Possibly the cutest cat in the entire world

[nineveh_uk]

Meet the rusty spotted cat, native to Sri Lanka and India. They are not actually tiny, being 35 - 48cm long, but they are the world's smallest wild cat, and a rusty spotted cat kitten amidst some large leaves looks very tiny indeed.

Here it is:

Watch on YouTube

The BBC's Big Cats is a bit of a portmanteau programme, but well worth a watch, particularly when feeling very tired so that something that comes in chunks is quite helpful. The photography is stunning and I feel a sudden urge to go on a safari. It also features a wildlife cameraman with possibly the poshest name in the natural history documentary industry: Hector Skevington-Postles.

Comments

[ironed_orchid]

I did not know about these cats until I saw this clip via facebook last week. They are so beautiful.

[nineveh_uk]

Nor did I. They are utterly irresistible.

[alithea]

That is indeed an especially posh name!

[nineveh_uk]

It's the three parts together that really make it claim the poshness prize. Two might be excusable, but not the three.

[tree_and_leaf]

That is indeed a cute cat!

[nineveh_uk]

It is exceptionally cute.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

I noticed that cat twitter has been going wild :) I saw the clip of the world's deadliest cat (the black footed cat in S Africa)--another cat that's tiny and too cute for words.

I am in awe of Hector's name!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The black-footed cat looks adorable, too, but on balance I wouldn't want one for a pet:

The cats use scent marking throughout their ranges, with males spraying urine up to 12 times an hour. Other forms of scent marking include rubbing objects, raking with claws, and depositing faeces in visible locations.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Yikes. Just a bit territorial. What a beautiful species cats are in general though.