The Sand Cat is a small wild cat approximately the same size as a normal house-cat. Unlike the house-cat, the Sand Cat must claw a living out of bare sand in the deserts of Arabia and the areas it chooses to live are far too arid and dry even for other desert cats.

The Sand Cat looks physically very similar to a house-cat, with some very noticeable differences. The head of the Sand Cat is much wider and it has enormous ears. Its huge ears recall the size and shape of the Fennec Fox, another desert dweller.

The wild cats ears are very sensitive to sound and vibrations which make it a superb hunter. The Sand Cat is especially accomplished at hunting underground prey, as it can detect the sounds of burrowing rodents below the sand. Sometimes, it will take over its prey’s burrow for its own use.

The Sand Cat usually hunts for food at night, feeding on rodents and insects. During the day, the Sand Cat can be found either sunning themselves on rocks or escaping the heat in a burrow, or curled up beneath a desert plant. Sand Cats usually prefer to live in areas of shifting sand with sparse vegetation and do not need to drink water, as all the water they need is provided through their prey.

The Sand Cat has an amazing ability to stay alive in the most trying conditions imaginable. Their coat plays a large role in their survival. It is usually a sandy yellow with markings similar to a tabby cat in black and red, with a white underbelly. The fur insulates them from the desert extremes. Uniquely, Sand Cats have long hairs between their toes which protect their paws from the hot sand.

Due to the solitary and mysterious nature of wild cats it is hard to monitor the true status of their population. There are several sub-species of Sand Cat which live in different areas of the deserts of Arabia and Asia and unfortunately, some of these species are highly endangered. The Sand Cat is prey to snakes, birds, and wolves in the wild.

The Sand Cat populations have also declined as a result of hunting and trapping. Like many wild cats the Sand Cat is hunted for its fur and carcass, however, it has also been trapped for the pet trade. The Sand Cat has a docile nature and is easy to trap, however they do not adapt well to being pets.