The Tiniest Wild Cat in the World Will Make You Fall in Love With Felines All Over Again
By Aimee LutkinUpdated Jan. 17 2019, 8:14 a.m. ET
The Internet, which was created primarily for sharing pictures of cats, never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think it's run out of new ideas to show me, it comes up with a big surprise. Today that surprise is a feline called a "rusty-spotted cat." Can you believe that? A kind of cat I've never seen or heard! Incredible.
This special kitty made an appearance on the BBC program Big Cats, which is ironic because it's actually an extremely tiny cat. Fully grown, it weighs just a little over two pounds.
The cats are very rarely seen, partly because they're so tiny and partly because they only live in Sri Lanka and some parts of India. And they look like they're itty bitty kittens, no bigger than a leaf:
Don’t mind us @BBCTwo, we’re just leaving this rusty-spotted cat here... pic.twitter.com/5xIMAVJuAi
— BBC One (@BBCOne) January 7, 2018Those leaves are probably pretty big, but still.
Rusty-spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus) live in Sri Lanka.
This miniature predator is the world’s smallest cat - it weighs little more than a kilo, 200 times lighter than a lion! 🦁
— BBC One (@BBCOne) January 7, 2018The documentary also featured the fun fact that this small cat—the smallest in the world—weighs 200 times less than a lion, which is also how I am going to measure myself now. I'd say I weigh 198 times less than a lion, which is pretty good?
The rusty-spotted cat is the world’s smallest wild feline (and super cute)
At just over 1kg it’s 200 times lighter than a lion - this one is fully grown!
Find out more at #BBC #BigCats https://t.co/5IVxKqatcV pic.twitter.com/5YeIe38N6d
— Gareth Barlow (@GarethBarlow) January 8, 2018Look at this adorable video of the rusty-spotted cat slinking around, looking for even tinier meals:
Say hello to the world's smallest (and cutest?!) cat! 😻#BigCats is this Thursday 8pm on @BBCOne pic.twitter.com/FGB6qRgYxV
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) January 8, 2018That video featured a slightly under-grown sample of this small cat's look. They get a bit bigger, and definitely much fiercer looking:
The rusty-spotted cat has been called the hummingbird of the cat family, due to its size, agility & activeness. #caturday 📸: Colin Langford pic.twitter.com/igKbsaGTr4
— Wild Kingdom (@WildKingdom) June 3, 2017But who knew their faces could become so wise?
A #rare sighting of rusty spotted cat during a recent game drive in #Bandhavgarh#wildlife #ttot #wow #wildlifephotography #mptourism pic.twitter.com/w36YNlmJ4O
— Pugdundee Safaris (@PugdundeeSafari) October 15, 2017Those green eyes pierce my soul.
This pic almost seems like a picture of a normal cat, full of contempt for the human taking its picture:
Rusty-spotted cat at Axe Valley Wildlife Park @axevalleypark (6th November) pic.twitter.com/dqs7ob3eID
— Chris Boyland (@Chris_Boyland) November 7, 2016This looks like my cat right before he jumps on me to get a treat:
#CatFactMonday The Sri-Lankan #RustySpottedCat is one of only two sub-species of rusty spotted, with the other being the Indian. pic.twitter.com/USx0wDtNOF
— Big Cat Sanctuary (@TheBigCatSanct) November 6, 2017No matter how tiny the cat, it is still probably a jerk.
People were still completely enamored by this little meow face, though many fear a sudden surge in popularity will have dire consequences:
It's most unethical to want one, but I do (theoretically of course)
— ruth waterton #FBPE (@mefinx) January 8, 2018Oh my gosh, that is the CUTEST little thing! I can't wait to watch this with my kids! 😍❤️
— The Scientific Mom (@Scientific_Mom) January 8, 2018Great now the illegal sale of theses cats will skyrocket and they'll suffer as they won't survive in city dwellings & may attack humans given their lack of domestication.
— Kons 🦊 (@SentinelofMercy) January 9, 2018I wish for their sake they would've stayed unknown. I can see them becoming the next designer pet for the wealthy, as a status symbol. They'll be in some women's designer pocketbook walking down Rodeo in Beverly Hills or on the upper west side of Manhattan😞
— Own Your Masters (@ThaArchitect) January 9, 2018Excellent point. These cats belong in the wild and even if they look like kittens, they're flesh eating hunters who will poop everywhere. Just enjoy them on video:
And we always have domestic cats, which are wonderful. Especially when they get really BIG. Like Fat Boy Rudy:
Or Sam, the cat with eyebrows:
Or Princess Monster Truck?
The world is full of weird, wonderful cats, and the Internet will keep giving us more of them to enjoy until the end of time.
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