Hug This Animal: Fishing Cat

I recently found myself staring at a carousel animal. I’m not sure why I picked this animal. There were tigers, lions, zebras and plenty more exotic animals featured at the carousel. A kid also picked this animal, a cat. I thought it was strange that such a domestic animal was featured in this exotic ride, but then I refocused and realized this was a fishing cat. It had a giant fish in its mouth.

I’ve observed ocelots at the zoo. They’re sleek and small, like a house cat, but it’s the fishing cat that reminds me most of my own cat. I’ve only seen fishing cats on nature shows, and that’s probably because they live in the wet areas of China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Southwest India, parts of the southern Himalayas, Thailand, Burma, Java and Sumatra.

The male fishing cat weighs in at around 25 pounds while the daintier females register at 15 pounds. They are very strong and stocky with short legs. While the primary diet of the fishing cat is believed to be fish, it has also been seen eating chickens and even dogs.

This is a very smart cat. It mimics the motion of insects by lightly tapping the surface of the water. Then, just when the unsuspecting fishy comes up, the fishing cat dives in for the efficient kill. Interesting fact — the paws of this kitty are partially webbed, allowing for easy scooping of prey like frogs or for swimming underwater to catch aquatic birds.

Since fishing cats are nocturnal, not many people get to see them fish, but the National Zoo has a video for you to watch.

That’s one amazing cat. My cat hates water, unless it’s in my glass. But this cool fishing cat is facing threats from pollution and destructive fishing practices by humans. The biggest threat facing the fishing cat is wetland destruction. The fishing cat is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. If I had to guess, I’d say the fishy cat makes it just fine. Many experts think that it’s adaptable enough to adjust to a more suburban way of life if it has to, but that’s not exactly natural.

Does the fishing cat remind you of your own cat if you have one?

Fishing cat photo via flickr.