Are there wild cats in the UK?

Answer 1

Sort of. Some "wild" species of cats have tabby markings. The modern domestic house cat line is traced back to a wild species called the African Wild Cat which can have tabby markings (which is part of the reason the African wildcat is attributed to being the "original" house cat). There are wild cat species on several continents that have markings resembling tabbies. House cats are also particularly good at reverting to their wild instincts (unlike dogs), probably because of their naturally solitary behaviour. When a domesticated animal reverts to the wild, it is not considered to be a "wild" animal: it is called "feral". The difference being that a truly wild animal has never been domesticated, like a tiger. A feral animal is a domesticated animal that has reverted to wild behaviour, like an abandoned house cat that manages to survive in the wild. So there are both wild and feral tabby cats.

Answer 2

Yes, but only small sized, like house cats.

Answer 3

The tabby cat is a breed of domestic cat, although you can get strays they are not proper 'wild cats'. However, most wild cats have very tabby-like coats.

Answer 4

The Scottish wildcat is the only wild cat found in the UK.

Answer 5

yes