The Chinese desert cat, also known as the Chinese mountain cat, inhabits western China near the Tibetan Plateau. Very little is known about this small wild cat, which found mostly in high elevations.  Before 2007, information about this rare cat had come from a small number of them living in Chinese zoos. In 2007, the first images of a wild Chinese desert cat were captured in a camera trap in Sichuan (a province in Southwest China) at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. The cat was first identified in 1892 from a skin found in the Sichuan Province.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Scientific Name: Felis bieti

About the Chinese Desert Cat

Physical Appearance

Chinese desert cats have a stocky appearance, with short legs and a bushy tail. They have long hair all the way down to the pads of their feet. The cat’s fur is the color of sand, with barely visible stripes on its legs and face. In Tibet it is called the “grass cat” because the color of its fur is the color of dry grass in the region. The fur turns darker in the summer. The cat’s lower lip, chin and belly are white. The ears of the Chinese mountain cat have black tips and its legs and tail have black rings.  The length of the cat is from 27 to 33 inches long, with a 11 to 16 inch tail. Adults generally weigh 14 to 16 lbs.

Territory

The cat has been seen roaming in grasslands, meadows, shrublands and forests at elevations ranging from 8,200 to 16,400 feet. The climate where it has been found is usually extreme, ranging from very hot to very cold.

Hunting and Prey

It appears Chinese desert cats lead solitary lives. The cat preys on pikas (a cousin of the rabbit), moles, voles, birds and rodents. It hunts at twilight and during the evening.

Reproduction and Lifespan

There are one to four kittens in a Chinese mountain cat litter. The females give birth to the kittens in hidden burrows.

Conservation

A major threat to the Chinese mountain cat is the poisoning of their prey (pika, moles and voles). The purpose of the poisoning is to reduce population size, but the poison also kills the cats.

Chinese Mountain Cat Videos