Rusty cat (spotted red) - breed description

Among the cat family, the appearance of a rusty cat is distinguished by the most pronounced miniature. The animal is characterized by obvious elusiveness, which makes it stand out among other members of the cat family. The predator is covered with motley hair, in connection with which it is given another name that sounds like a spotted-red cat.

In what environment does it live?

The habitat of this animal is the eastern and southern parts of India. You can meet her in Sri Lanka. Prefers to be where the rocks and dense vegetation are located. She is a regular in lowland and mountain rainforests, walks among deciduous trees, meadows, shrubs. This is a typical habitat of this animal. Often it can be found near a person’s dwelling.

This species has a small population. Its value is not more than ten thousand representatives with a pronounced tendency to a constant decrease. This is negatively affected by activities related to deforestation, poaching and threats from larger predators. The population of some states of India uses cat meat in their diet. The small population and the threat of its complete extinction served as the reason for determining its place in the Red Book.

Exterior shape

Appearance is associated with the presence of the following symptoms:

1. The animals differ in small sizes, which are no more than 35-50 cm. And this is without taking into account the tail, the length of which, in turn, is 14-30 cm.
2. In the adult state, the weight is from 0.9 to 1.6 kg.
3. The cat has a harmonious proportional body.
4. The head is flattened with an elongated muzzle.
5. The pupils of the yellow-green large eyes are vertical.
6. The muzzle is equipped with a long elastic mustache with white color.
7. The head is crowned with middle ears with rounded ends.
8. The body ends with a fluffy tail with a cylindrical shape.
9. If you pet such a cat, there is a pronounced softness of its coat. It is gray or light brown in color, but the belly is white. The sides are characterized by the presence of rusty marks. The skin is spotty, but the spots are less pronounced than that of a Bengal cat. The spots are also located with a pronounced concentration along the vertebral line. The chest, stomach, and tail are marked by the presence of larger transverse spots. The muzzle is characterized by the location of dark and light stripes.

Subtype Characterization

In nature, there are two subspecies of this animal:

1. Prionailurus rubiginosus phillipsi. The habitat is Sri Lanka. The color is characterized by a rich ocher shade with the presence of a fuzzy pattern.
2. Prionailurus rubiginosus rubiginosus. Distribution area is India. By color, these animals are gray, with clear stripes, the location of which is the shoulders and head. The remaining parts of the body are characterized by the presence of a less pronounced pattern.

Way of life

The whole life of an animal is connected with loneliness. The only exceptions are mating. During the day, the animal is forced to provide protection for itself, hiding in the hollow of a tree or sitting under its dense crown. So she has a day. At night, the cat is forced to hunt in order to provide itself with food. But even so, she tries to be close to the trees, because in case of impending danger she can easily climb them. In the natural environment, enemies are large predators, dogs and humans.

Such cats are prone to label their territory.It ranges from 15 to 18 square kilometers. The cat zealously guards the limits of its territory and is always ready to join the fight for it. The animal is extremely careful. Emerging from shelter under a night cover, it is able to disguise itself perfectly in the conditions of the existing landscape interior. Having a small size, the animal has all the habits characteristic of a large predator. Ingoda she shows pronounced feelings of aggressiveness.

Mainly uses animal food for nutrition. Its diet includes small rodents, frogs, insects, birds, lizards. The cat ambushes and preys on it, taking a jump that is similar to lightning. In the hunt, her sharp fangs give her great help. Having captured the victim, she immediately eats it without a trace. Does not make any stocks. Sometimes she can climb into a chicken coop and drag a chicken or a whole young chicken. Naturally, such sorties, to put it mildly, are not welcomed by local farmers. For this reason, they themselves ambush cats, ruthlessly firing them off.

Breeding

Any season of the year can serve as a mating season, but most often this can be observed in the spring. The cat mates for five days. When ready for fertilization, the female lures the male. This is facilitated by a specific smell and characteristic sounds. The departure of males after them is accompanied by extreme emotionality. At the same time, males are emphasized gentle and gallant. The female, on the contrary, shows constant signs of discontent, tries to reject the gentleman. The moment when the female agrees, is preceded by long courtship. When pregnancy occurs, the couple breaks up.

When a cat is pregnant, she makes every effort to find a suitable den. Finding him, she carries out appropriate training, lining him with grass. Usually this place is represented by a hollow tree, the space of a small cave. For one litter, a cat brings from one to three kittens. Having been born after lambing, the kitten sees and does not hear anything. Moreover, its weight is not more than 80 g.

The period of feeding with breast milk can last up to three months. At this time, the cat never leaves kittens for long. Cubs grow very quickly. By the end of the second week, they begin to see. Kittens spend all day in games. At this time, the female intensively accustoms them to meat food. She also instills in them the basics of behavior in case of danger and teaches all feline hunting wisdom. By six months, kittens enter an independent life.

In the wild, a rusty cat lives up to 12 years.

Home conditions

The idea to make a wild rusty cat domestic came from the Indians. I must say that they did well. Possessing friendliness of character and playful disposition, kittens got used to the person well. If someone likes exotic breeds, then such a cat can be sold to them by licensed breeders.

Feeding

The daily diet of the animal should consist of meat and feed that are of high quality. It is mandatory to introduce vitamin and mineral supplements into food. Obligatory vaccination is required. They are carried out in accordance with the schedule that the veterinarian will establish.

Video: rusty cat