Threat From Humans

The most serious threats to small cats are the fur trade, the exotic-pet trade, and loss of habitat.

Public awareness of how wild animals are killed has led to a dramatic reduction in the trapping of wildcats, and legislation now protects endangered species, but both came too late for some species.

For fashion items, skins needed to match: once there were not enough skins from one species, hunters simply moved on to the next species.

The result is that some populations of spotted cats may never recover. In the face of habitat loss due to agriculture, the remaining populations must adapt or decline further.