Types of Longhair Wildcats

Cats are animals that exhibit two extremes: They are adorable and lovely creatures, but they also are designed to be the perfect predator. Longhair cats have long been appreciated by cat lovers all over the world. It is with the same fascination that people have long wondered about some of the domestic cats' relatives in the wild--the different types of longhair wildcats.

  1. Defining the Longhair Wildcat

    • Two definitions apply for the longhair wildcat. One definition points to a species called a "wildcat" (felis sylvestris) with a long coat. A more general definition would be any member of the cat family (Felidae) with a long coat. A variety of felids have longhair characteristics, though they are not similar to those of longhaired domesticated cats. Types of longhair wildcats can be separated by genera under the cat family.

    Genus Felis

    • Numerous longhaired members belong to the genus Felis, the most popular of which are the Persian breed of Felis catus or domestic cat. One example of wild cats that can have long hair is the European Wildcat (Felis silvestris). Another species, a rumored ancestor of the Persian, is the sand cat (Felis margarita), having the same characteristics of long hair under its paws as protection from heat.

    Genus Otocolobus

    • The famous member of this genus is the Pallas cat or manul (Otocolubus manul). This cat is about the size of an average domestic cat and has the longest coat of any species of wild cat. Having a broad head, high-set eyes and short limbs coupled with its long coat, many people once thought that the Pallas cat was the ancestor of the Persian.

    Genus Oreailurus

    • The Andean Mountain Cat (Oreailurus jacobitus) is a little-known wild cat that sports a coat of fine, extremely thick long hair that can grow as long as 5 cm on the back. This cat has a long, thick tail that is banded with dark brown stripes. The cat's tail is believed to aid in balancing when moving around or hunting chinchillas and viscachas.

    Genus Uncia

    • Snow leopards are an endangered species.

      The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) is a cat of intermediate size found in the high altitude regions of Mongolia, Russia, China, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nepal. It has a longhaired smoky gray coat with spots similar to leopards. Snow Leopards cannot roar unlike big cats. This trait is one reason why taxonomists do not include them in the Panthera genus.

    Genus Lynx

    • The lynx's long hair helps keep it warm in the snow.

      Some cats of the genus Lynx exhibit considerably long coats. These cats feature distinct ear tufts that protrude from the tips of their ears. Longhair lynxes include the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx), Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis), and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus).

    Genus Panthera

    • Panthera is the genus of the big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars. The only big cats that can be considered to be longhair wild cats would be fully grown lions (Panthera Leo) with their manes and the Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).