Black Footed Cat Research Project

You can help black-footed cat researchers learn more about these tenacious little wild cats.

Common Names: Black-footed cat, Ant Hill Tiger

Length: 50-63 cm (22-25")

Weight: 1.0 - 2.4 kg (2.2 - 5 lbs)

Height: approx 20 cm (8")

Range: arid deserts of southern Africa

This is a rare opportunity to contribute directly to the conservation of the smallest wild cat, and we urge you to participate. Help us understand what this tiniest of wild cats needs to survive for future generations.  

Many of the small wild cats lead lives virtually unknown to science. Prior to the first field study on Black-footed cats (1993), most of the species knowledge was based on folklore.

Dr. Alex Sliwa has spent thousands of hours studying these tiny felines, and his findings have not only improved husbandry for captive cats, but also gathered valuable data on their ecology. Along the way, he has exploded many of the myths found in the literature on these cats.

MYTH: These tiny cats kill sheep or even giraffe by piercing their jugular veins. FACT : Rodents weighing up to 100 grams make up the bulk of their diet. On occasion they kill hares or birds the size of a chicken, which constitutes the upper limit of their prey size.

MYTH: Studies of captive cats do not like to climb and are poor jumpers. FACT: They readily climb trees and fence posts to look for bird's nests, but generally there is too little food in the trees compared to rodents and birds nesting on the ground at night. They also make frequent jumps of up to 2 metres long and 1.5 metres high after flying birds

MYTH  : Studies of captive cats suggest they frequently dig for their prey. FACT: Prey animals in the study area were so plentiful year round and the ground so hard the cats were never seen digging. They do try to scrape sand and grass over prey items to large to consume in one sitting.

Dr. Sliwa came to understand how local people have such respect for these little cats; they don’t shy away from biting and stinging prey like scorpions and snakes; he’s seen a cat jump with bared claws and fangs into the face of a black-backed jackal, an animal 8 times the size of the cat; they stalk springbok lambs, blue cranes and even bigger birds. Experiences convinced him that pound for pound, these tenacious little cats are as bold and fierce as their reputation suggests.

There is still much to be learned about Black-footed cats. Dr. Sliwa and his team are returning to the field in 2009, focusing on new locations in South Africa. ISEC Canada has been helping Black-footed cat conservation since the beginning, and is currently seeking donations to enable us to buy radio collars and remote cameras for Dr. Sliwa’s next field trip.

Many questions remain to be answered.

-how closely related are the cats of one area

-what is the survival rate of the kittens

-where do kittens go once they're adults

-when do they start breeding

-what age do they reach in the wild

You can help the tiny black-footed cats by donating today!

All funds received go directly to the research project. Just click the button below to help.

See our Photo Gallery page on Black-footed cats

More information on the research project

Learn more about black-footed cats

All photos copyright Dr. Alex Sliwa and are not to be used for commercial purposes