Profile by Phil Crosby

Asian golden cat, Temminck's golden cat

Catopuma temminckii

Ben Willis has found feral cats in the USA with Golden Cat characteristics

Unusually, these cats often hunt in pairs and the males are thought to play an active role in rearing the young.

Life span
Asian golden cats can live for up to 20 years in captivity.

Statistics
Body length: 75-105 cm, Tail length: 40-55 cm, Shoulder height: 50-60 cm, Weight: 6-15 kg. Males are larger than the females.

Physical Description
Asian golden cats have a golden-red, dark brown, black or grey coat. There is considerable variation in their markings - some individuals have a pattern of spots on the body but most are uniform in colour. The belly and inner sides of the limbs are spotted and the head is typically striped with black and white.

Distribution
They range from Nepal to Southern China and Sumatra.

Habitat
Asian golden cats are generally found in forest habitats.

Diet
Their typical prey includes large rodents, small deer, lizards, birds, amphibians and insects.

Behaviour
They often hunt in pairs and the males are thought to play an active role in rearing the young. They are usually terrestrial but are capable of climbing trees. Asian golden cats are nocturnal.

Additional information from Ben Willis
Taken from C.A.W. Guggisberg' book "Wild Cats Of The World", he writes:

"A Temminck's Cat kept by E.P Gee was very devoted to it's master, jumping into his lap at the moment he sat down, suckling the lobes of his ears and licking his head. It played for hours with a domestic cat or with dogs, and at times went into the forest to hunt, but always returned instantly when called." " It was later given to the London Zoo."

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