Sometimes it happens that an article remains among the most read on the site’s statistics for months or even years after its publication. This is the case with the article about the black-footed cat, which is the world’s second smallest, but undeniably one of the cutest, and most certainly the deadliest wildcat. However, according to a very recent study, it is sadly in huge trouble, threatened with extinction.

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20 cm, and only 1–3 kg, but this does not stop it from achieving an impressive 60% success rate while hunting. Just to give you a comparison, lions in a pride achieve 30%, and domestic cats 32%. As if being listed as vulnerable on the Red List weren’t enough, inbreeding is increasingly appearing within the population, exposing the species to the risk of a rare, deadly disease.

Deadly and enchanting

The future of the black-footed cat is in human hands

According to a study published in January 2024, the black-footed cat suffers from genetic isolation and inbreeding. Researchers sequenced the genomes of 10 individuals, which they compared with previous data. The analysis showed markers of inbreeding events, which may have increased as a consequence of the fragmentation of the species’ habitat. Human expansion – that is, roads and farms – cuts through the species’ natural habitats, thereby preventing potential mates from meeting. If that were not trouble enough on its own, scientists linked this phenomenon to an increased likelihood of developing amyloidosis.

This is a progressive, fatal metabolic disorder, during which “abnormal proteins are produced in the body. These protein fibres can deposit and accumulate in various tissues and organs, then damage the normal functioning of the organs and tissues.” This disease causes the death of about 70% of the black-footed cat population kept in captivity. The inflammation can not only lead to kidney failure, but also to inflammation of the cats’ ear canals. The bony structure of the inner ear of black-footed cats makes up 25% of their skull, making them particularly sensitive to this type of inflammation.

This is how this beautiful creature hunts:

More money goes to big cats

According to researchers, inbreeding can increase the frequency of these mutations, since it increases the chance that offspring inherit the same gene variant from both parents. Understandably, the genetic diversity of the population as a whole is thus lower. Many harmful mutations are recessive, meaning the offspring would only inherit them if both parents were carriers. Unfortunately, if the parents are relatives, the risk of all such mutations increases.

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These shocking data not only drew our attention to how much we make life harder for these animals, but also to the fact that we know almost nothing about small wildcats, and therefore we have very little chance of protecting them. While big cats receive much more funding for research, small wildcats get very little, even though they also have a unique role in maintaining the ecosystem.

We don’t even have to go to Africa to face a similar problem! The European wildcat, which is also native to our country, struggles not so much with inbreeding but with hybridisation, which exposes it to no fewer danger sources.