Quick Take
- This cat looks like a kitten, though the one in the video is nearly full-grown, and its adult size will genuinely surprise you. Watch the cat grow →
- Even one of the world's tiniest domesticated cat breeds outweighs this wild predator, and yet that adorable face hides a surprisingly fierce hunter. See size and weight →
- A 19th-century naturalist once raised one as a pet, and what it eventually started doing inside his home tells you everything about its wild instincts. Read the naturalist's account →
- Its large eyes aren't just for looking cute. They're an adaptation tied to a very specific lifestyle this cat leads in the wild. Discover the eye adaptation →
The rusty-spotted cat is the kind of animal that makes you do a double take. It looks like a tiny kitten, but the male featured in the BBC clip below is almost fully grown. Rusty-spotted cats are among the smallest wild cats on Earth, with adults weighing only a few pounds. Watch this one explore his forest home in Sri Lanka.
Watch the Tiny Cat Now
What Do Rusty-Spotted Cats Normally Look Like?
The scientific name for the rusty-spotted cat is Prionailurus rubiginosus. Unlike some of the small wild cats found in South America, this species is native to South Asia, with populations in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Adults generally measure about 35 to 48 centimeters, or roughly 14 to 19 inches, from head to body. Their tails add another 20 to 25 centimeters, or about 8 to 10 inches, and adults weigh around 1 to 2 kilograms, or 2.2 to 4.4 pounds. Even the Singapura, one of the smallest pedigreed domestic cat breeds, is generally heavier. The Cat Fanciers’ Association puts adult females at about 4 to 5 pounds and males at 6 to 7 pounds.
Their coat is short and soft, usually fawn-gray with a reddish tint. Rust-colored blotches run along the back and sides, while the legs and chest are marked with horizontal bars. The belly, chest, and throat are white with darker spots and bars. Rusty-spotted cats also have noticeably large eyes, which may be an adaptation for their mostly nocturnal lifestyle.
How Do Rusty-Spotted Cats Normally Behave?
Appearances can be deceiving – the super cute rusty-spotted cat is an accomplished predator.
©Felineus/Shutterstock.com
Rusty-spotted cats may be tiny, but they are capable little predators. Researchers still know relatively little about their behavior in the wild, but they are considered primarily nocturnal, active, agile, and excellent climbers. During the day, they may rest in hollow logs, trees, or dense vegetation. They are frequently seen in trees and have been observed pouncing from branches while hunting, although evidence suggests they probably do most of their hunting on the ground.
Their diet has not been studied in great detail, but reported prey includes small mammals such as rodents and birds. They also opportunistically hunt insects, lizards, frogs, and even bats, and they occasionally take domestic poultry. That last habit can bring them into conflict with people living near their habitat. Their tiny size certainly does not make them domestic cats, either. Nineteenth-century naturalist and zoologist Thomas C. Jerdon wrote about a rusty-spotted kitten brought to him in 1846 that became remarkably tame and playful. As it grew, it occasionally made its way into the rafters of bungalows to hunt squirrels. Cute enough to look like a house cat, perhaps, but still very much a wild predator.
