When I first heard of these kittens that were recently born at the Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton, I thought the name of these little critters was Palace Cats. I was mistaken (as usual), they are Pallas's Cats. Okay, the pronunciation is the same...my bad.

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According to the Ross Park Zoo, four Pallas’s cat kittens were born to mom, Jodi and dad, Atlas on April 23rd. How appropriate that the date was also International Pallas’s Cat Day. And these cats' birth comes just two months after Sand Cats gave birth to three kittens at Ross Park Zoo.

The Zoo notes that Pallas's Cats are also known as Otocolobus Manual, and are one of the smallest of the wild cat species. Their weight is normally between 5 to 9 pounds and are about the same size as a domestic cat.

Pallas's Cat Kitten
Photo provided by the Ross Park Zoo
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Pallas's Cats' native home is in several countries including Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, found in steep slopes and rocky outcrops.

Pallas's Cats feed on small mammals, reptiles, and berries. These cats are threatened in their native home by habitat disturbance, human interference, and attacks by herding dogs.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Institute, while most cats have vertical, slit-shaped pupils, Pallas’s Cats have round pupils like those normally found in larger predator felines like Puma.

Pallas's Cat Kitten
Photo provided by the Ross Park Zoo
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While the Pallas's Cat kittens are just a little over a month old, hopefully soon, they will be seen in their habitat at the Ross Park Zoo.

 

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