www.ClanChattan.org

Home | News | Paw Prints Newsletter | About Us | Join Clan Chattan USA
Events Calendar & Highland Games USA & World-Wide
Chiefs of Clan Chattan | Clan Chattan USA Board of Trustees
Clans, Septs, History & Badges of Clan Chattan | Maps of Scotland
Endangered Scottish Wildcats | Scottish Wildcats Rescue
Scottish Humor | Scottish Recipes | Shop Clan Chattan
Links | Webcams | Site Map | Search | Contact Clan Chattan

THE CLAN OF THE CAT

Well, what about the cat?


Ronald S. Knowlton
Clan Chattan/UK
Clan Chattan/USA
Texas Commissioner



"Well." as my Granny used to say, "draw 'ye nigh, my bonnie bairns, and I'll tell 'ye a wee bit about the 'Wyld Cattis.'"

Approximately 10,000 years ago, the last Ice Age ended rather abruptly and a land bridge between Britain and mainland Europe was exposed. It is believed that for a period after that time many of Britain's native animals, including the wildcat, migrated from Europe. As the ice melted and the water level rose, the "bridge" was covered some 8,500 years ago by the rising sea (reaching the present level some 5,500 years ago) and the animals, including the wildcat, were isolated from their European cousins.

Earlier people of Scotland, described as Picti (or Picts) by the Romans had some tribes that worshipped the wildcat for its territorial and ferocious nature. One of these tribes was the Catti, or Cat Clan, which inhabited northwest Scotland, generally Sutherland and Caithness, "the headland of the cats." Over the years, persecution and habitat loss have taken a great toll on the cat population. The advent of the "Sporting Estates" and the influx of the "sheep business" produced wholesale slaughter of cats by diligent gameskeepers and protective shepherds to the extreme that they became virtually extinct. By the 1800's there were no cats to be found anywhere in Britain other than in Scotland.

In recent years there has been considerable effort on the part of numerous individuals and organizations to establish a breeding program and hopefully re-introduce the cats to the wild. And, strangely enough, some of those sporting estates are among the rescuers. Plans are in place to introduce wildcats to Rothiemurchus, for example, when there are sufficient numbers available for release. Ideally, habitat for the cats would be approximately two square kilometers per cat, depending of course on the number, sex and maturity of the cats, as well as the prey density; it should be composed of a variety of land types. A good selection would incorporate woodlands for shelter and prey, rivers and streams for water and frogs, fringes of agricultural land for rabbits and birds, and also, some moorland for more birds. In the meantime, the growing population is housed principally at the Highlands Wildlife Park, as well as other public and private facilities.

Many thanks have to be given to the many individuals who contribute their time, knowledge and effort to this preservation program. By name, several (but by no means all) of those generous people are Dr. Andrew Kitchener, Professor Russell Coope, Jeremy Usher Smith, Chris Smith and, of course, Allan Paul, formerly keeper of the studbook (keeping track of all this activity and without whose persevering spirit this entire program would be impossible).

At the Clan Chattan/USA AGM this year it was decided that this "Cat Preservation" project was truly a worthy effort that has a reasonable prospect of success. Further, it was decided that a more nearly formal and vigorous participation needed to be put in place. As a result, at all games and festivals where Clan Chattan/USA is represented, an active collection of donations for the benefit of the cats is to be pursued; the confederated clans of Clan Chattan/USA will be encouraged to conduct parallel programs. The combined contribution will be made each year when the totals are finalized; this contribution will be made to the combined programs. For more complete information, see the websites www.scottishwildcats.co.uk and www.bigcats.org.

Credit for this laudable participation effort has to be extended to all of the officers of Clan Chattan/USA who pushed a positive vote, Cindy Davis, Julia Knowlton, the writes for the Clan Chattan/USA "Paw Prints" and numerous others whose names I do not know.

Ron Knowlton
Clan Chattan/UK
Clan Chattan/USA
Texas Commissioner

Home | News | Paw Prints Newsletter | About Us | Join Clan Chattan USA
Events Calendar & Highland Games USA & World-Wide
Chiefs of Clan Chattan | Clan Chattan USA Board of Trustees
Clans, Septs, History & Badges of Clan Chattan | Maps of Scotland
Endangered Scottish Wildcats | Scottish Wildcats Rescue
Scottish Humor | Scottish Recipes | Shop Clan Chattan
Links | Webcams | Site Map | Search | Contact Clan Chattan
Clan Chattan of the United States is a non-profit corporation
California ID #C-1145554 - IRS ID #95-3734860
Website © 2007 Clan Chattan/USA
Website sponsored, designed and maintained by WebMomCat Sasha Sokolnikov
Last Update 26 August 2007