Fishing cats are attracted to all types of water and live in wetlands, their most common stomping ground, with marshes, swamps, and mangroves also high on the list of suitable habitat.

Fishing cats mainly eat fish but also dine on other prey found in the water, including crabs, crayfish, and frogs. Of course, they don’t use a fishing pole! Instead, the cats wade in shallow water and use their paws to scoop fish out of the water, or they dive headfirst into deeper areas to catch a meal with their teeth.

The cats have also been seen eating snakes, rodents, young deer, and wild pigs and ducks. Farmers’ chickens, dogs, goats, and calves are fair game for the fishing cat, as are leftovers from someone else’s meal, including morsels tigers leave behind after they’ve eaten their fill.

Like many smaller felines, fishing cats communicate with hisses, guttural growls, and even a low, demanding meow. A male and female make a sound called chittering as part of their courtship, with the female signaling her willingness to breed and the male communicating submissiveness. Fishing cats mark their territory and breeding status with their strong-smelling urine.