Is it possible to tame a Pallas's cat: how to keep and care for it, possible problems, what not to do

Today, more and more people decide to have various exotic animals at home. It is already known that wild cats such as the caracal, jungle cat, and serval can live at home. But can a manul live at home? After all, it is believed that he is not particularly friendly with people. You should get to know this member of the cat family better.

Taming and keeping Pallas's cat at home

Manul is a wild animal from the cat family.
By its nature, this creature is adapted to life only in natural conditions, and not in houses or apartments. True, the Pallas's cat can now be found in almost every zoo, and therefore many daredevils and exotic lovers decide to have one as a pet. It is important to remember that taming a wild cat is not an easy task, and sometimes simply impossible

Although the Pallas cat is a wild mammal, its size is not very different from the size of ordinary domestic cats. It weighs about 5 kilograms, and its body dimensions range from 52 to 65 cm. It is distinguished from pets by its appearance. The Pallas cat has a massive body and short thick legs. The ears are small and rounded, and the muzzle is small, but wide and flattened. The pupils in yellow eyes always remain round and do not shrink in bright light, as happens in domestic cats. The main feature of the Pallas cat (second name) is its very thick fur. Its length can even reach 7 centimeters, and there are 9 thousand hairs per square cm. The coat is usually light gray in color with small dark or yellowish spots.

Pallas' cats live in the wild nature of Asia, Transcaucasia, Mongolia or China. At the moment, the number of this species is very small, so they are listed in the Red Book. In real conditions, these cats lead a solitary life and show aggression even towards each other. Therefore, affection, love and special devotion towards a person should not be expected from them.

This species is declining very rapidly. Although zoos provide them with normal conditions for reproduction, kittens often die from infections. And adult individuals do not always take root, let alone their life in apartments. If it does happen that this predator lives in the house with people, then they need to be prepared for his difficult temperament. The character of the Pallas cat is very unpredictable; he can easily damage household property, break all the vases and tear up furniture or curtains.

Another big disadvantage is the incredibly thick and long fur of the Pallas's cat. It will be very difficult to care for her, and it is necessary to take into account the fact that all cats shed, even wild ones. This is a predatory animal with sharp fangs and claws. Therefore, the consequences of an attack will be several times worse than from an ordinary pet.

Still, many lovers of cats or unusual animals, despite all the difficulties, agree to tame and keep Pallas's cat at home. Of course, this should be done not with an adult, but with a small kitten. Then the chances that he will not grow up to be very aggressive become higher. But to a greater extent, everything simply depends on luck, because each wild cat has its own character. Even if he lives with a person from birth, he still does not become affectionate and devoted. There have been cases when a Pallas cat was fed by an ordinary domestic cat. But even then he did not adopt her habits.

Do not forget that it is simply impossible to legally purchase and tame a Pallas cat kitten. After all, the species is on the verge of extinction, and therefore keeping them in the wrong conditions is illegal. If Pallas’s cat is somehow acquired, then many difficulties and problems immediately arise:

Health and common diseases

An adult carpet cat has excellent health and rarely gets sick if it lives in its habitat. Changes in the usual way of life and climate negatively affect the physical and emotional state of animals. Even when kept as Pallas' cat cats in the zoo, they rarely live to a ripe old age.

Despite successful breeding in zoos, most of the cubs die from toxoplasmosis. Adults are also susceptible to this dangerous disease. Treatment of animals is very problematic; sick cats do not allow people to approach them, behave extremely aggressively, try to grab a hand or throat, which is fraught with very serious consequences, because their teeth are sharp and their jaws are strong.

Description of the animal

Unlike other wild representatives of the cat family, sand cats are characterized by their smallest size and rather original appearance.

Appearance

The average body length of an adult varies between 65–90 cm, of which about 40% is the tail. The maximum height of the sand dune cat at the withers is no more than 24–30 cm. Males are slightly larger than females, but their body weight does not exceed 2.1–3.4 kg.

The sand cat is the smallest predator cat living in natural conditions.

The predatory mammal has a large and wide, noticeably flattened head with sideburns. Large and wide ears are completely devoid of tufts. The eyes are characterized by a yellow iris and slit-like pupils.

The dune cat has short and fairly strong, well-developed paws, and the feet are covered with coarse hair that protects the pads on the paws from burns when moving along the hot sand in the sun. The fur of the sand cat is thick and soft, so it can perfectly protect the body of a predatory mammal from low temperature exposure at night and overheating on hot days.

Color

The color of a cat's coat can range from sandy to light gray. On the back and tail you can see gray-brown stripes, which often blend in with the overall fur shade or look darker than it. There is a darker, more pronounced pattern on the head and paws. The tip of the animal's tail is dark, and on the chest and chin the fur is lighter than in other places. In the cold season, seals living in Central Asia grow a thicker coat, which has a dull sandy tint with a grayish coating.

The color of the animal helps it remain invisible among the sands and stones

Character

This pussy is characterized by modesty and secrecy. When moving to a new territory, it hides even during the day. In this regard, naturalist photographers look for the cat at night. The migration of an animal is a quiet process. If, nevertheless, a person manages to see a dune cat, then the latter freezes in place with his eyes closed so that their shine does not give away the animal. But during the hunt, the cat acts quickly and leaves no marks on the sandy surface. The speed of the animal can reach 40 km/h.

During the hunt, the sand cat moves quickly, leaving no traces on the sand.

Nutrition

It is common for this breed of cat to pull porcupines and lizards right out of the sand. Seals have an interesting ear structure and good hearing, so they pick up every rustle underground. Thanks to its whiskers, the animal senses slight vibrations in the air and follows the trail of a nest with chicks. In general, he tends to eat almost any prey that he manages to catch:

• gophers and gerbils;
• jerboas;
• monitor lizards and geckos;
• small birds with chicks;
• small hares;
• insects

Traditional dry or wet food intended for feeding domestic cats is strictly not recommended. In captivity, the sand seal can be fed the following fresh foods:

• poultry meat;
• beef;
• fish;
• a house mouse, if it is possible for the cat to catch it.

Photo gallery: foods that can be fed to a sand cat in captivity

Reproduction

At 9–14 months the animal matures for mating, which occurs once a year. Cats become pregnant in mid-winter, and give birth in early spring. Animals living in zoos have the opportunity to give birth more often, since it is easier for them to survive in captivity and all the animals’ energy is spent on procreation. During mating season, males and females make barking sounds.

A month after birth, kittens begin to hunt on their own.

A pregnant cat is looking for a den for her offspring. If she doesn’t find anything suitable, she digs a hole on her own. A cat can give birth to 4–8 kittens at the same time. 2 weeks after birth, the cubs’ eyes open, and a month later the babies go hunting for the first time. In captivity, seals live 10–11 years, but there is no exact figure due to the secretive lifestyle of these animals.

Maine Coon kitten size

Maine raccoon cats are born quite large in size and weigh an order of magnitude more than kittens of other breeds. For example, if the weight of a newborn Persian breed varies between 125-150 g, then a Maine Coon kitten is born weighing 125-170 g. According to average statistical data, the weight of a newborn Maine Coon is significantly influenced by the number of kittens in the litter, therefore , the fewer kittens, the greater their weight.

The rate of growth processes and weight gain in a newborn directly depends on its gender, as well as the characteristics of the parental genotype. As a rule, kittens born from a physically healthy and massive cat grow and develop faster. The kitten's growth can be negatively affected by the cat's use of hormonal drugs that can provoke a pronounced endocrine imbalance.

In order for a Maine Coon kitten to gain height and weight correctly, it is necessary to comply with a number of requirements, including ensuring optimal sanitary and hygienic conditions in the place where the animals live, preventing stressful situations in the form of noise and temperature changes, and proper and balanced nutrition for the nursing cat and kittens.

The suckling period lasts from birth until four weeks, and is also characterized by constant and stable growth. In the first ten days, the kitten’s body weight doubles, and by a month the weight becomes approximately four times greater.

Life in captivity

The Pallas's cat is completely unsuitable for life in captivity, so keeping it as a pet will not work. Difficulties with adaptation also arise in animals that end up in zoos. Due to severe acclimatization, the manul withers away, the protective functions of the immune system decrease, and the cat begins to get sick often.

After completing acclimatization, the Pallas's cat begins to feel freer in the zoo and quickly gets used to the enclosure allocated to it, which zealously protects it from the encroachments of other animals. In captivity, if conditions are created for him that are as close as possible to natural ones, the Pallas's cat continues to lead an active life, hunting game, which is its usual diet.

Kittens from a litter that are born in captivity have very weak immunity, often get sick for a long time, many of them live no more than 10-15 months.

Features of keeping a manula as a pet

Warnings not to keep a Pallas's cat as a pet have reasoned explanations. The representative of this cat world is absolutely wild and unadapted to life in society.

Even if you take home a very baby cat, he will not grow up grateful and affectionate, and will quickly forget about who fed him. Owners should expect outbreaks of aggression in their direction, as well as the fact that the cat will lunge at them and scratch them.

But, despite such negativity towards household members, manul is a breed of cats that have a calm and friendly character, and their aggressiveness is caused solely by their reluctance to be in captivity.

The manul in the apartment is like a pet; there are torn curtains, clothes and completely damaged furniture. In addition, the owners will spend nights without sleep, because the animal hunts, and does this mainly in the dark.

The owners will quickly fall out of love with the fluffy fur of the Pallas's cat, as it will constantly and actively shed. In this case, wool will be everywhere without exception, from clothing to cutlery.

The absence of constant snow, in which the Pallas's cat is used to caring for its coat, must be compensated by frequent water treatments and endless combing of its thick and lush coat.

If you want to have such an unusual cat, you should provide him with a vast local area, where he will feel much more comfortable than in an apartment. After all, Pallas' cats prefer solitude to society and, outside of hunting, spend time in solitude in their hole.

Nutrition

In conditions of captivity (living in an apartment/house), the Pallas's cat must be provided with its usual diet. The menu should include fresh and lean meat and fish, and the cat should regularly receive greens and berries. Pallas' cat consumption of industrial dry and wet food is unacceptable.

• fluffy cat breeds;
• the most beautiful cat breeds;
• most popular cat breeds.

Description

Outwardly, the Pallas's cat looks almost the same as an ordinary cat, but it has a denser body and thicker hair. Body length 50-65 cm, tail length 23-30 cm, weight 2-5 kg. The head is medium-sized, wide, the ears are round and small. The eyes are yellow, with round pupils that do not change even in bright light. On the cheeks there are elongated hairs – sideburns.

The coat color of the Pallas's cat is light gray with fawn and ocher shades, the hairs have white tips, which gives the impression that the cat is dusted with frost. In general, the animal’s fur is beautiful and valuable, so it has been the object of hunting for a long time. It was exterminated until it became an endangered species and was included in the Red Book of Russia. Currently, the wild cat is protected by law. This suggests that it is impossible to legally purchase a Pallas cat in our country.

Breed Features

Outwardly, the manul is almost indistinguishable from a domestic cat. A medium-sized cat weighs about 4 kg. The illusion of the large size of the animal is created due to the abundant growth of fur.

For comparison: the popular Maine Coon is at least 2 times larger than the Pallas cat; The wool density of Merino sheep is 8800 hairs per 1 square meter. cm, for Pallas's cat this figure is 9000.

Maine Coon appearance

The animal's body is dense and muscular, its legs are short, and its tail is voluminous. The seemingly discolored tips of the hairs serve as camouflage during winter hunting.

The flat face and rounded shape of the ears suggest that Pallas cats are related to Persian cats. The animal's eyes are designed to prevent drying out: nictitating membranes ensure frequent blinking.

Kinds

At the moment, scientists identify several varieties of Pallas's cat - all their differences largely come down to one or another coat color.

Table 1. Types of Pallas's cats

Video - Manul: all about the unusual breed of cats

Reproduction of Pallas's cat

The only reason when these hermit cats, Pallas's cats, do get together is for procreation. Their mating season begins in late February - early March, at which time males begin to look for a mate for mating.

It’s funny that just before “this thing” itself, males can gallantly court their tailed “lady” - throw food gifts at her paws and ferociously drive away other potential competitors. However, courtship does not last long, due to the short estrus in females, males need to have time to conceive children within a few days, if this does not happen, then pregnancy can no longer be expected this year.

Having done the job, the males leave, leaving all worries about the future kittens to the female. The pregnancy of a Pallas cat lasts 60 days; towards the end of this period, she looks for a secluded place where blind and helpless kittens are born. From 2 to 6 kittens are born at a time.

Pallas cat kittens weigh only 200-300 grams at birth. They are completely helpless and are under the full care of their mother. The mother manul takes care of her babies, feeds them with her breast milk, teaches them to walk, hide, and then hunt. By the way, manula kittens go on their first hunt by the age of 3 months, and at the 10th month of life they become sexually mature adult cats, after which they leave their mother.

Despite the fact that the Pallas' cat is extremely difficult to tame, there are exotic lovers who still risk getting a pet Pallas's cat. This is exactly what is at risk, since at home the Pallas's cat will behave wildly and unpredictably; if you try to pet it, it can easily scratch or bite. And you should definitely prepare for scratched furniture and torn wallpaper.

Also, the immunity of Pallas's cats kept in captivity deteriorates, they often begin to get sick, as if their very nature protests and demands a return to their native and wild steppes. Therefore, we highly recommend not keeping Pallas's cat at home.

Reproduction

The breeding season for Pallas' cats in the wild is February-March. Females bear kittens for 74-75 days, the offspring are born in April-May. The litter size is 2-10 kittens, with an average of 3-5. Pallas' cat cubs are born blind and helpless, weighing 300-400 g, 10-12 cm long. The female is responsible for raising them entirely. At 2 months, kittens shed their hair and weigh 500-600 g. At the age of 6-8 months they reach the size of an adult animal.

As for breeding manuls at home, this is possible, but rarely practiced. Those who have tried to breed wild cats note that Pallas cat kittens are not much different from kittens of domestic breeds - they are just as affectionate and funny. But during puberty, cute kittens turn into demons and begin to terrorize family members.

Manul is not a domestic cat. Let us give as an example the story of one Pallas's cat, who now lives in a zoo, and before that “delighted” one Moscow family with his evil rumbling. The cute cat has grown up and taken a dominant position in the house. The family was afraid to move around the apartment, because the cat was waiting for them at every corner and rushed to bite.

In fact, this is typical behavior for Pallas cats. Up to a certain age, they are like angels in the flesh, but soon they change their behavior to the exact opposite, so much so that it’s time to call an exorcist. Still, nature takes its toll. Pallas' cats are clearly not intended for pets.

Price

The wild popularity of the Pallas's cat made him not only the hero of memes and the king of the Runet, but also prompted many connoisseurs of the species to look for places of sale. On thematic forums, some sellers quote prices of tens of thousands of US dollars. And this despite the fact that cats are listed in the Red Book, and their trade is punishable by law.

Anyone who dreams of buying a Pallas's cat should know that cats cannot be tamed; they are not in the mood for human contact. At best, they simply tolerate the presence of others. Animals respond to an invasion of personal space in two ways - either they ignore the intruder, or they use claws and fangs, the length of which is three times longer than that of an ordinary cat.

Lifestyle

1. This wild animal, as already mentioned, lives in places with a harsh climate and low temperatures. By the way, cats predominate in places where there is not much snow. He really likes places with an abundance of bushes, as well as semi-desert mountain areas. It can climb mountains to a height of up to 4000 meters. Lives in strictly defined places, rarely changing its favorite places. It makes its home in old fox or badger holes, where it sleeps all day. It goes hunting at night, or rather at dusk and early in the morning. Manul is considered the slowest and clumsiest cat. When catching prey or hiding from an enemy, the Pallas's cat prefers to lie low and hide on the rocks. Its coloring helps it blend in with its surroundings.
2. The Pallas's cat gets food by guarding the minks. Hiding among the stones, he waits in ambush for a pika or other rodent to appear. Sometimes gophers, baby marmots and even hares can be caught as prey. When its traditional food (due to some circumstances) becomes scarce, the Pallas cat calmly switches to feeding on insects.
3. Once a year, around February or March, the Pallas' cat's mating season begins. The female carries the kittens for two months and in early May they are born. Usually there are no more than six kittens. Newborn Pallas' cat cubs weigh about 300 grams and are 12 centimeters tall.

Kittens, like all cats, are born blind and begin to see after 10-12 days. After three to four months they begin to hunt. At the age of 10 months, little Pallas' cats reach sexual maturity.

Wild cats lead a solitary, sedentary lifestyle. They prefer to settle in rocky areas (hence another name - cave cat). Pallas' cats make dens in stone crevices; with their sharp claws they can dig a hole for their own housing. The animals carefully guard their home and drive away any stranger who looks there.

The love for rocky terrain and cold winters with little snow determine the range of animals: Tibet, Western China, Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Afghanistan.

Pallas' cats prefer a nocturnal lifestyle: they hunt only in the dark.

Pallas cats are considered the first cats to appear in the world.

In mating games, Pallas' cats do not differ from their domestic relatives: several males fight for the location of one female and start fights.

Pallas's cat in the wild

The predilection for loneliness makes it difficult for wild cats to reproduce: it is difficult for them to find a mate. By the way, this is one of the reasons why Pallas' cats are constantly on the verge of extinction. Other factors contributing to the population decline: poaching, the risk of falling into a trap set for other animals, eating small rodents poisoned by chemicals, and death in forest fires.

There are usually 2-6 kittens in a litter; in the first 2 months of life they are helpless; only the female cares for the cubs. Growing up, babies begin to leave the shelter, adopt the hunting habits of their mother, and reach full independence by 8 months.

In captivity, animals reproduce poorly, even in a zoo. Employees note that captured females who grew up in the wild experience pregnancy more easily and raise offspring safely. Of all the kittens born in captivity, no more than half survive.

Manul with kittens

Interesting facts about Pallas' cat

Tamed manul

It is not for nothing that the Pallas cat is considered an exotic animal. It will not be possible to completely tame him. Therefore, even if you bought him as a small child, you should not count on him becoming a tame kitten. The instinctive isolation of the Pallas's cat from humans will be inherent in it even when kept at home. And even if at a young age a kitten is still able to play with human hands, then after puberty this will no longer be possible, instincts will take over.

Increasingly, exotic animals are chosen as pets: lemurs, raccoons, salamanders, crocodiles, leopard geckos, snails, iguanas, chameleons, squirrels, jerboas.

Conditions for keeping

Of course, the best place to keep such a pet would be a private yard. The cat can withstand low temperatures, and the open space, trees and bushes will remind him of his natural habitat. In addition, in the yard it will be more comfortable for him to lead a nocturnal lifestyle and not disturb the owners.

He is absolutely not suitable for keeping in an apartment, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to provide him with conditions where he can hide and where he will not cause inconvenience when he goes out hunting at night. In addition, you must always remember that entering its territory is taboo for a person; he risks getting bitten and scratched.

Important! Despite its slowness, the wild cat has lightning-fast reactions and can attack an enemy without warning. His dissatisfaction will not be revealed by any external manifestations, because his muzzle always has an angry and wary expression.

Breed care

Like any wild animal, the manul is capable of caring for itself. It is unlikely that you will be able to accustom him to forced water procedures. The only thing you can try in terms of grooming is combing out the animal’s fur, which is almost constantly in a state of shedding. Owners of Pallas cats in their apartments feel this well, finding clumps of cat hair throughout their home every day.

What to feed a wild cat

What to feed the animal is one of the first questions that a person who is planning to get a Pallas's cat should ask himself. In the wild, this feline feeds on the Daurian pika and small rodents. As a rule, it watches for them, hiding near their holes. It can also hunt hares, marmots, and birds. If food is tight, it eats insects.

Whether you can provide your pet with such food is up to you to decide. After all, there are big doubts that a wild animal will want to eat dry cat food or canned food. At the zoo they are fed meat and rodents.

Did you know? Manul was first discovered in the 18th century by naturalist Peter Simon on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It was named Otocolobus, meaning "ugly ear".

Difficulties of home maintenance

Keeping wild cats as pets is not easy and is not always justified. Having decided to have a Pallas's cat at home, you need to be prepared for a number of difficulties that will arise in such a neighborhood. This wild cat is self-sufficient, and therefore it does not need people or other animals at all, with the exception of rodents, which the manul loves to hunt. Manul is not the affectionate domestic cat that everyone is used to; and he will not sit on his lap, enjoying communication with his master. Keeping Pallas cats at home is associated with serious problems.

Aggressive behavior towards children if they become overly persistent in pestering the animal, imposing their communication on it and especially trying to remove it from the chosen den. These are not your typical domestic cats. Damage to everything around. Pallas' cats are similar to teenage puppies, who tend to damage furniture and shoes by chewing them. The cat will happily try many things, and will also constantly scratch furniture, walls, curtains and even linoleum. Due to the special strength of the teeth and paws, the damage caused by a Pallas's cat living at home is very significant. Having settled an animal, you need to remove expensive things from its access area. Pallas' cats are not domestic cats that respect their owner. Treatment problems

Due to the behavior of a wild cat, if it has health problems, you may not immediately pay attention to them. Also, due to the fact that the animal is wary of people, it will be quite difficult for a veterinarian to examine it properly.

An additional problem will be the fact that there are few specialists who know the characteristics of these animals. Therefore, treatment for Pallas cats will most likely be carried out in a similar way to what domestic cats receive, but this is not true. Constant shedding. The manul has particularly thick hair up to 7 cm long. The cat sheds very rapidly in the autumn and spring. During the rest of the year, the Pallas' cat's fur is actively replaced, and therefore shreds of it will always be present in the apartment. In order to reduce the contamination of your apartment with fur, you need to regularly brush your exotic pet, which is extremely difficult if it is too wild. Domestic cats shed 2 times a year. Hunting instinct. The cat is strong and perfectly adapted for hunting not only small rodents, but also marmots, which is why it can pose a danger to small pets, including puppies and small breed dogs, which the pet may decide to feast on as if it were fresh game. .

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If a pair of Pallas cats is purchased in order to start breeding them at home, this decision can be called a mistake. In apartment conditions, it is almost impossible to get offspring from animals. The cat and cat will constantly compete with each other for territory and the best places for privacy.

When planning to place a Pallas's cat in your home, you should soberly weigh all the pros and cons of such a pet. No matter how attractive this steppe cat may be in appearance, it always remains a wild animal, for which a person cannot be not only an owner, but also just a companion. Domestic cats accept their owner as a companion.

When settling this steppe predator in your home, it is important to remember that, even when raised from a kitten, a pallas cannot be called completely tame. Manulas are not domestic cats

The animal does not change its freedom-loving nature in the comfort of home, and always strives to return to its natural life. Choosing a manula instead of a domestic cat is a rather original solution.

Feeding the cat

The cat is then healthy, active and cheerful when it receives a balanced diet. It must contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and various microelements.

1. The main part of a complete diet consists of meat (lean beef, rabbit, chicken). In addition to this, vegetables and cereals (barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat) are required. Fish can be given sometimes and certainly boiled.
2. Cats willingly eat offal - kidneys, hearts, lungs. About once a week you need to give a raw or boiled egg.
3. Fermented milk products contain a lot of nutritious protein, so they are very healthy for pets. Every day you need to include kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese or sour cream in your diet.
4. Any vegetables will do except potatoes. Among the representatives of the cat family there are also those who are not averse to eating fruit. These products can be given in any quantity.

You should not feed cats fatty, salty, smoked or sweet foods. Therefore, food from the master's table is contraindicated for them. The pet's diet should be varied, but it should not be changed too often, as the animal gets used to certain foods.

Many owners make their lives much easier by purchasing ready-made industrial cat food. They are completely balanced and are an excellent and convenient feeding option for pets.

The main thing is to have an idea of ​​the types of these feeds in order to make the right choice. There are many advertised, fairly cheap brands that can cause irreparable harm to a cat’s health.

It is recommended to purchase premium and super premium food, which are made from high-quality raw materials, contain all the necessary nutrients and are almost completely absorbed.

Premium food has many advantages, the main ones being that you can take the food with you when traveling with your pet, as well as leaving your cat at home for a long time, without worrying that it will go hungry.

Such food can be stored for a very long time. Especially in such cases, an automatic feeder comes to the rescue, capable of dispensing food in the required dosage after a certain period of time.

Content issues

There are only a few known cases when Manul behaved adequately at home. Usually a wild animal does not accept its owner, so it secludes itself or causes a pogrom.

The complexity of the content lies not only in its behavior, but also in its physiological characteristics. The cat sheds a lot because an apartment is not his habitat. Eating problems may also arise. In the wild, the predator feeds on rodents and small mammals, obtaining a sufficient amount of useful substances naturally. In order for the patient to feel comfortable, it is necessary to create a balanced diet for him.

As for the continuation of offspring, it will be almost impossible to find a mate for such a rare pet, and they cannot be castrated or sterilized. In the spring, Manul will “demand” mating, and it is unknown how hormonal disruption will affect his behavior.

Most veterinarians will not be able to treat an exotic pet in case of illness due to insufficient qualifications.

Character

The wild manul cat, which lives in captivity, is practically not domesticated. The animal retains its wild habits. Therefore, if a pet decides that it is in danger, it will begin to defend itself even from the owner who raised it, causing him wounds with its claws and teeth.

It is believed that a wild animal, if adopted as a child, gets used to its owner and after some time will be tame. But the lifestyle and behavior of the Pallas's cat do not apply to this statement. It is impossible to predict how an animal will grow up.

Even when a kitten is raised by a domestic cat at the same time as its kittens, it cannot be said that after growing up, the Pallas' cat will not seek solitude. But still, there are individuals who are devoted to their owner and maintain a connection throughout their lives. These cases do not occur often, and therefore, when deciding to have a predator, you should not expect that the wild cat will be completely domesticated.

Where does the manul live?

Pallas's cat lives in the steppes of Central Asia. It can be found in the following countries:

• Kazakhstan
• Tajikistan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Iran
• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• Nepal
• India
• Butane
• Mongolia
• China
• Russia

In Russia, the Pallas's cat lives in the Trans-Baikal Territory, Chita, Altai, the Republic of Tyva and Buryatia. The animal is found in western China. Previously, Pallas's cat also lived in Armenia and Azerbaijan (in 2017 it was seen in the Zangezur National Park of Azerbaijan), but according to data for 2022, the populations in these countries have been almost completely exterminated.

As a habitat, the Pallas's cat prefers open steppe spaces with low snow cover in winter and a sharply continental climate. It is found in the highlands at an altitude of up to 4,000 meters above sea level - in rocky crevices, rocky outcrops, semi-desert areas of mountains and bush thickets. Practically does not live in forests and lowlands.

Interesting Facts

Some interesting facts about the Pallas cat:

1. In 1996, the Tajikistan Post dedicated a series of 12 stamps to Pallas's cat. Postage stamps with cats were also issued in Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan.
2. The Pallas cat was included in the issues of UN and Benin stamps, which were dedicated to rare species of animals.
3. In 1996, Turkmenistan issued a commemorative silver coin with a face value of 500 manat, on which the Pallas cat was displayed.
4. In October 2012, the Pallas's cat was chosen as the mascot of the Moscow Zoo by electronic voting.
5. In 2008, the “Pallas cat” meme appeared on the RuNet in the form of images of a cat with the caption “Pet the cat.”
6. In 2016, the Bank of Russia issued a silver coin with a face value of 2 rubles, dedicated to the Pallas cat from the “Red Book” series.
7. Pallas' cats are found in mountainous areas at an altitude of 3000-4800 m.
8. Dense fur and short legs make it difficult for a cat to move, so a fast-running Pallas' cat is a rare occurrence.
9. When in danger, wild cats hide in the hope that no one will notice them. But if he is found, the attacker will not be happy. Manul fights desperately, not for life, but for death.
10. Pallas' cats tolerate cold temperatures down to -50°C. They are protected by thick fur.
11. Pallas' cats are loners by nature; they do not need the company of their relatives. The fathers of the offspring shift the responsibility for raising the kittens to the female, but in case of danger they will kill any offender.
12. Each animal lives on an area of ​​up to 10 km².
13. Pallas' cats cannot meow, but they snort and growl great.
14. Pallas' cats prefer to remain silent. Even kittens are silent so as not to attract the attention of enemies.
15. Pallas's cat is an ancient creature. Scientists estimate its age at 12 million years. Thanks to their secluded lifestyle, their appearance has changed little.