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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Scottish wild cat?

22 replies

CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 10:09

I have a gorgeous cat that I adopted from Scotland. He mother is a Spanish street cat who escaped before she could be spayed, and had a brief fling with a local Tom who is believed to be half Scottish wild cat. Now, I am completely opposed to allowing any more kittens to be born-but I have to say that having a part wild cat is pretty cool and I hope the rumours are true! I'm not going to go down any DNA testing or anything just to satisfy my curiosity- but she is quite unusual in some ways, and I'm hoping I can pin that on wild cat genes. What do you think? She is the most on her own terms cat I've ever had-and I have had many. She will approach for a cuddle-but will NEVER be approached. She is absent for around 2 weeks in every month-the other two weeks she is inside. She will pop out for a pee, but if she's not back in 10 minutes, she's gone for at least a week. When she comes home, she is obviously tired-she sleeps for at least a day! She is perhaps a little thin,but in excellent condition. She always smells like the outdoors (we live in the country) so I don't think she's two timing. She is very vocal- she has a lot of sounds, including a yowl which meant three trips to the vet because I thought it was pain. Her brother, who I also have, is the complete opposite- never more than a Dreamie-rattle away and a complete lap cat. But she is very small and the only possible physical evidence is very dense, thick fur. Obviously I'm going to keep telling people she's half wildcat, but do you think she might actually be?

OP posts:
PTSDBarbiegirl · 19/10/2023 10:14

Extremely unlikely. Sorry! They are very rare, and elusive. Highly likely to have been a big tabbie feral cat. They would be fairly common in populated rural areas.

MrsSkylerWhite · 19/10/2023 10:15

Unlikely if she’s small.

Mrsjayy · 19/10/2023 10:18

PTSDBarbiegirl · 19/10/2023 10:14

Extremely unlikely. Sorry! They are very rare, and elusive. Highly likely to have been a big tabbie feral cat. They would be fairly common in populated rural areas.

Yeah this.

CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 10:21

I can dream! More fun than her being what my MIL calls a funny-onion! Her brother is bloody enormous though-maybe he got the bigness gene and she got the wandering gene!

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 19/10/2023 10:25

I mean its a great story even If they do breed with domestic cats the cats are usually feral to start so it is unlikely.

margotrose · 19/10/2023 10:33

Incredibly, incredibly unlikely - in fact, almost impossible.

Scottish wild cats are rare and incredibly elusive - if they were to mate with a non-wild cat it would be a feral, not someone's escaped pet.

The likelihood of there being a cat that's half wildcat just roaming around is incredibly slim.

IHaveTooMuchStuff · 19/10/2023 10:37

Domestic cats are basically African Wild Cats anyway. Even the genuine wild ones in captivity (which they shouldn't be in btw) can be super sweet and loving towards humans or suspicious of them. Usually depends on their kittenhood experiences with humans.

Toddlerteaplease · 19/10/2023 10:40

If she's yowling, has she been spayed? Sounds like she's in heat.

TomatoSandwiches · 19/10/2023 10:42

Stranger things have happened, you never know!

haggisaggis · 19/10/2023 10:55

Apparently there are no 'pure' Scottish wild cats any more - all have some domestic cat blood.

caringcarer · 19/10/2023 10:59

@CurlewKate where is the photo so we can decide? You know the rules.

CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 11:01

@Toddlerteaplease Yes, definitely spayed! (I'll try not to be offended🤣)

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 19/10/2023 11:01

Maybe she just identifies as a Scottish wild cat then.

Coldinscotland · 19/10/2023 11:07

Without a pic how can we make a guess?

Supersimkin2 · 19/10/2023 11:18

Kitten tax! Pic please!

Congratulations on your darling baby.

helpfulperson · 19/10/2023 11:23

One of the more distinct features of a Scottish wildcat is a blunt tail.

Whereabouts were her parents in Scotland. There is only a couple of small populations.

Autumn1990 · 19/10/2023 11:29

They do inter breed with domestic cats and that’s an issue for conservation of the species.
Many feral kittens end up as pets in peoples home as feral kittens are the main supply of kittens in rescues

margotrose · 19/10/2023 11:31

Autumn1990 · 19/10/2023 11:29

They do inter breed with domestic cats and that’s an issue for conservation of the species.
Many feral kittens end up as pets in peoples home as feral kittens are the main supply of kittens in rescues

That's all true.

But OP says her kittens dad is half wildcat and roaming close enough to homes that people see it. That's very unlikely.

WoollyBat · 19/10/2023 11:44

They do interbreed - one sign is a very thick and stripy tail, and yes the wilder behaviour. But wildcats are less noisy, not more. You can’t know for sure though without testing.

CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 12:11

I'm having such trouble uploading the tax!
Interesting that the noisyness making it less rather than more likely- I suppose that makes sense if you think about it 😢
@helpfulperson She comes from near Inverness-a very rural bit.

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 12:12

She doesn't have a short wide tail. But I can pretend that she inherited her tail from her Spanish mother.....

OP posts:
SabrinaThwaite · 19/10/2023 12:38

Your sibling cats may have different fathers as well?

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