The Big Cat Blog

Fishing Cat Kittens Just Two Weeks Old!
Three Fishing Cat kittens, two males and one female, were born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Jul. 29, 2011. These photos were taken during a routine vet check-up, but for now these water-loving felines are with their mother in a secluded den where they will remain for the next few weeks. This is the first offspring for this pair of Fishing Cats that came to the Columbus Zoo in 2010 as part of the Species Survival Plan for these endangered animals.

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Photo credits: Grahm Jones

A domes­tic cat nurses a baby mar­gay in a pet shel­ter. The baby mar­gay, locally known as tigrillo, was found in the sub­urbs and taken to the shel­ter were it could be fed by the sur­ro­gate mother until it is released back to the wild.

Photo: Raul Arboleda/​AFP/​Getty Images

First Ever Birth of Pallas’ Kittens with the Help of Advanced Science
Three healthy Pallas’ Cat kittens (two males and one female) were born on June 8^th, 2011 at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden following a laparoscopic oviductal artificial insemination (AI) procedure conducted by scientists from the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). 

Pallas’ cats (Otocolobus manul) are native to Central Asia and are considered near-threatened in the wild due to poaching, habitat loss and rodent control programs.  In North American zoos, Pallas’ cats are managed in a captive breeding program under the auspices of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).  Currently, there are ~50 Pallas’ cats housed in 19 North American zoos. 

Photo credits: Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens
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Photo by: Keith Marshall

Black-footed Cat Kittens!
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announces the birth of two Black-footed Cat kittens! The kittens, whose sex have yet to be determined, are healthy and doing well with mom, Godiva.

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Photo credits: Jeanne DeBonis/Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

For a $5 donation you can upload your cat’s photo to the National Geographic website and support big cat conservation!

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Photo by: Joachim S. Müller

Fishing Cat kittens at the the Cincinnati Zoo.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden helped to initiate the first comprehensive ecological study of wild fishing cats in Southeast Asia beginning in 2003. With continued support from the Cincinnati Zoo and other AZA-accredited institutions, Thai biologist Passanan Cutter has been assessing the status of wild fishing cats in Sam Roi Yot National Park in southern Thailand. In the past six months, she has obtained camera trap photographs of 15 individual fishing cats and placed radio collars on seven cats for ecological monitoring. More information about this exciting project may be found here.

Photo by: MrGuilt

The Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort sand cat kittens.