The black-footed cat is the smallest recorded cat in the world. Its body reaches a length of only 50 cm. Males weigh about 2.2 kg while females will weigh only 1.5 kg! Its coat varies from sand brown to reddish brown with dark spotted patches. The spots will sometimes run together making broken stripes. The legs are adorned with stripes as well as the tail that ends with a solid black tip. The pads of its feet are black with black hair around them, giving it its name, black-footed cat. The hair helps to protect its feet from the heat of its habitat. It is found in a small part of southern Africa, and is scattered across South America. Like the sand cat, it gets its moisture from its prey. As are many other big cats, the black-footed cat is nocturnal. It lives in arid brush lands and semi-arid climates. Its diet consist mainly of small mammals, birds, reptiles, spiders, and insects.

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