_Egypt).<ref name=Baldwin/>

===In mythology===
Celtic fables of the [Cat Sìth](/source/Cat_S%C3%ACth), a fairy creature described as resembling a large white-chested black cat, are thought to have been inspired by the [Kellas cat](/source/Kellas_cat), itself thought to be a free-ranging crossbreed between a European wildcat and a domestic cat.<ref name="k2" /> In 1693, [William Salmon](/source/William_Salmon) mentioned how body parts of the wildcat were used for medicinal purposes; its flesh for treating [gout](/source/gout), its [fat](/source/fat) for dissolving [tumour](/source/tumour)s and easing pain, its blood for curing "[falling sickness](/source/Epilepsy)", and its excrement for treating [baldness](/source/baldness).<ref name="ha17">{{Harvnb|Hamilton|1896|pp=17–18}}</ref>

===In heraldry===
[[File:Clan member crest badge - Clan Sutherland.svg|thumb|Crest of [Clan Sutherland](/source/Clan_Sutherland)]]
The [Picts](/source/Picts) venerated wildcats, having probably named [Caithness](/source/Caithness) (Land of the Cats) after them. According to the [foundation myth](/source/foundation_myth) of the Catti tribe, their ancestors were attacked by wildcats upon landing in Scotland. Their ferocity impressed the Catti so much, that the wildcat became their symbol. The progenitors of [Clan Sutherland](/source/Clan_Sutherland) use the wildcat as symbol on their family crest. The clan's chief bears the title ''Morair Chat'' (Great Man of the Cats).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Vinycomb |first1=J. |year=1906 |title=Fictitious & symbolic creatures in art, with special reference to their use in British heraldry |location=London |publisher=Chapman and Hall Limited |pages=205−208 |chapter=Cat-a-Mountain − Tiger Cat or Wild Cat |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/fictitioussymbol00vinyiala/page/204}}</ref>
The wildcat is considered an [icon](/source/Cultural_icon) of Scottish wilderness, and has been used in clan heraldry since the 13th century. The [Clan Chattan](/source/Clan_Chattan) Association (also known as the Clan of Cats) comprises 12 clans, the majority of which display the wildcat on their badges.<ref name="k2">{{Harvnb|Kilshaw|2011|pp=2–3}}</ref>

===In literature===
{{Expand section|date=November 2025}}

[Shakespeare](/source/Shakespeare) referenced the wildcat three times:<ref name="ha17"/>

{{blockquote|
:The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder
:Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
:More than the '''wild cat'''.
|''[The Merchant of Venice](/source/The_Merchant_of_Venice)'' Act 2 Scene 5 lines 47–49}}

{{blockquote|
:Thou must be married to no man but me;
:For I am he, am born to tame you, Kate;
:And bring you from a '''wild cat''' to a Kate
:Comfortable, as other household Kates.
|''[The Taming of the Shrew](/source/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew)'' Act 2 Scene 1 lines 265–268}}

{{blockquote|
:Thrice the '''brinded cat''' hath mew'd.
|''[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth)'' Act 4 Scene 1 line 1}}

{{Blockquote|
:Like the poor '''cat''' i'th' adage?
|[Lady Macbeth](/source/Lady_Macbeth)'s Monologue from of ''Macbeth'' Act 1, Scene 7}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources==
* {{Cite book |last=Hamilton |first=E. |url=https://archive.org/details/wildcateuropefe00hamigoog |title=The wild cat of Europe (''Felis catus'') |publisher=R. H. Porter |year=1896 |location=London }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Harris |first1=S. |last2=Yalden |first2=D. W. |title=Mammals of the British Isles |location=Southampton |publisher=Mammal Society |edition=4th Revised |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-906282-65-6 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Heptner |first1=V. G. |last2=Sludskii |first2=A. A. |orig-date=1972 |year=1992 |title=Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola |trans-title=Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume II, Part 2 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation |location=Washington DC |chapter=Wildcat |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov221992gept#page/398/mode/2up |pages=398–498 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kilshaw |first=K. |date=2011 |title=Scottish Wildcats: Naturally Scottish |location=Perth, Scotland |publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage |isbn=978-1-85397-683-4 |url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/naturallyscottish/wildcats.pdf |access-date=9 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630170517/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/naturallyscottish/wildcats.pdf |archive-date=30 June 2017}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kingdon |first=J. |title=East African mammals: an atlas of evolution in Africa. Volume 3, Part 1 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1988 |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-226-43721-7 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Tomkies |first=M. |title=Wildcat Haven |publisher=Whittles Publishing |location=Dunbeath |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84995-312-2 }}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Kurtén |first=B. |title=Pleistocene mammals of Europe |publisher=Aldine Transaction |year=1968 |location=New Brunswick and London |isbn=978-1-4128-4514-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OsPBXSNL8ZkC&pg=PP1}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Osborn |first1=D. J. |last2=Helmy |first2=I. |title=The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai) |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |location=Chicago |year=1980 |chapter=''Felis sylvestris'' Schreber, 1777 |pages=440−444 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryland05osbo/page/440}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Felis silvestris}}
{{Wiktionary|wildcat}}
{{Wikispecies|Felis silvestris}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=101 |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |title=European Wildcat |access-date=2014-12-15 |archive-date=2018-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619163300/http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=101 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=112 |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |title=African Wildcat |access-date=2014-12-15 |archive-date=2018-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030205846/http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=112 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=102 |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |title=Asiatic Wildcat |access-date=2014-12-15 |archive-date=2020-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719011950/http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=102 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.grid.unep.ch/bsein/redbook/txt/felis.htm?%20MAMMALIA |publisher=UNEP Global Resource Information Database |title=''Felis silvestris'' Schreber, 1777}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.arkive.org/wildcat/felis-silvestris/photos.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407053053/http://www.arkive.org/wildcat/felis-silvestris/photos.html |archive-date=7 April 2012 |publisher=ARKive |title=Wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') images |access-date=7 April 2011}}
* {{cite web |url=http://zsienvis.nic.in/endb/end_mam/felis_silvestris.htm |publisher=Envis Centre of Faunal diversity |title=''Felis silvestris'' (Schreber) |access-date=2011-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426001834/http://zsienvis.nic.in/endb/end_mam/felis_silvestris.htm |archive-date=2012-04-26 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://digimorph.org/specimens/Felis_sylvestris_lybica/female/ |publisher=Digimorph.org |title=''Felis silvestris lybica'', African Wildcat: 3D computed tomographic (CT) animations of male and female African wildcat skulls}}
* '''Scottish wildcat'''
** {{cite web |url=http://www.scottishwildcats.co.uk/ |publisher=Save the Scottish Wildcat |title=Information and education website on the Scottish wildcat and conservation efforts |access-date=2008-02-02 |archive-date=2012-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917073509/http://www.scottishwildcats.co.uk/ }}
** {{cite web |url=http://www.wildcathaven.co.uk/ |publisher=Wildcat Haven |title=Conserving the Scottish wildcat in the West Highlands |access-date=2010-09-20 |archive-date=2015-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821141203/http://www.wildcathaven.co.uk/ }}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Portal bar|Cats|Mammals|Animals|Biology}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q43576}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Felis
Category:Mammals described in 1777
Category:Mammals of Africa
Category:Mammals of Asia
Category:Mammals of Europe
Category:Mammals of Azerbaijan
Category:Mammals of Pakistan
Category:Mammals of the Middle East
Category:Mammals of Uganda
Category:Wildcats

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wildcat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.