Residing primarily in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia; the Pampas Cat is named after the lowland areas (“The Pampas” or plains) of South America in which it is sometimes found, just like “pampas grass”. Within these countries, the pampas cat’s preferred habitats are grasslands, shrub-lands, and dry forest elevations of up to 16,000 ft (5,000 m). The pampas cat has a body length of 18-30 inches (6 to 75 centimeters) and is relatively chubby, weighing in at 6-15 lbs (3-7 kg); it’s easily recognizable by the dark markings on its flanks and its pointy ears, but is otherwise very similar looking to a domestic (house) cat.

The pampas cat comes in a variety of three body pelages or coats, which are so distinct from each other and geographically consistent that many have come to believe the the pampas cat is actually three different species. As a result of it having never been studied in the wild, there is actually very little known about the pampas cat, but it’s believed that it prefers to feed on small nocturnal rodents, lizards, insects, eggs, and grounding nesting birds. There’s also stories of pampas cats raiding chicken coups and taking down adult goats. Although not considered arboreal, the cat is very adept at climbing trees, and will do so if it feels threatened. Again, due to its having never been observed in the wild, it’s unknown what the population numbers for this small feline are, but nevertheless, conservation efforts (stopping deforestation etc.) are underway. If I had one for a pet I would name it “Pompous, the pampas cat from The Pampas”. It’s a cat so it is sure to be a self-absorbed, pompous animal like the other species and it wouldn’t care what name the silly humans had given it as long as there was food around.