Pallas’ Cat

Most of Pallas’ cat’s diet consists of pikas and other small rodents. In the winter, when prey is less available, they will switch to a more generalized foraging strategy and consume a greater variety of food items. This includes birds, carrion (or the flesh of dead animals), and insects.

At the Zoo, Pallas’ cats diet consists of mice, rats, and quail.

Their current range is throughout central Asia from western Iran to western China. Historically, populations also extended into Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. The core populations of Pallas’ cats occur in Mongolia and China now.

Pallas' Cats have a very specific habitat in rocky steppes and stony outcroppings with sparse shrub coverage.

Known predators of Pallas’ cats include foxes, wolves, and large birds of prey. Humans have also been known to hunt the species for fur or body parts, especially in Mongolia, where there is a belief that they have medicinal value.

Due to their large territories with vast areas of insufficient cover for them or their prey, Pallas’ cat populations are already naturally fragmented. With habitat degradation due to land conversion, increased livestock numbers, and resource extraction, populations are becoming increasingly isolated. Another major threat facing the species is prey loss, as pika and small rodent populations have been targeted by large-scale pest control programs. Climate change may also impact the ecosystems in which the species lives and the ability to maintain healthy breeding seasons.

Pallas’ cats are about the size of a domestic cat, but appear larger due to their long, thick coats. This thick fur provides excellent insulation from its cold and wintry habitat, along with a fluffy tail that can be wrapped around their bodies for extra warmth. The coat color ranges from light gray to yellowish buff, with white tips on each hair giving them a frosted appearance, and distinct black markings on the face and at the end of the tail. This coloration allows them to blend in with the stepped terrain around them. With a flat head and short ears set low on the sides of their head, they can remain undetected when peering over boulders while stalking their prey in an area with very little cover.

Pallas’ cats have large yellow eyes with pupils that contract into small circles rather than the typical vertical slits of most felines. They possess well-developed nictating membranes, also known as third eyelids, which shield them from the cold and frequent dust storms in their native habitats.

Breeding for Pallas' cats occurs between December and March and is dependent on the availability of light. If the natural light cycle is disrupted, they will not breed until the following year. After a gestation period of approximately 75 days (about 2 and a half months), pregnant females will produce one litter of kittens a year between late March and May. These kittens are born in a den, blind, and completely dependent on their mother. Male Pallas cats do not provide any parental care.

Kittens typically stay in the den for about two months after birth, during which time they develop their adult coat. When they are three to four months old, they accompany their mother in groups in search of food. Between four and five months of age, the kittens leave their mother, and by this time, they are usually fully grown. The young cats may travel far from their birthplace and mature quickly, becoming capable of reproducing within their first year.

Pallas’ cats have a unique “lip quiver” behavior used to communicate -- humans may interpret the behavior as sneering. They utilize scent marking and vocalizations, as well. One vocalization is a short, sharp “spit” sound with closed lips. Another vocalization used to communicate during breeding season sounds like a combination of a small dog barking and the hoot of an owl.

These solitary, nocturnal cats sleep in small caves or openings in their rocky habitat. They are specialists in their habitat, adapting their behaviors and habits to stay safe in rocky areas as much as possible. Dens play an important role in raising young, mating, protection from the elements and predators, and feeding. However, Pallas’ cats cannot excavate their own dens, so they depend heavily on abandoned marmot burrows and naturally occurring rock crevices or caves.