Wildlife

Scottish Wildcat Welfare and Conservation

The Scottish wildcat is functionally extinct in the wild due to hybridisation with domestic cats, disease and habitat loss, with captive breeding and reintroduction programmes representing the last realistic recovery option.

Key Facts

Fewer than 300 potentially pure wildcats may survive in Scotland, mostly hybrids
Hybridisation with feral and domestic cats is the primary driver of functional extinction
A captive breeding programme holds over 100 animals for a planned reintroduction programme
Disease including FIV and FeLV transmitted by domestic cats reduces survival in the wild

Welfare Considerations

Wildcat welfare in captive breeding requires management that maintains wild behaviour without compromising physical health, to prepare individuals for eventual release. Hybridisation and disease pressure mean that even reintroduced animals face ongoing challenges. The welfare of captive animals must be balanced against the ultimate goal of producing release-ready individuals with intact wild behaviour.

What You Can Do

Support the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland wildcat breeding programme
Neuter feral and domestic cats in areas near wildcat strongholds to reduce hybridisation
Never keep hybrid wildcat-domestic cat crosses as this perpetuates the hybridisation problem
Report suspected wildcat sightings in Scotland to the Scottish Wildcat Association