You might well know that Felis Chaus is the scientific name for the Jungle cat. And if you are involved in the cat fancy - the breeding and showing of purebred domestic cats - you will know that the wild cat hybrid (also see Wildcat Hybrid Cats) the Chausie, is a jungle cat/domestic (Abyssinian cat) cat mix. The jungle cat itself is also a popular "domesticated" cat in the USA as people search for breeders of this wild cat. In fact more people search for breeders of the jungle cat than do to learn about this cat. In other words people like the cat and are interested in it but don't really want to understand it. Please note: Unusually, I have headed this page by the jungle cats scientific name as it is a well known name and searched for more often that the common name. This current trend for the taming and domestication of felis chaus in the USA is not new. In ancient Egypt, Egyptians did it too and then mummified them. However, the more popular cat to domesticate in Egypt at that time was the African wildcat. DescriptionTo the casual eye, the jungle cat looks a bit like the Abyssinian cat (but less refined) and of course the Chausie. The Abyssinian cat is said to originate in Egypt or somewhere in and around the Indian Ocean, probably, in fact, from the east coast of India. Felis chaus also occupies Egypt so their is a geographic connection and might be an ancestral connection - the Abyssinian originating from the jungle cat, why not? We don't know.The size of felis chaus is similar to that of the domestic cat weighing from 3 to 10 kgs or about 7 to 22 lbs. It is a little larger and lankier, however. A size comparison chart with other felids can been seen here: Wild Cat Species by Size. The video above really does show how similar they are. The howl/bark you hear at the end is from a female jungle cat.  Felis chaus - photos by (top left and clockwise) - INeedCoffe The coat of felis chaus is plain. It is basically an unmarked tabby coat much like the special tabby Abyssinian cat coat but as mention more coarse. Kittens however do have markings, either spots or stripes that fade at sexual maturity. If an adult retains markings it is on the tail, hindlimbs and forehead. The muzzle is white. The colour of the coat is from tawny grey as shown in the heading video to a reddish, sandy colour as shown in the lower right photograph in the collage above but the undersides are lighter or white. They have dark hair tuffs at the end of there ears (called ear furnishings in the domestic cat world). The tail looks relatively insubstantial compared to many other wildcats such as the Andean cat or the Clouded leopard to name two and is more like that of the bobcat. The face is relatively slim compared to the squarer faces of other wild cats. The ears are quite large (particularly the ears of the cat top left in the collage). The black jungle cat in the collage is not that rare. Apparently they occur frequently in south east Pakistan and they are also found in India. They are called "melanistic" (see a black Chausie cat). This is in reference to the pigment "melanin" that is in each individual hair. The similarity to the domestic cat is not just skin deep -- it has been established scientifically. There might be subspecies of the jungle cat as the distribution (range) of this cat is very wide (page to come on this) but no research has been carried out to establish this. Threats and ConservationThe population is decreasing but it is classified as Least Concern LC. In 2002 the Sunquists, in Wild Cats Of The World, described felis chaus as the commonest of the small wildcats. However, it population size may be overstimated. The rather generous classification of LC does not, it seems , square up with the general tenor of the appraisal of the survival of this wild cat by the Sunquists, which is described as being adaptable and flexible enough in both habitat and prey to "probably" ensure its survival. I would have thought a "probable" when added to a lack of substantial research and large declines in numbers in Asia and Euriope would warrant Near Threatened. But the criteria is all their own. It adapability translates to living in and around agricultural land (hence being more visible and its population being overestimated - perhaps). It would also seem to be in part the reason why it has been so heavily persecuted and exploited; trapped and killed, I mean for its pelt. Apparently, before export of skins was banned in 1979, there were over 300,000 in India (skins that is!). So the usual threats are in place: killing it for sale of body parts, habitat loss and/ fragmentation and in the destruction of habitat comes the destruction of this cat's prey forcing it to seek alternatives such as poultry, which then puts the cat in conflict with farmers. It seems that large numbers where killed (perhaps still are) because of this state of affairs as it is considered a pest by some famers. This cat prefers swamp land despite its sightly misleading name and wetlands are gradually being eroded by human activity. Farmers could do more it seems to protect their livestock rather than simply killing the cat. Despite this general level of exploitation it is "considered" common in some parts of its geographic distribution, namely in India, Pakistan and India. In Asia it is less common due to being trapped and in Thailand and Laos where is was once common it is now rare. Although only protection on paper, felis chaus is listed in CITES Appendix II. This means: Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled...Conclusion: I cannot avoid feeling that there is an considerable amount of apathy in relation to conservation of the small wildcats. Or is it simply a tired resignation that the wild cats are destined to live in reserves and zoos? There is some great work being done (the work of Jim Sanderson Ph.D. is one example) but it is small in relation to the destruction of wild cats. The process seems one sided and one way traffic; downhill for the wild cats. Greater protection is needed and legislation needs to be properly enforced. Lack of enforcement is one of the greatest barriers to curtailing the trade in body parts of wild cats. This is due to lack of funding and committment coupled with corruption. See Cats and Corruption. To come: Jungle Cat Range, ecology etc. and more............It's here: Jungle Cat Range.. Sources:
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