Felis – Small cats

The domestic cat, the only domesticated member in the family, originates from this genus and has many wild relatives

A genus of small and medium-sized cats found all over Africa, Asia, and South Europe. The domestic cat that we all know and love belongs to this genus.

They are solitary and territorial animals. Most are nocturnal, often resting in burrows, hollows of fallen trees, or abandoned termite mounds and burrows of other animals during the day. They come out when it is dark and travel long distances searching for prey.

They are carnivores and feed on rodents, hares, reptiles, frogs, birds, insects, and livestock. Some species are adapted to deriving all their water from their prey.

They are either polygynous (one male mates with many females during a breeding season) or polygynandrous (males and females both mate with multiple partners), depending on the species. The litter size varies greatly depending on the species, between 1-7 kittens. The kittens mature quickly and become independent within the first year.