The feline facts

■ Compared to a domestic cat the wildcat is much larger with a broad, flat head and a distinct tabby-like fur pattern including dark rings around their blunt-ended tail

■ The name Scottish wildcat is a bit of a misnomer as they were found across all of Great Britain for thousands of years. Today, though, they are only found in Scotland, with the last recorded sighting of a wildcat in England in 1849

■ If you think your own moggy sometimes has an attitude problem, you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with wildcats! They are known to ‘mock charge’ if they feel threatened, moving towards the threat and stamping

It is hoped the wildcats will be reintroduced to the beautiful Cairngorms their feet before pouncing if they need to

■ There’s some debate around how the wildcat and our domestic moggies are related. It’s thought they do share a common Middle Eastern ancestor from around 4,000 years ago, so they are closely related but are nevertheless considered separate species

■ The wildcat has significant cultural importance in Scotland as they’re used in many place names and associated with a number of traditional Scottish clans