Mimi Torchia Boothby

B is for Blackfooted cat

One of my favorite species of wildcat is the Blackfooted cat.

Black-footed cats are described as a naturally rare species. The World Conservation Union Red List shows them as Vulnerable, with a total effective population size of less than 10,000 and declining. They may be locally common in certain localities in South Africa, but being restricted to arid environments, they also occur at low densities.

According to the World Conservation Union rankings, Black-footed cats are more vulnerable than cheetahs and lions, due to their restricted geographical range and specific habitat requirements.

If you like this cat, you might consider making a donation to the International Society for Endangered Cats. This painting is not for sale, but I do have other wild cat paintings for sale, you can see them here:

A black footed cat named Crystal made it into the news recently.

Have you ever heard of these cats? Have you ever seen one?

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14 responses to “B is for Blackfooted cat”

  2. Your painting is wonderful! I love that you are making us aware, I did not know this~
    Just stunning!
    Nice to meet you~

  3. Other than in Nat Geo magazines and assorted other wildlife related articles, I have never seen one of these cats. It’s a dirt shame that animals of any type are endangered. Heartless humans need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for destroying animals. Grrrrrrrr!

  4. I have never seen a wild cat (not counting ferals, which we have a lot of here) but they have been occasionally spotted. I did see a fisher cat once, though…

    your blackfooted cat is lovely 🙂

  6. Oh, I positively adore big cats. I actually haven’t heard of this one — thanks for bringing it to my attention!

  7. Be they large or small, there’s something exhilarating about cats in the wild. In my part of the Midwest, we have bobcats, but they’re so shy and sly, I’ve never seen one. And then, our neighboring state of Missouri has confirmed several panther sightings in recent years.

    Spooky, not being at the top of the food chain. But inspiring, too, to see our natural heritage trying to come back.

    Another lovely painting from you, Mimi. Thank you for sharing it.

    Best,
    Joe
    B/Barnstorming

  8. I just found your post through A to Z and I have to say your watercolors are AMAZING. Thanks for showing me an adorable new type of cat. I currently support Big Cat Rescue which I don’t think these little guys are included sadly but I will definitely keep them in mind 🙂

  10. Crystal is adorable. I wonder how she’ll differ from a domestic cat once she’s a bit older. I agree, the black-footed cats’ environment should be preserved.

  11. Great minds think alike, Mimi…I was going to post your painting as it looks now, matted, framed and on my wall but my camera is borked…as soon as that gets rectified I’ll send you the pic.

    I love them too, small but fiercely independent–what’s not to love?

    xxoo

  13. I had no idea they were so rare! and that little baby blackfooted kitten made me just want to scoop him up and snuggle him. Thanks for this post and the extra dose of cuteness in that link.

    *~MAJK~*
    Safireblade.com
    A to Z Challenge

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