Can a fishing cat be a pet?

Cats are cute creatures, and people love to keep them as pets. Globally, after dogs, cats are the second most popular pets, kept as pets by 23% of the world. But when we talk about fishing cats, this cat cannot be a pet as this is not different from the wild cat. That’s why this is not common in the marketplace. This cat belongs to Kingdom Animalia and the phylum Chordata. It isn’t charming, and human beings cannot be their friends. These cats are obscure, shy, and introverted.

Are Fishing Cats Dangerous?

Fishing cats are hostile to small mammals to catch and kill pets. Fishing cats are not dangerous to humans as they generally try to avoid contact with people. However, some ferocious big cats have been known to attack humans when they are hungry or in self-defense.

Why Can’t Fishing Cat Be A Good Pet?

Here are some of the best reasons to explain that domestic cats are more suitable than fishing cats to be a pet.

1. Fishing cat’s nature and behavior

They are wild cats with sharp teeth and claws and have the skills to defend themselves from threats. These are very active and can run fast. They live alone and spend their nights quietly foraging in the shallow waters of their territory. About twice the size of a typical house cat, the fishing cat is elegant with a robust build and thickset legs. The fishing cat is an adept swimmer and enters water frequently to prey on fish, as its name suggests. Also, to a long-distance, it can swim underwater streams.

2. Fishing cats and their interaction with human

Humans destroy wetland habitats, pollute waterways, and persistently kill cats to compete with them for fish. And we know that the human population is growing, we will see increasing pollution, other farming, and more deforestation.

3. Appearance of fishing cat

They have a big broad head, short legs, a body with a deep chest, and a short tail. Their color is silvery grey, and their head is relatively big and broad. Their eyes are greenish, and they have rounded short ears. The range of these cats’ sizes is from 10 to 35 lbs. Their front feet are partially webbed, and their claw tips protrude from their sheaths even when withdrawn, leaving a signature track imprint. Fishing cats’ females are smaller than the male fishing cats. About eight and half months, the fishing cat reaches its full adult size, and after 11 months, it acquires its canine teeth. And after 15 months, it gets sexually mature. These fishing cats can live up to 10 years in captivity. These cats are rarely found in medium-sized cats.

4. Habitat of a fishing cat

Fishing cats are found in several water habitats such as mangroves, swamps, and densely vegetative areas along rivers and streams. These cats love to live in heavily forested regions adjacent to rivers or jungles.

5. Food of fishing cats

They mainly eat fish and small mammals. Also, a small portion of their diet is constituent of birds. They love to eat shellfish and other minor victims, such as lizards and amphibians. They have also been well-known to feed on bullocks. Moreover, fishing cats have pointed, sharp teeth that can catch fish. Small or medium-sized vertebrates can be their diet as they can be seen quickly by the fishing cats. Its primary victim is fish, but it also hunts for the other animals found in water like frogs, crayfish and crabs, etc., but its favorite diet is fish. They have a reflex called the mammalian reflex by its help to dive in the water for their prey and don’t need to hold their breath for a long time.

Fishing cat as a wild animal

The fishing cat is a wild kind that uses exciting ways to grab its prey. This animal dumps into the water to catch fish with its paws. These cats feed on land animals as well as aquatic ones. It is a cat that is not afraid of water. Like other tiny kittens, these cats communicate with sewer growls, hisses, and a low demanding meow.

Aggressiveness

Fishing cats look cuddly and cute, but these small cats can be very aggressive. We humans cannot trust them as they can attack anytime, and it takes no time for them to get mad. We should avoid such kinds of cats.

Domestic Cats VS Fishing Cats

Wild cats’ nature is very aggressive, whereas house cats are more prospective to form memories and learn through reward-based provocations and tolerate and feel enjoyment when interacting with human beings. The sleep time of domestic cats and wild cats is the same, which is about 16 to 20 hours per day. Feral cats are more potent than domestic cats and bigger than domestic ones. Domestic cats cannot be longer than 80cm, but wild cats can reach up to the length of 120cm.

Can I have a fishing cat as a pet?

No, these cats are not considered suitable to make them pets. They are wild cats with sharp claws and teeth, able to defend themselves from threats. However, domestic cats are friendly and considered the more suitable companion.

Summary

In my opinion, fishing cats cannot be kept as pets because they are not like domestic cats but are wild ones. Their name is suggested as the fishing cat because its favorite prey is fish. They have an aggressive nature to harm you as they are not friendly with human beings. If you want to have a cat as a pet, never think about keeping a fishing cat as a pet. Domestic cats are preferable to keep as a pet.