Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Introducing Small Cats
What are small cats?
What is the difference between small cats and big cats?
How many kinds of small cats are there?
Why are small cats important?
Where do small cats live?
Why are there only domestic small cats on Madagascar, Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand?
How are small cats classified?
What characterizes the major groups of small cats?
When did small cats evolve?
What is the oldest small cat fossil?
2. Form and Function of Small Cats
What are the largest and smallest small cats?
How fast does a small cat's heart beat?
Can small cats see color?
Are small cats capable of retracting their claws?
Can small cats swim?
How far can small cats jump?
Are small cats capable of climbing?
Are small cats' tails the same?
Do small cats have whiskers?
How sensitive is a small cat's sense of smell?
What is special about a cat's sense of taste?
Can you determine whether a fossil small cat was terrestrial or arboreal?
3. Small Cat Colors
Can small cats be black?
What causes the different coat colors of small cats?
Why does the length and thickness of small cat's coat vary?
How are hair colors determined genetically?
Is there a reason for the patterns on the coat?
Are there age-related differences in coat color?
Are there seasonal changes in coat color?
Is there much geographic variation in small cat species?
4. Small Cat Behavior
Are small cats social?
Do small cats fight?
How smart are small cats?
Do small cats play?
Do small cats talk?
How do small cats avoid predators?
5. Small Cat Ecology
Where do small cats sleep?
Do small cats migrate?
How many small cat species can coexist?
Are small cats equally distributed throughout the world?
How do small cats survive in the desert?
How do small cats survive the winter?
Do small cats hibernate?
Do small cats have enemies?
Do small cats commit infanticide?
Do small cats get sick?
How do small cats influence vegetation?
6. Reproduction and Development of Small Cats
How do small cats reproduce?
How long are female small cats pregnant?
Where do mother small cats give birth?
How many babies do small cats have?
Are all littermates equally related?
How long do female small cats nurse their young?
How fast do small cats grow?
How long do small cats live?
7. Food and Feeding of Small Cats
What do small cats eat?
How do small cats hunt?
Do small cats hide or bury food?
How often do small cats eat and drink?
Do small cats scavenge?
8. Small Cats and Humans
Do small cats make good pets?
Should people feed small cats?
Do small cats feel pain?
What do I do if a find an injured or orphaned small cat?
How can I become a better observer of small cats?
How do I know whether I have small cats in my backyard?
Why are small cats important?
9. Small Cat Problems (from a human viewpoint)
Are small cats pests?
How are small cats kept away from people, livestock, and poultry?
Are small cats vectors of human disease?
10. Human Problems (from a small cat's viewpoint)
Are small cats endangered?
Will small cats be affected by global warming?
Are small cats ever invasive species?
Do people hunt and eat small cats?
Why are some small cat skins so valuable?
Why do small cats get hit by cars?
11. Small Cats in Stories and Literature
What roles do small cats play in religion and mythology?
Are some small cats considered bad luck?
What roles do small cats play in popular culture?
Are there popular sayings about small cats?
How are small cats incorporated into poetry?
How are small cats incorporated into literature?
12. "Small Catology"
Which species are best known?
Which species are least known?
How do scientists recognize individual small cats?
Appendix: Small Cats of the World
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

James G. Sanderson is a Fellow of the Wildlife Conservation Network and the founder of the Small Cat Conservation Alliance. He is coauthor of Wildlife Issues in a Changing World and coeditor of Landscape Ecology: A Top-down Approach. Patrick Watson is a freelance wildlife artist, naturalist, and lifelong cat lover.

Reviews

A good general introduction on these wild cats. -- Ian Paulsen Birdbooker Report A fascinating and informative book... full of fun information. Wildlife Activist Johns Hopkins University Press has done it again with another outstanding publication in the Animal Answer Guide series. This one has all you need to know about the world's small cats. -- Whit Gibbons Aiken Standard As the big cats (cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, and pumas) tend to get the lion's share of attention in most books, a work specifically on small wild cats is welcome. Choice