Fishing cats are highly specialised wetland predators whose welfare in captivity depends on access to water, nocturnal activity space, and a diet that reflects their aquatic hunting ecology.
Fishing cat welfare in captivity centres on the provision of adequate aquatic habitat and nocturnal activity opportunities. Pool access is not supplementary but central to this species' behavioural repertoire — fishing cats that cannot swim and hunt in water are deprived of their primary natural behaviour. Pool size must allow genuine swimming, not merely wading; water depth should permit the diving behaviour that characterises wild fishing. Nocturnal lighting management is important: fishing cats are most active at night, and exhibits that force daytime activity through visitor pressure cause chronic circadian disruption. Feeding enrichment should include live or thawed fish presented in water where possible, engaging the species' specialised hunting technique. As a relatively less commonly exhibited small cat species, fishing cats benefit from zoos that invest in staff knowledge of their specialised ecology and welfare needs rather than relying on generic small cat protocols.