European wildcat

The wildcat is Felis silvestris, a member of the small cat sub-family Felinae. It is native to Eurasia. It is so-called because it is almost impossible to tame. However, crossbreeding with domestic cats has occurred throughout almost the whole of the species' range.

The wildcat shows geographic variation. All subspecies are larger than house cats, with longer legs and more robust bodies.Hunter, Luke & Barrett, Priscilla 2011. A Field guide to the carnivores of the world. New Holland, p16.  There are about 22 subspecies,Wozencraft W.C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In Wilson D.E. & Reeder D.M. Mammal species of the World. 3rd ed, Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 536–537.  or (according to some) only four, including the Chinese mountain cat, which was previously considered a species in its own right.

Our domestic cat originated from the subspecies known as the African wildcat.Driscoll C.A. et al 2007. The near eastern origin of cat domestication. Science 317, 519–523. 

The name 'wildcat' is sometimes used as a term for  domestic cats which have gone wild in the sense of living rough, without owners.

 Related pages 
Asiatic wildcat

 References 

Category:Felines
Category:Mammals of Europe