The creature pictured below， which bears a striking resemblance to our domestic house cats， is in fact the deadliest known feline species!
?Jonathan Kriz
This is the black-footed cat， scientifically known as *Felis nigripes*. It is the second distinct species to have diverged among the seven extant species in the genus *Felis*. The name “black-footed” does not refer to any black markings on its body， but rather to the black coloration on the soles of its paws.
Black-footed cats inhabit the arid and semi-arid grasslands and savannas of Southern Africa. They are the smallest wild felids in Africa， measuring between 35-52 cm in length and weighing between 1.1-2.5 kg. In terms of average weight， only the rusty-spotted cat is smaller among all feline species.
The black-footed cat possesses large eyes and a rounded face， giving it a very endearing appearance to us. However， it’s crucial not to be deceived by their looks; they are formidable predators and are among the mammals with the highest hunting success rates known.
While the agility and power of felids are evident， their hunting success rates are generally not very high. Even cheetahs， renowned for their unparalleled speed， have a success rate of only 40%-50%. Lions， tigers， and leopards， for instance， typically have success rates around 30%.
△ Just stretching
So， what is the hunting success rate of the black-footed cat?
In one tracking study， a black-footed cat attempted to attack 10 vertebrate prey within a five-hour period， successfully capturing 6 of them [1]， resulting in an impressive success rate of 60%.
In reality， the black-footed cat’s success rate is likely even higher than 60%. They employ various hunting techniques， some with nearly 100% success and others slightly lower， making it difficult to generalize their success rate from a single observation study. Overall， their hunting success rate is estimated to be between 60% and 70%.
Among all documented mammalian predators in terms of hunting success rates， only the harbor porpoise (90% success rate) and the African wild dog (60%-90% success rate) have higher success rates than the black-footed cat.
Not only do they have a high hunting success rate， but the sheer volume of prey they acquire is also astonishing!
Ltshears
In 1993， a study fitted a male and a female black-footed cat with radio collars to track and observe their hunting behavior in their natural habitat [2].
The results revealed that they captured a vertebrate prey on average every 50 minutes， and could hunt up to 14 prey in a single night (black-footed cats are nocturnal). This number surpassed the prey captured by a leopard over half a year.
This research also shed light on the hunting methods of the black-footed cat. For shrews and rodents， they either remain motionless by the entrance of their burrows waiting for prey to appear， or they stealthily approach their target before a swift chase. Upon catching prey， they dispatch it with a bite to the neck or head. They are even capable of preying on low-flying birds， which are a significant food source. They stalk birds silently on the ground before launching themselves up to 1.4-2 meters into the air， a leap that can be up to four times their body length， to capture them.
Furthermore， the black-footed cat consumes approximately 250 to 300 grams of food per night， which is about one-sixth of its body weight. Only about 2% of this diet comes from arthropods; the rest is derived from vertebrates， encompassing 54 different animal species.
This high food requirement necessitates extensive foraging each night， with them moving an average of 5-16 kilometers in search of prey. Consequently， they maintain very large territories， with each black-footed cat’s domain spanning approximately 20 square kilometers.
It is worth noting that， unlike many other feline species， black-footed cats are not adept climbers. Their stocky build and short tails make arboreal navigation challenging for them.
Finally， let’s clarify a common misconception!
Regarding black-footed cats， you can find numerous articles online claiming they are “the most restricted cats to keep worldwide，” as illustrated below:
These articles largely present similar content， with authors asserting that black-footed cats are highly effective bird predators and ecological disruptors， capable of causing an ecological disaster if domesticated. Some also point out that they are protected endangered species， making their ownership illegal.
Due to their extensive home ranges and the ongoing destruction and fragmentation of their habitats， black-footed cats are indeed currently listed as a vulnerable species， with fewer than 10，000 individuals remaining globally.
However， it is important to understand that black-footed cats and domestic cats are fundamentally different animals. Black-footed cats are un-domesticated wild animals. They are not “restricted to keep” worldwide due to prohibition， but rather they are inherently difficult to keep in captivity. While some zoos and conservation areas in other parts of the world house black-footed cats， they experience significant difficulties in breeding them under captive conditions.
All the cats that are domesticated and kept as pets globally are domestic cats. These animals were domesticated long ago and have adapted to human communities， making them affectionate companions. While the initial reason for domesticating cats might have been related to their role in helping humans control rodents， it is believed that with their annual hunting of 3000 rodents， black-footed cats would likely be even more adept at pest control if they were successfully domesticated.
