The Primary Problem:

Hybridization of The Scottish Wildcat

Hybridization is the mating of genetically differentiated individuals or groups and may involve crossing individuals within a species (also known as line crossing or strain crossing) or crossing individuals between separate species.

By mating with feral and/or domestic cats, the pure stock of the Scottish Wildcat is being modified and destroyed at such a rate that the genetic purity of the Scottish Wildcat is in grave danger. Decades of cross breeding has led to the unfortunate reality that the purebred Scottish Wildcat is the rarest cat in the world.

What’s the Solution?-TNR

One might think that the answer is simple. Decrease the number of feral cats by killing them so that they don’t have the opportunity to cross breed with Scottish Wildcats and isolate the Scottish Wildcat so that you can protect their purity. At Wildcat Haven, we strongly oppose this approach and therefore have developed solutions of our own that are humane and respectful to ALL species of cats.

We do not believe in the killing of any innocent animal. Therefore, we attempt to control the population of feral cats by safely and humanely trapping them, neutering them and releasing them back to live their lives. This is known as TNR and has been shown by multiple scientific studies to be the most effective way of managing domestic/feral cat populations.

When it comes to the Scottish Wildcat, we believe that under no circumstances should such a majestic wild animal be forced to live in a cage. By educating the community and creating a network of volunteers, we have been able to locate and track several numerous Scottish Wildcats so that we can monitor them and ensure their success in the wild.