African Golden Cat - Profelis aurata

This wild cat is about twice the size of the domestic cat. The African Golden cat has two colour phases chestnut-red/fawn and silvery/dark slate-grey. The grey phase is sometimes referred to as the silver cat. The base colour of the fur can change from one colour phase to the other over a period of time depending on the age of the cat and various environmental stimuli. Both colors of this cat live in the same areas and they may be spotted or plain. While not present in every cat, the hair on the back of the neck, slightly before the shoulders to the crown grows forward.

They have small rounded ears blackish in colour with a central pale area. A dark central line runs along their back to the tail, which may have a few dark bands. There may also be small white patches above their eyes at the inner corners. White is also present on the lower parts of their chins and throats. African golden cats possess a small but rounded head. They are very sturdy, powerful animals, with fairly long legs and relatively large paws. The African golden cat has long been regarded as closely related to the Asian or Temminck's golden cat.

Two subspecies are described: F. Profelis aurata aurata prowls the Congo to Uganda. His coat may have no pattern on the neck and back, but can have numerous small spots on the lower flanks.

F. Profelis aurata celidogaster from West Africa can be spotted all over or have indistinct spots on the back and neck, with a few large, clear flank spots or have virtually no pattern except on the belly.

These small cats seem to prefer moist forest with a dense growth, or high deciduous rain forest, alpine moorlands, and along water in the drier open areas.

African golden cats are known to prey on poultry, rodents and small to medium sized forest ungulates as well as hyraxes, monkeys and birds. Small monkeys are also known to be taken by the cat which may suggest that although thought of as mainly terrestrial, the golden cat is also active in the lower branches of the forest canopy and can climb well. They are mostly active at night or dawn and dusk and are reported to rest in the lower branches of trees in the day. They are highly secretive and have only rarely been observed in the wild.

African golden cats have been reported to have extensive vocal repertoires, which could be evidence for some social behavior.

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