Pallas’s Cat ~

Pallas’s cats are native to central Asia. They live in shrublands, grasslands, deserts, and rocky areas and scent mark their territories. When Pallas’s cats were first discovered, naturalists mistakenly thought they were domestic Persian cats, due to their similar looks. They have thick, long fur, flat faces, and a stocky build. Their small, round ears are set low on their head allowing them to hide easily as they peer over rocks. These solitary cats only weigh between 4-11 pounds. Most cats have vertical slit-like pupils, but Pallas’s cats have round pupils. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and sometimes throughout the night. They are carnivores, eating mainly small rodents, marmots, lizards, and birds. At the Good Zoo, the Pallas’s cat is fed a special carnivore meat and small prey items like mice and chicks. These cats can yelp, growl, and purr.

Dean is the resident Pallas’s cat here at the Oglebay Good Zoo. He loves to play hide ‘n seek! He can be seen most days hiding in his blue bucket, with only his eyes and ears visible.