Scottish Wildcat
On my living-room wall I have a painting of a wildcat by John Holmes of which I am extremely
fond. It depicts a snarling, spitting animal, teeth bared and back arched: a taut coiled spring
ready to unleash some unknown fury.
1)
However, the physical differences are tangible. The wildcat is a much larger animal, weighing in
some cases up to seven kilos, the same as a typical male fox. The coat pattern is superficially
similar to a domestic tabby cat but it is all stripes and no spots. The tail is thicker and blunter,
with three to five black rings. The animal has an altogether heavier look.
The Scottish wildcat was originally distinguished as a separate subspecies in 1912, but it is now
generally recognised that there is little difference between the Scottish and other European
populations. According to an excellent report on the wildcat printed in 1991, the animals
originally occurred in a variety of habitats throughout Europe.
2)
It was during the nineteenth century, with the establishment of many estates used by
landowners for hunting, that the wildcat became a nuisance and its rapid decline really began;
198 wildcats were killed in three years in the area of Glengarry, for example. However, things
were later to improve for the species.
3)
The future is by no means secure, though, and recent evidence suggests that the wildcat is
particularly vulnerable to local eradication, especially in the remoter parts of northern and
western Scotland. This is a cause for real concern, given that the animals in these areas have
less contact with domestic cats and are therefore purer.
4)
Part of the problem stems from the fact that the accepted physical description of the species
originates from the selective nature of the examination process by the British Natural History
Museum at the start of the century, and this has been used as the type-definition for the animal
ever since. Animals that did not conform to that large blunt-tailed 'tabby' description were
discarded as not being wildcats. In other words, an artificial collection of specimens was built
up, exhibiting the features considered typical of the wildcat.
The current research aims to resolve this potential problem. It is attempting to find out whether
there are any physical features which characterise the so-called wild-living cats.
5)
But what of his lifestyle? Wildcat kittens are usually born in May/June in a secluded den,
secreted in a gap amongst boulders. Another favourite location is in the roots of a tree.
6)
Rabbits are a favourite prey, and some of the best areas to see wildcats are at rabbit warrens
close to the forest and moorland edge. Mice, small birds and even insects also form a large part
of the diet, and the animal may occasionally take young deer.
The wildcat is one of the Scottish Highlands' most exciting animals. Catch a glimpse of one and
the memory will linger forever.
