Cat manul what breed. Manul lifestyle and nutrition

manul- This wild steppe cat, who lives in the region of Central Asia, as well as in Western China, Mongolia, Tibet and other countries. Today, this cat is practically unexplored.

Exploring the Caspian steppes, a scientist named Peter Pallas was very surprised by such an incredible find. After all, he is the lucky one who saw the very first manul.

This happened at the end of the eighteenth century. The scientist could not even think that in front of him is one of the oldest representatives of the cat family. This fluffy predatory animal struck a naturalist from Germany, first of all, with its unusual appearance.

The name "manul", which came from the Turkic dialects, the scientist did not like, so the cat was named Otocolobus, which translates as "ugly ear".

The ears of this representative of the cat families are indeed quite original in appearance, but are they really that ugly? Most likely, the scientists hurried with the name. There is another name for manula - Pallas cat.

The fluffy and beautiful fur of the manul brought him a lot of trouble: these cats were actively exterminated. Today manul is under protection, photo available in the Red Book. You can't hunt these cats.

Evolution has hardly affected the appearance of this cute and beautiful animal. Today, the manul, all the advantages of which are very clearly visible in numerous photos, looks the same as he looked in ancient times.

Description of manul cats

In general, this feline breed has quite a few differences from the most common domestic cats. The length of the manul's body and tail, the shape of the skull and everything else is very similar to the classic cat standards common among pets. But, a clear difference is the length of the paws - they are short, and because of the very fluffy coat of the manul, the limbs look plump, however, this can be said about the whole animal as a whole. The average weight of a manul is about five kilograms.

This cat has very soft fur, it is long, fluffy and silky to the touch. Scientists say that about nine thousand hairs grow on one square meter of the manul's body. The wool of the manul is light gray, and the tips are light. On the tail, as a rule, there are horizontal circles of dark color.

The tail itself is gray in color, with a black rounded tip. On the tips of the ears of this cat there are lighter hairs. The cheeks are also covered with black stripes, most often there are two of them. There are similar patterns all over the body. The lower body of the animal is brown in color with light spots.

An interesting feature of manuls is that the pupils of their eyes are called tiger ones, as they have a rounded shape, which distinguishes these cats from their domesticated "relatives". They are yellow in color, round and rather convex. Another difference is that the eyes are quite wide apart.

Since the weather in the steppe area is almost always windy, and the air temperature is most often high, the eyes of the manul are developed in such a way that it constantly blinks - so the eyes do not dry out. Although these animals live in natural conditions, their claws are not worn off, but on the contrary, they are long and sharp.

In the wild, such an animal can live for about ten years, but in captivity, manulas often reach the age of twenty.

The size of the manula is similar to ordinary cats, but its appearance is quite massive. It is worth saying that in reality these animals weigh half as much as ordinary domestic Maine Coons.

Animal standard:

• strong body;
• somewhat flat muzzle;
• wool of a gray shade with light tips;
• black stripes on the tail and body, the tail is black;
• brightened tips of the ears;
• two black stripes on the cheeks;
• large yellow eyes with unusual pupils.

Cat breeds

Today, three varieties of manul breeds are known. They do not have much difference from each other. Their bodies do not differ in size, but there is a slight difference in the color of the coat.

Simple manul

As mentioned above, the coat color of a simple manula– light gray, usually animal lives in the steppes of Mongolia, Siberia and China. At the end of the eighteenth century, this cat shocked the whole world with its appearance.

Central Asian

The color of such cats is quite different from those described above. The wool of these manuls has a red tint, as well as stripes of red, which can be seen quite clearly. These representatives can be seen in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and so on. For the first time, people were able to get acquainted with the manuls of this breed in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Tibetan

The shade of the coat of the Tibetan manul is slightly darker than the standard one, and in winter its coat acquires a beautiful silver color. This wild animal is found in Iran, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and so on. Tibetan manuls first became known from the middle of the nineteenth century.

The nature and habits of manul cats

Manul can be called a real loner, a steppe warrior.

manul cat, whose photo is now so much on the Internet, has a difficult character, it is difficult for him to get along even with his own relatives.

In fact, these cute animals with always a serious expression of the muzzle are real lovers of loneliness.

They arrange their dwellings in mountain crevices, in small caves, they will be delighted if an abandoned fox or badger hole comes across on their way.

Manuls hunt at night, as is customary for most predatory animals. Although, a manul that went hunting early in the morning or late in the evening is also not such an exception to the rule.

They like to walk during the daytime, especially when it comes to the spring or summer season. They, like all cats, love to bask in the sun.

Almost everything in your life manul does it slowly, without too much haste. They hunt down the future victim with dignity and calmness, and then overtake it from an ambush. It is convenient for them to track prey right next to its hole. At wild manuls excellent reaction, which gives them the opportunity to successfully hunt and get their own food.

Sensing danger, the manul instantly hides, in rare cases it happens that he immediately tries to hide in a shelter. However, manul- not a helpless animal, although it may seem different. He knows how to make a formidable roar, as well as attack the offender.

Manuls can't purr. From them it is very rare to hear even the usual cat's meow. When communicating with relatives, they make rude sounds similar to the exclamation of "wow". Meeting with the offender manul cat will growl and hiss.

Manul cat care

At first it may seem that contain manula quite easy at home: wild cat will be able to live in a relatively small space, and their menu does not include any very unusual components.

However, these furry predators are rarely seen even in large zoos, and they do not always want to breed there.

A very small number of zoos can proudly claim that they have success in breeding manuls in captivity. There are only three such zoos in the Russian Federation.

homemade manul it is very difficult to keep in captivity, it is fraught with big problems.

small manula kittens may simply not live to adulthood, as they are prone to various diseases. The most terrible disease for these kids is toxoplasmosis.

In the steppe expanses, in the homeland of manuls, frosty winters and bright sun. They do not allow bacteria and viruses to develop, so cats living in the wild do not get sick. But a domesticated cat can easily pick up almost any disease.

It is not recommended to keep manula V domestic conditions. This animal is a predator that simply cannot become attached to the owner. Some of the manuls are not nervous when communicating with a person, however, they do not show any special emotions and are not eager to establish contact.

At an early age, manul learns what the instinct of a hunter is. Animals have sharp teeth with which they bite painfully.

This pet with a difficult disposition, even if it was not born in the wild, can not be explained that you just want to stroke it or play with it.

Those who still want to buy a manul will have to do this in accordance with the law of the country, since this is a protected animal species.

Manul will be too unusual and wayward pet, resisting establishing any contact with its owner.

Manul - an inhabitant of the Asian steppes, is one of the most interesting cat species. For twenty thousand years of its existence on Earth, this cat has not changed much.

The manul was first described by the German naturalist Peter Pallas when he met a cat in the Caspian steppes. As a result, the manul was given the second name of the carpet cat.

Manul description

The size of the palas cat is comparable to the size of an ordinary domestic cat. The length of the body does not exceed 65 cm, the tail is 31 cm, and the weight of the manul is not more than 6 kg. It differs from the usual domestic "purr" only in long thick hair, massive paws and unusual ears. The ears of the manul are wide, rounded, placed on the sides of the head, from which long hairs descend. The color of the coat varies from the habitat of the manuls. But in all places where manuls live, gray wool has white tips, resulting in the impression of snow-covered fur. 6-7 black stripes about 1 cm wide stretch across the back. The tail is gray, black at the end with seven transverse narrow stripes. Two black stripes run under the eyes through the cheeks: one to the base of the ear, the other under the ear to the neck.

Manul lifestyle and reproduction

Unlike other small cats in open areas. These felines lead a solitary lifestyle and are active at dusk. mainly on mouse-like rodents. This is the slowest cat, he almost never catches up with his prey. After hunting, the manul likes to rest in his lair, which is most often located among the gorges of the mountains or in the holes of other animals.

Only during the mating season does manul meet with females. After mating, the female brings kittens after 60 days of pregnancy. Babies appear in April or May. Most often, from two to six blind and helpless kittens appear in a litter, but it happens that up to 10 kittens are born in one litter, but more often there are 3 or 5 babies in a litter. The weight of a newborn manul is about 70-250 grams and 12 cm long. I start seeing babies on the 10-12th day of life. Already at the age of 3-4 months, kittens themselves hunt. Grown up manuls leave their mother at the age of 10 months, at the same age the females of the manul can have their cubs. Manul live for about 12 years.

lurking manul

Manul in the Red Book

Manul is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List. Also, the manul is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tuva and Buryatia, and the Trans-Baikal Territory.

The number of manul in Russia has recently begun to increase slightly. According to the latest data for 2011, about 10,000-13,000 individuals live in South-Eastern Transbaikalia, namely in the Daursky Reserve. It is quite difficult to establish the exact number of manul in other regions of its habitat due to the hidden nature of the animal.

The main reasons for the disappearance of the manul are human activities: the use of pesticides to bait rodents that feed on the manul, hunting, the use of traps, traps, loops to catch other animals, habitat destruction, keeping domestic dogs without a leash. Also, one of the reasons for the small number of the palas cat is its natural enemies, owls and wolves, they are especially dangerous for young individuals. The number of manuls can be reduced due to high snow cover up to 20 cm and prolonged ice. Often, manuls die from various kinds of infectious diseases.

Now active work is underway to restore the number of manul and return it to the places where it once lived.

Manul (Pallas cat) is a living relic, an ancient representative of the cat family, a wild and lonely hunter from the distant past, as incomprehensible and unpredictable as it has not been fully studied. The word "manul" is of Turkic origin and that's all that can be said on this topic. Who and why called him that remains a mystery.

At the end of the 18th century, the German naturalist Peter Pallas, traveling through the Caspian steppes, first met this strange animal, described its appearance, habits, and lifestyle. Since then, the manul has been called the pallas cat. There is also a third species name, but more on that later.

Habitat

Low temperatures, low snow cover, steppe expanses with grass swaying in the wind, thickets of bushes and air of freedom are the optimal habitat for manuls. Furry predators are found in the mountains at an altitude of up to 4 thousand meters, where they feel quite comfortable and natural. The only necessary condition for life in the mountains is the presence of rocky outcrops. Animals tolerate the harsh everyday life of the continental climate well and practically do not get sick.

They live in the highlands of Transcaucasia, the steppes of Transbaikalia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Kashmir, western China, and on the elevated plains of Mongolia. The distribution area, due to active human activity and illegal fishing, is constantly decreasing, breaking up into isolated foci. As a result, the population is now critically reduced. The manul animal is under state protection and is listed in the Red Book.

Appearance

The appearance of the manul, thanks to a thick coat, is deceptive. Outside, he is a fat and unwieldy lout, but inside, under a layer of wool, there is a very frail creature the size of an ordinary domestic cat, perhaps somewhat wider in bones, denser and more muscular in body.

• The weight of the animal does not exceed 2 - 5 kg, the length of the body is 52 - 65 cm, the tail is of medium length - 23 - 31 cm, the legs are thick and squat.
• In the structure of the skull of the manul, lynx features were noticed: a small, compared to the body, flattened and wide head, whiskers on the muzzle, large yellow eyes with almost round pupils, like those of a lynx.
• The ears are special - small, semi-circular in shape, fluffy, without tassels, set wide apart on the sides and located almost at eye level. They give the cat a wary look with a stern piercing look and serve as a calling card. With the light hand of scientists, who for some reason did not like the ears, the animal received its third name - Otocolobus, which in Latin means "Ugly ear".
• Manul has a specific piebald coloration that allows it to merge with the surrounding landscape. At the base, woolen hairs are painted in light gray or ocher color, at the very end - in white. The tail with a rounded end is decorated with dark rings, the back is marked by several transverse lines (there are also manulas without stripes).

The wild cat manul is the only owner of the thickest and fluffiest coat among its relatives, and this is even compared to Persian cats. The increased fluffiness is explained not so much by the length of the wool (in manuls it is 7 cm, in Persian cats - 12 cm) as by the incredible density of hairs per 1 cm 2 of the skin - up to 9 thousand.

Subspecies

Representatives of the population do not differ in a special variety of characters and stubbornly pass on their "prehistoric forms" from generation to generation. There are three known subspecies:

1. The Siberian subspecies of the manul is distributed in China, Mongolia, Transbaikalia, the Altai Territory, Tyva. The color of the fur is typical, represented by light gray shades, the tips of the wool are white.
2. The Tibetan subspecies (distributed in Nepal, Tibet, Kashmir) is endowed with a darker fur color, has pronounced black spots on the head and stripes on the tail and back. In winter, the coating acquires a silver tint.
3. The Central Asian subspecies of manul lives in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, it is distinguished by a reddish-ocher color. The stripes on the body and tail are clear, with a red tint.

Lifestyle

Manul does not like to change his place of residence often and is a staunch supporter of loneliness, living stably within his own hunting grounds. Deals with violators of private territory quickly and harshly. Sentimentality and tenderness shows during the courtship of the female.

Under the lair, manul chooses secluded places - rock crevices, shelters under stones, small caves, long abandoned burrows of other animals. He spends part of the night and most of the day there. She uses the shelter all year round - in the summer she escapes from the heat and waits out the cold in the winter. In nature, it has practically no enemies. The most famous of them is the wolf, and raptors (golden eagles, steppe eagles) are also dangerous.

A secretive, cautious manul cat is in no hurry to get involved in a fight, prefers to wait out the danger in a shelter or climbs stones and rocks with lightning speed. In a state of alarm, he snorts hoarsely, purrs, but does not know how to purr like a cat. Manul rarely catches the eye of a man, he immediately tries to run away, without showing the slightest curiosity.

Hunting and food

Wild manul shows hunting activity mainly at dusk, early in the morning or after sunset.. In the daytime, especially in summer, he is not averse to basking in the sun and hunting for small birds and mice.

The manul's diet is quite varied. The most favorite and affordable dish is pikas. It does not refuse insects, various small rodents - ground squirrels, voles, gerbils, hamsters. With luck, hares, marmots, birds nesting on the ground become prey.

The principle of hunting is quite simple - to hide, watch, make a sharp throw, strike and grab. On occasion, manul can use its paws and, taking out prey, dig a shallow mink. Fast running for long distances is not for manul. Such a load his little heart simply - simply can not stand. Dexterity, natural camouflage, and cunning help you get the desired trophy.

Reproduction and care of offspring

The scarce information about reproduction in nature is explained by the hidden way of life of this animal. The peak of activity is observed once a year and falls on February - March. Before mating, the manul cat gently cares for the female, attracting her attention in every possible way, drives away other males. Having achieved the goal, he hides forever in the wilds of his possessions.

A pregnant manul cat is allowed to have offspring in a pre-prepared den no later than 2 months after conception. The offspring is not small - from two to six kittens. According to the observations of scientists, the number of manul cubs can sometimes reach eight or even ten.

Babies are born blind, small (from 100 to 300 grams), no more than 12 cm long, their eyes are opened on 10-12 days. Manul cat feeds kittens with milk. They grow quickly: by two months, a small manul weighs almost 500 grams, at 3-4 months it goes on the first hunt, at 6-8 months it acquires the size of an adult, at 10 months it acquires puberty.

In captivity, the animal lives 11 - 12 years. Conditions close to habitual life can only be created in a zoo. But even there, acclimatization is difficult - the immunity of the manul decreases, the animal begins to get sick.

A protected enclosure quickly becomes a home environment and a safe haven. The new place of residence of manul frees from strangers with the help of teeth and claws, steadfastly protects from encroachment in the future. These predators in the zoo feed on their usual food, lead an active lifestyle, can breed and care for their offspring. Pallas's cubs born in captivity have low immunity and are prone to disease, quite often they do not live to puberty.

Manul at home is a rare, unpredictable phenomenon. The animal has an indomitable disposition, practically cannot be domesticated, eschews humans and other pets.

Taken by a small helpless kitten, the domestic manul quickly forgets those who fed him or tried to tame him. It shows the traits of a predator from the age of four months, in response to a gentle movement in relation to it, it can immediately pounce, scratch and even bite.

The owner of a fluffy animal will have to come to terms with wallpaper torn to shreds, curtains, furniture spoiled forever, and given the pet’s twilight lifestyle, with sleepless nights. Certain inconveniences are caused by the increased fluffiness of animals - domestic manuls constantly shed, shedding their hair in tatters, require frequent combing and other hygiene procedures.

Manula kittens in captivity often get sick due to imperfect immunity. It is difficult to cure them, and sometimes even impossible. Diseases are not thoroughly studied, there are no special methods of treatment for them, standard ones are not suitable.

Buying a manul is not at all easy, real breeders are rare. Catching animals is prohibited and they are protected by law. This must be remembered when purchasing a pet from hand. Before you decide on such an act, you should think it over well. One thing is clear - a normal and fulfilling life awaits a manul in the wild or in a zoo, but not in an apartment. The price of an animal on the market starts from $3,000.

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

Manul is very similar in size to an ordinary domestic cat, and although it seems to be much larger than a cat, this is only because of the thick and long (up to seven centimeters) hair. The standard size of the manul's body length is within 65 cm, and the weight can reach only 5 kg. The coat color of this predator is light gray interspersed with white or yellowish. Looking at him, it seems that he was covered with snow, and this is the perfect disguise in the wild. Manul differs from a domestic cat also in its wide
flat head, as well as small, widely spaced ears. The pupils, unlike the pupils of a domestic cat, do not acquire a slit-like appearance even in bright light, but remain permanently round. The lifespan of a manul in captivity is 11 or 12 years, and in the wild it is not known how many years they live. There are manuls in the wild in the Caucasus, Asia, Mongolia and China. This species of cats is on the verge of extinction, but since they have a very secretive nature, it is not possible to calculate the exact number of manuls in nature.

Manuls are unpretentious, therefore they easily adapt to life in a zoo, however, as for reproduction, it is worse in captivity than in the wild. And those kittens that are born within the walls of the zoo do not have very good immunity and are prone to various infections that are fatal to them.

Wild cat lifestyle

The habitat of the manul is the territory where low temperatures prevail and the climate is harsh in general, without a lot of snow. He chooses mountainous semi-desert areas for housing, he can even be in the mountains, reaching a height of 4 km. The abundance of shrubs also refers to the preferences of manul. Almost never changes his favorite places, settles in an abandoned badger or fox hole. Leads a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle, hunts strictly at this time. Manul cannot be called fast and agile, on the contrary, he is clumsy and slow. When he hides from enemies or hunts for prey, he hides on a rock and waits. It is almost impossible to notice it, because due to its color it merges with mountain nature.

Manul's hunting lies in the fact that he guards his prey at her hole, and when he hides and sits in ambush among the stones, he patiently waits for the appearance of a rodent. It happens that he comes across a baby marmot, a gopher, and also a hare. When there are problems with food and it becomes scarce, manul begins to eat insects.

The mating season for manuls happens once a year and falls on February - March. The female's pregnancy lasts 2 months, after which three hundred gram blind kittens are born, whose growth reaches twelve centimeters. A maximum of six kittens are born at a time. Their eyes open after 10 or 12 days, they begin to hunt 3-4 months after birth, and become sexually mature at the age of ten months.

Photo of the breed

Can it be kept at home?

Domestication, unlike its relatives, manul is not subject to because of its indomitable nature. It is believed that if any animal is taken into the house when it is still a small kitten, then it can grow up tame, with behavior no different from a domestic cat. But this is not about manul. There are no guarantees that he will survive. Even if he is brought up by a domestic cat along with his kittens, then the manul will not be able to love them, and when he grows up, he will be away from both his half-sisters and brothers, and from people whom he has known since childhood. You need to know about this in advance before the manul appears within the walls of the house in order to decide for yourself whether such a wayward pet will suit you.

Manul at home

In the zoo, as mentioned above, manul can easily live and even breed. This is due to the fact that it is much easier to create conditions for him as close as possible to his habitat in the wild. The manul has become so alienated precisely because it lives in areas with a very small population. And in the conditions of the zoo, being in his enclosure, he will feel at home. Today, one and a half hundred manuls can be found in 50 zoos around the world.

But with manuls in the walls of a house or apartment, everything is much more complicated. As you know, some breeds of domestic cats can constantly hide somewhere, and protect their shelter from people trying to get into it. Manul will behave the same - will
to defend the place staunchly allocated to him for housing. Although by nature it is not an aggressive predator, but in this case it is quite capable of attacking a person. And his teeth and claws are sharper than any domestic cat.

If the manul gets sick, then, since he does not let anyone near him because of his unsociableness, it will be problematic to examine him in order to diagnose the disease and treat him. With reproduction in an apartment, manuls, in contrast to keeping in zoos, will also have great difficulties.

Problems created by manul at home

Manul is such an uncommunicative feline representative, he would hardly have noticed the disappearance of animals and humans from the face of the earth. That is why people who decide to settle this predator in their home should think carefully. Some, despite possible difficulties or due to a banal misunderstanding, still decide to start a manul. In this case, they run the risk of facing the following problems:

Knowing about all the difficulties of keeping manul at home, you should not focus only on your desire. There are cases when people, succumbing to an impulse, settled these predators at home, but very quickly realized that they could not tame him after all, and brought them to the zoo. But it is safe to say that it is not recommended to keep a manul at home for two reasons: firstly, it can damage not only a person’s home, but also himself, and secondly, the manul is already on the verge of extinction, which is why keeping him in captivity is considered a very irresponsible act.

Octolobus Manul is another name for the breed, which means “ugly” in translation. There is no single opinion about the appearance of the cat. Some consider him a terrible and formidable monster, while others find him cute. A wild relative differs seriously from a domestic cat. First of all, it concerns the size.

The length of the cat at the withers reaches 65 cm. The body is knocked down, confidently rests on 4 short legs. The weight of the animal reaches 7 kg. The body is strong and massive. The head is broad and set low. Thick coat reliably protects the cat from cold nights and harsh weather conditions. By the way, the fur coat of the animal became a stumbling block. Because of the fur, Manul was on the verge of extinction. Although there are cases when cats grew up in zoos and bred in an artificial environment.

In the wild, he relies only on himself. In pursuit of prey, a dense skeleton and muscle mass of the cat was formed. The fat layer is present, but not much.

In the scientific community, a wild cat belongs to the same type. Scientists recognize 3 varieties of the breed. A typical representative does not differ in a rare color, it is found on the territory of Mongolia and China. The Central Asian subspecies is distinguished by a rare color and valuable fur. Tibetan Manul is a dream. Wool unusual, gray-silver range. It gets a little darker in summer.

Distinctive features:

• Characteristic dark stripes on the body and back.
• Bone physique.
• Silver shade of wool with light tips.
• The tips of the ears are whitened.
• Large bulging eyes with round pupils.
• Two black stripes on the cheeks.
• Massive head.
• The tail is black.

Another feature of the Pallas cat is the presence of nictitating membranes, thanks to which the pupils of the animal are reliably protected from adverse weather conditions and the mechanical impact of other predators. In the wild, predatory cats live a little over 10 years. They live twice as long in captivity. But this does not mean at all that the Octolobus Manul is suitable for home maintenance.

Origin of the breed

The history of the Pallas cat deserves special attention. 50 million years ago, the beast Miacid lived on the planet. This is the oldest progenitor of modern cats, dogs, bears and other mammals. A little later, Dinikt appeared - the closest relative of all modern cats. The growth of a small lynx, had a thick coat, an elongated body (like a weasel), a short tail and enviable for those times agility.

After 20 million years, Dinikt began to evolve and "divide" into large and small cats, which led to a shortening of the spine and stretching of the paws. And only 1 million years ago, cats acquired the look familiar to our eyes.

Yes, that's just Octolobus did not move into any type of cat. In fact, this is a transitional species - a living relic. What does it mean? To answer this question, let's think about how big cats differ from small ones.

The first ones know how to roar and do it very well. Predators emit a deep, menacing, loud and powerful roar, alerting those around them to their presence. But not all cats can do this Puma, for example, seems to be large, but cannot roar. Therefore, it applies to small cats.

Another difference is the reaction of the pupil. In large animals, it narrows to a point, in small animals, to a narrow gap. For this reason, most tigers and jaguars in the photo have almost human eyes.

Now let's look at Manul. A small body of a dense physique, short legs, a typical cat's head with round eyes. It turns out that he belongs to the big cats, despite the small size. But he can't cry. Moreover, this cat does not know how to purr and meow, which, by the way, is perfectly done by tamed tigers.

For the first time, the German naturalist Peter Pallas met Manul, after whom the cat later received its second name. During the research of the Caspian steppes, carried out at the end of the 18th century, the scientist realized that before him was the oldest representative of the cats, since this representative retained the features of a noble predator and an ordinary “pooch”.

Translated from the Turkic “Manul” means “ugly ear”. It is strange why such associations arose among scientists, because the cat has completely normal auricles.

Exterior

Octolobus is a predator, the size of which does not exceed the dimensions of a domestic cat. Distinctive features are lush, thick hair, a predatory look, an atypical head structure for cats and a strongly built body. By the way, thanks to clumsiness, Manulas do not run after game - they track down prey, waiting in a secluded place.

However, you should not completely rely on the sluggishness of the cat - his reaction is lightning fast. If you try to impose affection, the cat will leave. If there is nowhere to go, the cat will lie on its back or on its side, legs crossed. This is a bad sign - rather, the animal is preparing to attack. Perhaps in the next second, 30 teeth and 18 claws will dig into your hand. And, as soon as the paws of the predator open, Manul, like a demon, will begin to tear the flesh of a potential enemy.

What can I say? When it was hunted for its rich fur, riders preferred to catch up with the predator and kill it with one blow to the head, since the cat could jump on the horse's neck and kill an innocent animal. Traditionally, traps were set, which made it possible to obtain a skin 50-70 cm long in a fawn shade with a noble guard hair.

Wool

Manul is on the verge of extinction. This is largely due to the wool of the animal. Thick and fluffy fur is the envy of poachers who have reduced the wild cat population. The coat color varies from light gray to fawn. At the ends of the hairs are white or black. On the back of the body and tail of the Manul, dark transverse stripes are another distinguishing feature of the predator. There are also dark marks on the cat's face.

The belly and paws are light in color, and the tips of the ears are black. The density of wool is the pride of Manul. Thanks to this factor, the cat seems much larger than it really is. Information for reference: there are about 9,000 hairs per 1 square centimeter of his body, the length of which reaches 70 cm. One can only guess how much this fur weighs.

torso

The size of the predator is small. The length of the body reaches 65 cm, the tail - 30 cm. The maximum weight of the cat is 7 kg. The body of the animal is dense, massive. A kind of hairball on short legs. At the same time, the predator confidently owns it and easily catches nimble mice.

The compact head has a slightly flattened shape. In combination with thick hair, this gives scientists reason to assume a relationship with Persian cats. Ears set wide apart.

Character

Manul is a wild animal that not everyone can tame. The animal is active at night. During the day, the predator tracks down prey, waiting for it near holes or stones. The cat is slow, its strong feature is perseverance. Manul can track the victim for a long time, waiting for the right moment.

It seems that Manul is an unbridled predator and it is difficult to instill the habits of a domestic cat. And yet its character differs from firmly fixed associations. Yes, this is a cautious animal that will not risk its health in vain.

Yes, he is slow, so he will prefer to wait a few more hours, rather than rush headlong to the prey. This is a born master of disguise, which can wait hours for prey in the bushes or other secluded place. The animal feels good early in the morning. The rest of the time he devotes to sleep and rest.

It is difficult to say whether it is possible to keep Manul at home. It's still a wild animal. Moreover, it is a predator that prefers loneliness. You can look at a wild cat in zoos. It is difficult to imagine how the owner of Manul will feel. Fear for your life, fear for the well-being of the animal - perhaps it is better to leave the cat alone and admire its beauty from afar.

Acceptable conditions of detention are offered only by zoos. But even in them, the cat feels vulnerable and show aggression towards its neighbors. Fangs and claws are used - the cat uses them as soon as he feels that his skin is in danger. These qualities are characteristic of those Manuls that a person tried to tame. In the wild, they are quiet and docile animals that prefer not to contact other representatives of the flora.

Distinctive behaviors:

• reclusive lifestyle . Individuals meet each other only during the period of mating games, when the guys are actively fighting for the attention of the girl. The rest of the time, representatives of the breed prefer not to communicate with each other.
• Activity at night . During the day, the cat sleeps off, gaining strength.
• Lair makes in rock crevices or caves (hence another name for the breed - cave cat), old fox holes and raccoon dwellings.
• Manulas are clumsy and slow as it seems at first glance. The animal is not adapted to fast running, but the cat perfectly shows expectant tactics.
• Mother cat is a strict parent. Kittens are brought up in severity. If the kids played out, you can grab a cuff.
• As a pet, Manul is an unfortunate option. The cat shows aggression towards children, other pets and even its own owner.

At the moment, the breed is under protection, so it is almost impossible to buy a Manul kitten. And at home, this breed takes root poorly. Still, wild blood takes precedence over human affection.

Nutrition

The main diet is small rodents, birds, partridges, larks, as well as hares and ground squirrels. In times of famine, Manul is not averse to eating insects and wild berries. Ordinary cat food is strictly prohibited. Gastronomic preferences determined the places of the cat's settlement. He equips a lair in caves and rocks, where small animals often winter.

Manul at home

Wild cat is unpredictable. Its content requires a lot of patience on the part of a person who nevertheless decided to have an exotic pet. You won’t expect a satisfied purr from him (they simply don’t know how to do this) in gratitude. Gratitude, affection and love are not about Manul. Even a tiny kitten will not curl up in its owner's lap.

The reality looks like this: damaged furniture, damaged wallpaper, curtains and curtains torn to shreds, scary sounds at night and a feeling of constant danger. When the owner is at work, the cat sleeps off and gains strength for night hunting. Early in the morning, Manul comes out of hibernation and in any way shows his wild disposition.

Another typical breed problem is rich fur. A domesticated wild cat needs constant brushing. Cats shed all 12 months, wool flies in shreds and climbs from everywhere - do you need it?

Kittens raised in captivity have a weak immune system and often get sick. In this case, it is almost impossible to cure the animal, since effective methods of treating such pets have not yet been developed.

And yet - it is not so easy to buy Manul. There are practically no official breeders, and poaching is punishable by law. Yes, and the price is from 3 thousand dollars for a wild pet. In the end, think about whether you can keep this animal at home, whether its living conditions will at least to some extent correspond to its natural habitat.

Do not forget that Manul is a rare animal. Not every nature reserve, national park or zoo can afford such a luxury. At the moment, the wild cat is on the verge of extinction. Every year, Manul falls into traps, dies at the hands of poachers and paws of dogs. The wild nature does not spare the manul either - many individuals die from hunger and other predators.

It remains only to add - there are many exotic animals that take root perfectly in the human environment. Manul is not the case. You risk ruining your life and destroying an innocent animal.