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You may have noticed that I’m rather fascinated by the unusual and mysterious Pallas’ cat, an elusive small cat first discovered by German, Peter Pallas in 1776—nearly 250 years ago. This cat, considered the original grumpy cat, lives in cold, rocky areas of Russia and Central Asia. It was once thought that the Persian cat is descended from this most unusual-looking wild cat. A romantic idea, but evidently it has been found to be untrue.
These cats look hefty, but it’s all fur. They have the thickest fur of any cat. The adult Pallas’ cat weighs a mere ten pounds. These cats are expressive. Those I’ve seen look fierce—like they mean real business when they warn you to stay away. They are not friendly and extremely difficult, and in some cases, impossible to tame, although very occasionally I hear of a Pallas’ cat kitten being found alone and raised by hand. And it is such a story that has evidently led to the development of a preserve for Pallas’ cats in Siberia. (A bucket-list excursion for me.)
Here’s a site with some facts about the Pallas cats. https://www.wired.com/2014/08/pallas-cat-facts/
One thing you’ll learn by follow-up research is that they (as well as dozens of other small wild cats) are on the edge of extinction. Global warming could affect them in a variety of ways, and, unfortunately these beautiful, mysterious cats are being hunted for their lush coats.
One thing I find interesting about the Pallas’ cat is their ability with expressions. They are probably the cat with the widest variety of expressions on earth. And another fun fact, they can purr like a domestic cat, but they also make sounds much like a small dog. For even more fun getting to know the Pallas cat—the cat of many faces—here’s a site full of photos. Enjoy: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tame+pallas%27+cat&qpvt=tame+pallas%27+cat&tsc=ImageHoverTitle&form=IGRE&first=1
