Some of the World's Most Beautiful and Rare Cats Are Also Endangered

Jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Elana

• Published in Animals
• July 31, 2017

As the world continues to change, human kind has relentlessly endangered animals and led plenty of others to go extinct as well. 

It's a sad thought to have but it just emphasizes how important awareness and education are. Today we look at some of the world's most beautiful and rare cats and hopefully by appreciating the awe we feel in their beauty alone will help us all strive together to remove them from the endangered list, but not to make their way to the extinct list, instead, to flourish and grow so future generations can appreciate and wonder at their relentless beauty. 

Considered one of the most expensive cats in the entire world, the Pallas cat lives in the Himalayan foothills and has one feature above all else that make them unarguably unique: their pupils.

Instead of having the typical cat-shaped pupils we are used to seeing, their pupils are circular and this enables them to have a wide variety of expressions other cats cannot. 

The Fishing Cat originates and is most commonly found in both South Asia and South East Asia.

So, what makes this frisky feline so special? They are twice the size of the average cat but that's not their fun fact. Instead, it's the chuckling sound they make! It's one of the coolest sounds a cat could ever make and it's unique to them. They're also notorious for loving the water, though that is a personality trait that seems to vary cat by cat. 

The Sand Cat is found in a few different areas: North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

They have a thick fur that gives them the ability to not only endure but flourish in the extreme temperatures of the places they inhabit. However, it is a sound they make that separates them from the rest of the cat world. While the previous cat could chuckle, the Sand Cat makes high-pitched barking noises while looking for a mate. Interesting! 

Known in a Universe of good climbers (because cats are really, really good climbers,) the Margay is one of the best. They are the only cats known that can climb down trees head first! 

The clever climber is found primarily in both Central America and South America. 

The Carcal is a fascinating cat with a fascinating history. They have been found in Africa, the Middle East, India and Central Asia but before the 20th Century they served a very specific purpose. They were tamed and used for hunting in Egypt! Don't be too shocked though, these impressive cats can actually hunt birds by jumping a whopping 10 feet in the air!

The Jaguarundi are an impressive jungle cat. They usually live in the dense jungles of South America and the southern parts of North America.

They also are considered to have a rather unusual appearance!

These beautiful Borneo cats are dangerously endangered. There is less than 2,500 cats of this species left in the wild today. It's name, however, is not very clever. It's named simply where it can be found... in Borneo. 

Sadly, when people are aware of their rarity in this world they tend to trap them because they know both zoos and breeders would pay top dollars for them. Zoos are supposed to be safe refuges for animals that cannot live in the wild anymore, not a place to trap and force animals into an existence they don't belong in and surely this behavior is contributing to their decline. 

Native to the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra these cats are endangered because the wetlands that they inhabit are being devastated by humans. Today, there are less than 10 of these little guys living in captivity. 

One of the things that makes these cats so interesting is that they make a noise similar to a domesticated cat's purr. 

Another endangered cat based out of the Andes, the Andean Mountain Cat has less than 2,500 in the wild. Sadly, they are hunted for their fur. To make matters even worse, though, not only are they hunted but their natural habitat is unfriendly since it is being devastated, this is significantly affecting the food sources for the Andean Mountain Cat. 

The silver lining is that in every country these cats currently live in... there are serious laws to protect them! Hopefully, this is a good step in keeping them on our planet!

Based out of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador, the Pampas Cat is also endangered yet again because of the relentless destruction of their natural habitat. When a wild animal's natural habitat is destroyed it destroys their food supply and the issues quickly pile up. 

One of the cooler known facts about these fascinating cats is that scientists believe that each of their three distinct coats (found in distinct and specific areas where they live) represent unique species of the breed!

These cats were surely a sight to behold! Check out these cats, from underneath! It might sound strange but we swear, it's well worth it.

Elana