UNCOMMON PETS. 
A series of articles on the Care and Keep of Animals 
in Captivity. 
By P. Weuurnecton FARMBoRoUGH, 
F.Z.8., F.E.S., etc. 
XIII. THE PUMA, CHEETAH, AND 
THE SMALLER FOREIGN CATS. 
Photo by L. Medland, F.Z.8S., North Tinchtley. 
THE CHEETAH. 
VHE duration of these animals’ lives im captivity is about the same as that of 
the ordinary domestic cat or dog—from eight to twelve years; but of course the 
length of time any animal lives when caged depends in a great measure on the 
treatment it receives at the hands of those who are responsible for its care and 
well-being. The writer’s experience of foreign cats has been fairly extensive, and he 
has had up to the present about eight distinct species, some of which are preferable 
as pets to the others; he had a Fishing Cat for a few days once, but of all the 
savage and untractable brutes this species (Ff. viverrina) is absolutely the worst, and 
this particular specimen was shot after it had been in England less than a week. 
The probable choice in selecting a foreign cat as a pet will fall upon the Ocelot 
(Felis pardalis) owing to the beauty of its markings and coloration, which bring it a 
close second to its cousin, the jaguar. It comes from South America. Another beautiful 
cat is the Serval (f. serval), an African species. This cat can be tamed just as readily 
as the ocelot, and with many people is a greater favourite than the other animal. 
It is evident that the nature of the diet has a considerable influence on the 
disposition of the Felide. Animal food in any form tends to fierceness and uncontrolled 
temper, but when fed on farinaceous foods, with plenty of milk, they are certainly 
more tractable and amenable to influence. It is desirable that one person only 
should have the general charge of the foreign cats and perform the requisite cleaning 
operations, even when the animal is perfectly tame, as it often happens that the 
sight of a strange face excites them to a marked degree and renders them treacherous 
to the new-comer, as their temper, however calm and quiet the animal appears, can never 
be perfectly trusted. When irritated these cats nearly always fly to the face or neck. 
Just as many individuals of the domestic cat are fond of chasing and catching 
bluebottle flies and other insects, so the ocelots delight in the same thing, and it is 
amusing to watch the frantic efforts put forth by a caged ocelot to catch a blow-fly 
which has settled just out of reach, and the delight of the same animal when the 
door is unfastened and it is able to chase the fly round the room. 
A very pretty little cat, but unfortunately one nearly as untamable as the fishing 
cat, is the Leopard Cat (F. bengalensis). It is extremely shy and suspicious of any 
attempts to gain its confidence Possibly this may be due to the fact that it 1s more 
nocturnal in its habits than many others, and resents being disturbed during the 
daytime, as it is lively enough at night. It has a habit of striking with its paws at 
the bars of its cage, and does not usually indulge in the peculiar cat-like pacing up and 
down the cage so observable in the majority of the felime race. It is worth noting with 
regard to the feeding of this species that beef does not agree with it, and that the 
proper diet is bird-meat; sparrows and other small birds may be given, and are much 
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