See this big ball of fluff? It’s a Pallas cat! They’re native to central Asia and can be found in western China. These mini wildcats are adapted to cold, arid environments and live in high-altitude steppes, alpine deserts, and rocky lands. They make their homes in caves or crevices dug by other animals.
Pika, tiny rabbit-like creatures, are their main source of food. In addition, they eat insects, small rodents, and birds. Since their rounded body makes them a poor runner, they lie in wait outside of dens to ambush their prey, using surrounding vegetation and rocks as cover. They have also been seen “fishing” for their prey in shallow crevices!
Pallas cats weigh around 5-9 lbs and have extremely thick fur suited to their cold climate. Their tails are especially bushy. When approached by predators, they hide in crevices. They are solitary hunters and will often mark around 2 to 3 miles of territory for themselves.
Unfortunately, the hunting of Pallas cats for their fur and the poisoning of pikas has led to a drastic drop in their population. The species is listed as “Endangered” by the IUCN. According to the International Species Information Service, there are only 117 of these cats worldwide, with 48 held in captivity in the United States.
Here’s a video of a cute Pallas cat checking out a camera!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIXw-3H48yU
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/2014/08/pallas-cat-facts/
https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/eurasia/pallas-cat/
Amazing article! I haven’t heard about this wildcat ever before. They look so cute and fluffy. I can’t believe how much territory they mark for themselves (2-3 miles). How is that possible for such a small animal? Its so sad that they are endangered. We should try to help their species grow. I love how they use their body for many purposes in their everyday lives
I had no clue a Pallas cat was a thing before I read this article and saw this picture. How come their fur is all fluffed up? Who knew a cat would feast mostly on rabbit like creatures. I’ve never seen a cat like this!
These Pallas cats are so cute! I am more of a dog lover over cats but after this article and pictures, I’m not so sure anymore! A very enjoyable read on an unique topic! Thank you for this interesting and informative article Joanne!
Cute article!! I saw a post about Pallas cats on tumblr but I never knew anything about them besides how floofy they are! I hope they don’t become any more endangered. Pikas sounds adorable as well! I hope humans find away to replenish these populations.
Cute article!! I saw a post about Pallas cats on tumblr but I never knew anything about them besides how floofy they are! I hope they don’t become any more endangered. Pikas sounds adorable as well! I hope humans find away to replenish these populations.
Great article! I have never heard of this cat before and I am surprised that it is native to central Asia. The Pallas cat is so cute and it is sad that they are endangered. I think it is interesting that the Pallas cat can mark their territory.
I never have seen a cat that is was that fat. The Pallas cat is so cute and it is sad that they are endangered. I think it is interesting that the Pallas cat can mark their territory.
Nice article! This Pallas cat is so cool. I never knew that they are native to central Asia and can be found in western China. It’s so interesting how these mini wildcats are adapted to cold, arid environments and live in high-altitude steppes, alpine deserts, and rocky lands.
It’s so unforntunarte regarding the hunting of Pallas cats for their fur and the poisoning of pikas has led to a drastic drop in their population.
Interesting article! I’ve never heard of these animals before. They seem very cute, and it’s interesting how they are adapted to cold, arid climates. It’s also interesting how they ambush their prey rather than chase it because their round bodies make them poor runners. It’s unfortunate that they are endangered, and I hope the condition of their species improves.
This cat is so chubby and fat! This article was very informative and taught me a lot about these types of cats. This is an interesting article. Thank you for writing!
This is a very interesting article! I have never heard about Pallas cats before. This is my first time seeing a cat like this. I learned so much from reading your article. Thank you for writing this!
This is such a cool article! I have never heard of the Pallas cats but they look so cute. Their abstract fur is pretty. It is so sad to know that these cute furballs are endangered. Animals shouldn’t be killed for their features. Thank you for sharing.
Cool Joanne! I have never heard of the Pallas cats but they look so cute. This cat is so chubby and fat! It is cool to see they are resourceful enough to ambush thier prey given their poor physique.It’s so unfortunate regarding the hunting of Pallas cats for their fur and the poisoning of pikas has led to a drastic drop in their population. I hope humans find away to replenish these populations.
Wow! These cats are so cool, especially how thick and fluffy their fur is. Although it is very cute, the fact that they need it to survive the cold winters, is quite astonishing. I also enjoyed the picture you included. They definitely look different than the ones I see!
these cats are so so so so adorable! i love the information provided in the article about how they hunt and where they live. its so unfortunate that they are being poached for their fur. i hope their species will be protected and preserved. amazing article!
Wonderful article! I’m not the biggest fan of cats myself, but they are adorable! I have never seen anything like them! It’s so sad that their population is endangered. They need to be protected. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite animal is a cat, I especially love chubby and fluffy cats. My favorite breed is a Scotland fold but this cat is as adorable as the fold. I would love to have this kitten in my home. It is really sad seeing people kill animals for their fur. The reason why animals are going extinct is because people are killing them for profit.
I have never heard or seen these types of cats before; thank you for sharing! It so interesting to learn about different animals and the adaptations they have to be best suited for their environments. My first guess would be that they would live in trees when I saw the title. Then I saw the picture and realized that there is no way that these cats are as a nimble as the house cats we have in America. Overall, it’s so sad to see another animal on the endangered species list. I’m all for supporting different groups that help these animals and maybe we can restore their population like just like what China is doing to help the Giant Panda.
Joanne, I want to own one of these cats. The idea of one of these big furry cats using camouflage to catch prey is quite ironic. I can’t believe that it is critically endangered due to Pika poisoning and due to hunters. Isn’t it poetic that the cat’s fur, their only source of warmth in a cold climate, is also their undoing since hunters kill the cats for their fur? It is also too cute that the cats are territorial and solitary. The videos were amazing! They should have a Sci Oly event solely dedicated to these cats! Purrfect article!
These pallas cats are adorable! I never knew that there were wild animals in Asia and China. I am surprised that such cute creatures could eat other animals like rodents and small birds! I wonder what other wild animals inhabit China. I hope that thedailychina could write more articles on cute animals!
Wow what an interesting article. These cats look really cool. It’s sad to read that they are endangered. I also never would’ve thought that their main food source are insects. Thank you for sharing.
Cool article Joanne! I can’t believe that Pallas cats have so many adaptations to their living environment. They have the bability to survive the cold and arid environments , which I believe that many animals may fail to live in . It’s sad to see how hunting has lead that a decrease of this species. I also can’t believe how how the current population is 117. The government must do something to help save this species. Thanks for sharing!
Great article! I have never heard of these cats before, but they look so adorable. It’s so cool to see that these cats are adapted to the cold weather. It’s so devastating to hear that they are poached for their fur. Thanks for sharing!
These Pallas cats are so cute! I am more of a dog lover over cats but after this article and pictures, I’m not so sure anymore! A very enjoyable read on an unique topic! Thank you for this interesting and informative article Joanne!
The picture on the top looks like a cat/panda hybrid. This animal does not look like it can survive on its own in the wild. The cat was so cute in the video. The picture you included on the top really helped pull my attention to this article. Thanks for posting.
Great article, Joanne! These cats are so cute. I have never heard of these cats before. It is very interesting to see that these cats are adapted to the cold weather. It is sad to see that these cats are being hunted for their fur and the poisoning from pikas has led to a severe decline in the population.
This was such an interesting article. I am not a fan of cats but these look so cute. When looking at them their fur catches my eyes. It’s sad that they are endangered for it. They look like they weigh so much but they only weigh 5-9lbs. Awesome article.
I really liked this article because my friend usually leaves their cat with me. The cats are very fluffy, and they look very cute and fat. Its very sad that these creatures are being hunted and poisoned. I feel that people should start to change the way that they treat the environment. It would be a shame to see the extinction of this animal and many others.
This is such a well written article! I have never even heard of this type of cats before. To be honest I don’t really like cats but this is still an amazing article. The picture you included really sparked my attention to this article! Great Job!
They are so cute! I’ve always loved pets, especially cats. When I read that they are endangered due to hunting and poising, I was very disappointed in humanity. Hopefully they’ll become more relevant so one day I could see one in real life! Thanks for sharing.
These cats are so adorable! I’ve never even heard of these cats before but I’m so glad that I read your article! The cats look so grouchy and that just makes them even more endearing. They’re kind of heavy as they weight 5-9 pounds, but they do look their weight. It’s extremely sad that they are being hunted for their fur, and their population numbers are extremely low (117). There should be heavier laws to protect these Pallas Cats!
Pallas Cats are so so so so adorable! I never knew these species existed, but i’m so glad that read this article because these cats are so fluffy and cute. its kind of hard to believe that they can hide from predators because they look so chubby. its so sad how the pallas cats are being hunted and are now endangered. keep up the great work!
How have I not heard of these Pallas Cats until now? They’re so fluffy and cute they’d bound to be online somewhere. But most importantly, they’re endangered. I hope we learn to protect these animals, as there are only 117 in the world. Thanks for sharing!
Nice article! This Pallas cat is so cool. I never knew that they are native to central Asia and can be found in western China. It’s so interesting how these mini wildcats are adapted to cold, arid environments and live in high-altitude steppes, alpine deserts, and rocky lands. It’s so unforntunarte regarding the hunting of Pallas cats for their fur and the poisoning of pikas has led to a drastic drop in their population.
These cats are so adorable! I’ve never even heard of these cats before but I’m so glad that I read your article! The cats look so grouchy and that just makes them even more endearing. They’re kind of heavy as they weight 5-9 pounds, but they do look their weight. It’s extremely sad that they are being hunted for their fur, and their population numbers are extremely low (117). There should be heavier laws to protect these Pallas Cats!
These cats are so adorable and strong.I’ve never even heard of these cats before but I’m so glad that I read your article! The cats look so grouchy and that just makes them even more endearing. They’re kind of heavy as they weight 5-9 pounds, but they do look their weight. It’s extremely sad that they are being hunted for their fur, and their population numbers are extremely low (117). There should be heavier laws to protect these Pallas Cats! As I asked the people in my class to look they said that the cat looked scary but is really fluffy
These cats are really cute. I want a cat but I can not get one because my mom is allergic to cats. These cats look really unique and different compared to the cats people have in America. I think these cats are more cute and more fluffy than the cats in America. I really like the color of these cats.
I like how informative this article was. I now want a Pallas Cat as a pet. Now I know that they were native to Central Asia. I am sad that they are being hunted for fur. I think we should preserve them and let them live.