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Marbled cat(Felis marmorata, or Pardofelis marmorata)
Phylum —chordata
Class — mammalia
Order — сarnivora
Family — felidae
Genus – pardofelis
Appearance
A Marbled cat has rounded ears and a very long tail. The ground colour of its long fur varies from brownish-grey to ochreous brown above and greyish to buff below. It is patterned with black stripes on the short and round head, on the neck and back. On the tail, limbs and underbelly it has solid spots. On the flanks it has irregular dark-edged blotches that fuse to dark areas and look like a 'marbled' pattern. Its paws are webbed between the digits and are completely sheathed. Its coat is thick and soft. Spots on the forehead and crown merge into narrow longitudinal stripes on the neck, and irregular stripes on the back. The legs and underparts are patterned with black dots, and the tail is marked with black spots proximally and rings distally. It has large feet and unusually large canine teeth. Marbled cats range from 45 to 62 cm (18 to 24 in) in head-body length with a 35 to 55 cm (14 to 22 in) long and thickly furred tail that indicates the cat's adaptation to an arboreal lifestyle, where the tail is used as a counterbalance. Recorded weights vary between 2 and 5 kg (4.4 and 11.0 lb).
Habitat
A Marbled cat occurs along the eastern Himalayan foothills and in tropical Indomalaya eastward into southwest China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is primarily associated with moist and mixed deciduous-evergreen tropical forests. Its distribution in India is confined to the north-eastern forests.
Behavior
Marbled cats are thought to be nocturnal and solitary, although recent studies show activity during day as well as night. They are territorial animals and their home range usually covers a territory the size of 2.2 square miles. A Marbled cat is characterized as being very active, with a great capacity to climb and jump.
Diet
Marbled cats primarily prey on birds and small arboreal mammals. They eat mammalsinclude tree squirrels, tree shrews, mice and rats, fruit bats and small primates. Their primary prey is thought to be birds up pheasant size. They also eat lizards, frogs, and insects.
Reproduction
Marbled cats are polygynous, which means that one male mates with multiple females. A breeding season has not been reported, and it may vary from region to region. After a gestation period of 81 days, a female produces a litter of 1-4. By 16 days the kittens’ eyes will be fully open, and they can walk by around 22 days. Females invest heavily in their offspring through the periods of gestation and lactation, and they also put in significant time with care post-weaning, as well as teaching. A Marbled cat reaches maturity at about 21 months.
In captivity
Marbled cats live for up to 12 years in captivity.
The best way to gain an animal`s respect is to hand-feed it since its childhood. So it will know that having you nearby is safe for it.
It is prohibited to play “fighting with an arm or a foot” with a kitten. It is better to use toys otherwise getting mature it will think that your own arms and feet are toys, it will bite and scratch them. It is recommended to play with a cat in the bathroom or in the swimming pool using “swimming” toys.
It is prohibited to shout at the cat or to beat it. For example, if it constantly climbs your dining table it should be punished by a spray or an air pump. You should say, ‘Don`t do it!” and blow hard. The Marbled catwill learn a lesson quickly and in the futurea verbal command will be enough.
If playing a cat scratches or bites you, you should leave it alone. It will soon understand that it does something wrong if it is alone. These animals are very smart and require training as dogs do.
It is important all the family members pay attention to their Marbled cat. You are its parents, its flock where it is safe and it is grateful for it.
It is necessary to teach a Marbled cat to use a toilet with a filler (desirably with a wood one). If it pooped in the wrong place you shouldn`t scold at it, you should give a verbal explanation and show the right place.Keep its toilet clean.
It is necessary to vaccinate Marbled cats as domestic cats. But you should be sure that the vaccination is of a good quality and does not contain active viruses. Otherwise your pet may fall ill and die. It is very important. Your pet can`t explain you what it hurts that`s why if you pay attention to its strange behavior and to the strange way it moves you must take it to the vet immediately.
Its diet consists of some raw meat with bones – poultry and beef (for example, chicken and quail thighs, wings, hearts, liver, cervixes). It`s preferably to add special vitamins with calcium supplements. Grownup cats eat from 0.3 up to 0.8 kilos of meat per day.
