SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW YOUR MOGGIES? A SPOTTER’S GUIDE...

DOMESTIC Weight: 3.6 - 4.5 kg (8 - 10lbs) Length: 46cm (1½ft)

Appearance: The stripes on the head are much thinner and straighter. Spots or broken-up, messy stripes are typical of a domestic cat.

TAIL: The tail may be thick but if the dorsal stripe along the spine continues onto the tail, you can be sure it is not a pure Scottish wildcat. the

Water test: Scientists believe that domestication has conditioned cats to feel uncomfortable in water.

sounds: The domestic cat meows, hisses, purrs, chatters and growls.

diet: Feral and domestic cats prefer to claim food thrown away by humans but they can hunt chickens and ducks as well as the more usual diet of mice and small birds. WILD Weight: 5 - 9kg (11-17lbs) Length: 43 - 91cm without tail (up to 3ft)

Appearance: Wildcats are bigger than domestic cats and have a gait similar to a big cat like a tiger.

Tail: The wildcat’s tail is the biggest giveaway. It is thick and clublike, with bold distinct rings which do not join together, and a large blunt black tip. the

Water test: Wildcats are so comfortable in water that they are known to fish. sounds: Wildcats purr, but never meow. diet: Rabbits, rats, hare and other small mammals. They are pure carnivores and eat only meat, consuming almost every part of any kill they make.