Two young blackfooted cats at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park cautiously ventured out of their den to take food from one of their wildlife care specialists for their daily feeding. The kittens—male Ryder and female Skyler—were born to mother Arwen and father Sawyer on April 28, 2020.

Weighing 3 ounces at birth, the kittens now weigh about a pound and half each. They will grow to be 2 to 3 pounds and measure 14 to 20 inches in length when fullgrown. They are still nursing from their mother, but the kittens have begun eating a carnivore diet.

“We are honored to care for these kittens, and the adult blackfooted cats at the Safari Park,” said Chelsea Davis, wildlife care specialist, San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “San Diego Zoo Global is one of 17 organizations in the U.S. participating in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for this species. The birth of these two kittens, and all births, help further our knowledge and conservation of this species.”

One of the world’s smallest cats, the blackfooted cat is found in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Blackfooted cats live in dry, open habitats, including desert, savanna and scrubland. Their name comes from the black pads and thick, black hair on the soles of their feet, which help protect them from the hot sand.

Although it is small, the blackfooted cat is sometimes called “the world’s deadliest cat.” With their keen sense of hearing and smell, their predation success rate of 60 percent is the highest of any feline. In a single night, one blackfooted cat can consume up to 14 rodents and birds.


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