tigger or tiger?
The wildcat may seem like a cute (rather large) tabby cat, but they've been in Britain for over 2 million years, surviving where the sabre toothed tiger, wooly mammoth, and lynx all perished . Our pet moggies, on the other hand, were brought here by the Romans just 2,000 years ago, mere seconds compared to the wildcat. The wildcat's small size doesn't hinder its aittitude - it acts and strides around like a lion or tiger, just scaled down a little! They are far more muscular than our domesticated cats, and their coat is 50% thicker than a tabbie (useful during winter)! It's dense coat not only keeps it warm in winter, but also camoflauges it in the dark woods of Scotland. Although there are no predators of the wildcat around in Scotland now, this coat is still useful for such a shy creature. Unlike our pets,, they don't like people and won't nudge your legs asking for dinner!
Wildcats are extremely territorial - they live alone in their own patch, marking the boundaries between patches with their version of fences - excrement. 'Spray' (urine) and 'Scat' (poo) are the signposts of the wildcat world, warning any other cat to keep out! Other ways of marking territory are by rubbing themselves against objects, leaving their scent behind. Wildcats will also leave claw marks in trees, as any wildcat in the vacinity can tell who's claw mark it is, and therefore the territory's owner.
smelly signposts!