Scottish Wildcat

[cf]

I can't recommend Mike Tomkies enough, he's written a lot of books on Scottish wildlife, the wildcat ones stand out for me but the eagle stuff and the tear jerker Mooblie are really amazing as well. Think the real Grizzly Adams, only eloquent, English and in Scotland.

[Pythia]

I believe the wildcat/domestic cat hybrid is called a Kellis (sp) Cat. I'm sure there was one about 25 years ago at Kingussie Wildlife Park.

I have been lucky enough to see a Wildcat. Years ago I lived in village some 15 miles from Aberdeen called Kemnay. Going home one night a cat ran across the road, stopped, turned round and looked at us. There was no mistaking that it was a Wildcat. Then he turned and was off.

I used to be in the Cat's Protection League in Scotland. One lady volunteer lived not too far from Kemnay. Someone found a very young tabby kitten by the side of the road, no sign of the mother (presumed dead) so brought it to the volunteer. The kitten was very young and was hand-reared. As it grew it became obvious that this wasn't an ordinary kitten so she called in an expert who took one look at it and said it was a Wildcat kitten. The kitten was friendly enough but one day when it was older the lady decided it was time to introduce the kitten to the outdoors. Without a backward glance the kitten was off, never to be seen again. Even being hand-reared and friendly enough to sit on her lap, the call of the wild was too strong for the kitten.

[cf]

Kellas cats are large pure black hybrids but very rare, most hybrids are brown tabby and look halfway between a wildcat and a pet cat.

I could mention a book someone wrote all about them but every time I do more than blink in here my posts get deleted, if you Google you'll probably find it though.

[eeyore]

theres a decent book about big cats in britain which has chapters on the kellas cat and indeed on the dufftown cat - however these are larger than average black wild cats which may (arguably) be remaindered species ... they are not generally thought to be hybrids of felis sylvestris.

If I can find the book i'll put it's title, publisher, and isbn up - that way anyone whose interested can find it on the net / buy it on amazon without anyone having to break the site rules and post comercial links.

edit :the book i meant was:
the exmoor beast (the book also covers other big cat sightings) by di francis
Publisher: Jonathan Cape (May 6, 1993)
ISBN-10: 0224037250

however perhaps more pertinent to this thread would be her other book


My Highland Kellas Cats

Hardback: 232 pages - Discovery and origin of a ferocious new black wild cat
ISBN: 0-224-03608-4

[Pythia]

Think I'll have to get that book about the Kellas Cats. I remember there was a photo in one of the national newspapers (can't remember which one now) of the cat. It had it's ears back and was spitting furiously at the photographer. Beautiful cat though.

[Dan Salter]

There is also a version of the Kellas cat called the Rabbit Headed cat with rabbit like swept back ears and a long face.

[eeyore]

as someone else said on another thread - a little sweeping dont you think

some gamekeepers are actually very pro wildlife and do the minimum of control required and only on those species covered by the general licence.

also that 30 in a day must have been a heck of a long time ago (when attitudes were different) as you would struggle to find 3 felis silvestri in a day now let alone 30

[eeyore]

however a justifiable reason to call some keepers (and some farmers ) wildlife freindly is that good work they do for conservation - i know of more than one wildlife site which get major (free) help from local gamekeepers in protecting rare ground nesting birds from predators and from egg colectors , and numerous conservation bodies including the wildlife trusts and rspb would be lost without the help and support they get from some farmers.

making a generalisation about all of one proffesion based on a few individuals is hardly ever justified or indeed accurate, and indeed warrants the use of an eye rolling smiley to indicate exasperation at the same old "all farmers and game keepers are inherently evil" argument being rolled out again and again

farmers and game keepers are just like everyone else some good, some bad and some indifferent - but tarring them all with one brush is extremly disrespectful to those who dont deserve it.

(like wise - apologies to the OP for digressing )

[johnpolak]

It is unlikely that you saw a true Wildcat on Skye, more likely a feral cat. As far as is known there are no Wildcats on any of the Scottish islands.