Pallas’s Cat

Identification

Pallas's cat is a small wild cat, roughly the size of a domestic cat, weighing 2.5–4.5 kg. Its most distinctive feature is its long, dense light grey fur with pale yellowish-ochre hues, which makes it extremely well camouflaged in montane terrain. The coat is remarkably thick, with up to 9,000 hairs per square centimetre, providing excellent insulation against harsh continental climates. Its stocky build and plush appearance give it an almost stout, round-bodied look.

The face is highly distinctive: rounded ears set unusually low on the sides of the head, with two striking black zigzag lines running from the corner of the eyes to the jaw joints. The chin and lips are white, contrasting with the grey face. The tail is long and bushy, marked with seven narrow black rings and a black tip. The eyes are encircled by white, with a yellowish iris and an unusual feature among cats—round pupils that contract to small circular disks in bright light.