7 Small Cats of Africa That Need Your Love, Too

Africa’s lions, leopards and cheetahs are absolutely breathtaking in every sense of the word, but they are not the only fabulous felines the continent has to offer. In fact, there are seven other species of wild cats that can be found during an African safari vacation.

While these kitties may be smaller than their larger counterparts, they are no less beautiful or fascinating. Many of them actually happen to have some fairly astounding abilities, like leaping 10 feet into the air! Read on to learn more about seven small cats of Africa that need your love, too.

Caracal

Caracals are gorgeous, medium-sized wild cats recognizable by the tall black tufts they sport on their ears. They stand about 18 inches at the shoulder and weigh up to 40 pounds.

While caracals may be best known for their wispy ears, they have an even more impressive quality: they are some of the world’s best jumpers. An adult caracal can leap up to 10 feet in the air in order to catch elusive prey like pheasants and other birds. The ancient Egyptians even once tamed caracals to use for hunting.

Spotting a caracal is difficult because they are mostly nocturnal, solitary and shy, but they can potentially be found throughout grasslands in southern and eastern Africa.

Serval

A serval is another medium-sized African cat. This species often looks like a large version of housecat but with longer legs and a stunning spotted coat. In fact, the serval has the longest legs relative to body size of any cat. They typically stand around 20 inches at the shoulder and weigh 30 to 40 pounds.

Although they are still shy, you can find servals more easily than caracals. They have a wide-ranging habitat stretching across central Africa and reaching along the east coast all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope.

African Golden Cat

The African Golden Cat is an incredibly rare and beautiful medium-sized cat that lives almost exclusively in the forests of the Congo, with some subspecies also being found along swathes of the west African coast.

This species is reddish-brown, and about twice the size of a typical domestic cat, weighing up to 35 lbs. Seeing an African golden cat is truly a rare treat that can make safaris in the Congo and East Africa well worth the trip.

African Wildcat

If you spot a creature stalking in the Savannah that looks like it could be a large stray, look a little closer. There is a solid chance that this may actually be an African wildcat, the species that was domesticated to become a common housecat.

True African wildcats have a longer, lankier, and more muscular build compared to a housecat. Their shoulder blades also protrude more noticeably, like a cheetah’s. All have a faint grey tabby pattern.

With a wide range stretching across most of Africa, they are also very common in the wild. And, like most regular cats, they definitely won’t come when you call them!

Black Footed Cat

Black-footed cats are tiny, spotted cats that are found predominantly in arid regions of South Africa. Weighing less than six pounds on average and at a standard size half that of a typical domestic cat, black-footed cats may be the smallest wild cat species in the world.

They typically hunt at night and rest during the day in abandoned burrows dug by animals like aardvarks. Their small size means they must hunt voraciously every night to maintain their energy — an adult black-footed cat may catch as many as 14 small animals a night!

Cats of North Africa

• The Sand Cat is a small cat adapted to life in the desert, with thick paw pads and large ears used to detect vibrations caused by small prey.
• The Jungle Cat is rare in Africa, only found near the Nile in Egypt, but found more commonly in the jungles of southern Asia. They live mostly in wetland habitats, hunting with large fangs.

Come Get to Know Africa’s Small Cats on an African Safari Vacation

You can potentially meet Africa’s small cats in person — and ensure they get the spotlight they need to shine alongside their big cousins — when you book an African safari vacation package today.

Jill Liphart for Roho Ya Chui

The Cats of Africa: Species Found in the Wild

The continent of Africa is full of inspiring cultures, breathtaking scenery and striking wildlife. An exciting and satisfying tourist destination and vacation spot for people of all ages and backgrounds, Africa is much more than its one-sided depiction in the media. Visitors in Africa can enjoy the unique and captivating sights and sounds that the land has to offer through a guided safari. Here is a list of the wild species of great cats that can be spotted on an African safari.

Black-footed Cat

The African Black-footed Cat is one of the smallest felid species on the planet and is Africa’s smallest wildcat. This little feline has dark spots that cover its fur that can sometimes merge to form dark bands or stripes. Black-footed cats only live in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. These cats prefer short grass plains, sand plains and scrub deserts, with ideal living areas being places with high bird and rodent densities. Compared to other cats in the southern parts of the continent, the black-footed cat is pretty rare.

Caracal

More popularly known as the desert lynx, the Caracal is mostly found in dry regions. These medium sized cats have black-backed, pointy ears with a short, dense coat of light brown fur. Although they live primarily in dryer areas, the caracal also live in a wide variety of other places such as savannahs, woodlands, jungle scrub, acacia scrub, sandy regions, deserts and arid regions. Caracals can go for long time periods without liquids and are nocturnal hunters to avoid the harsh weather and heat of the day. These solitary cats only come together to mate and can have litters of up to six kittens. Caracals are mostly found in Namibia and South Africa.

Cheetah

Known for being the fastest land animal on the planet, Cheetahs have a unique blend of dog and cat like features. These big cats can run up to 60 miles per hour. Cheetahs are also well known for their golden and black spotted fur. They are mostly found in the Sahara Desert as well as the Savannahs of western and northern Africa. Cheetahs hunt more often during the daytime than other predators. This is because of their need to adequately see the land during high-speed chases and also there is a less chance of interruption during feeding from nocturnal predators. Cheetahs do not have regular mating seasons like other cats. Cheetahs can have litters of up to eight cubs, with the average litter size being three. Female cheetahs are solitary animals and tend not to be territorial, whereas male cheetahs who are related may form groups of 2 to 4 and will claim small territories for their own.

Africa’s fascinating wildlife is a remarkable sight to be seen and shared by any and everyone. You can learn how Roho Ya Chui can get you that much closer to the exotic African wild with a thrilling African safari trip today.

 

Jill Liphart for Roho Ya Chui. Travel Africa