Scottish wildcat kittens playing and taking a bath

These Scottish wildcat kittens were rescued by http://www.wildcathaven.com, who are raising them with minimal human contact at a special release centre in the Highlands so that they can be returned to the wild when they're old enough to look after themselves.
Scottish wildcats do look a bit like pet tabbies; they're closely related, and centuries of hybridisation mean that most of the wildcats in captivity and photographed aren't the real deal.

The real deal can be twice the size of a pet cat with a ferocious defensive aggression that saw them described as man-killers as recently as the 1950s.

It's hard to imagine looking at these little kittens playing adorably on our night vision cameras, set up so that we can monitor them without disturbing them.

The clip also shows another little difference between pet cats and wildcats; wildcats are a lot more comfortable with water, and it looks like we might need to get these guys a place to have a swim!

You can help us raising and releasing the kittens, and helping wildcats across Scotland by donating or sponsoring at http://www.wildcathaven.com.

Видео Scottish wildcat kittens playing and taking a bath канала Wildcat Haven