Animal Facts

One of the rarest, least known, and most highly endangered cat species, the Andean Cat (Felis jacobita) and its subspecies dwell in South America, primarily in the Andes Mountains, but are also found in other arid, rocky areas. It is known locally as "huana titi" - the cat from dry places. Only a little bigger than common domestic cats, their thick fluffy silvery or beige grey mottled coats make them appear larger. They are thought to be solitary carnivores, preying on small mammals indigenous to their habitat. It is surmised - but not known - that one of the chief reasons for their dwindling numbers is the sharp drop in chinchilla population following the fur craze for that species in the early 1900's; no other single factor stands out as a cause. Very little hard data is available from the wild, and none from captive specimens as there have never been any recorded. There is currently a project ongoing to study them via radio telemetry through the Andean Cat Alliance and Conservation International.