There was an interesting article in National Geographic Magazine a few years ago about selective breeding to domesticate foxes in Russia. They documented what changes in appearance and behavior occurred with each generation. Domestication is not just behavior modification; it makes genetic changes. A truly domesticated animal is not the same as its wild cousin, just as a German shepherd is not the same as a wolf. Humans have domesticated many species for our own purposes, and I have no problem with that. But a wild animal rarely makes a good pet, and domestication does not preserve the original genome. Zoos try to maintain the original genetics, but a manmade environment does not teach survival skills and it's very tricky (though not impossible) to transition zoo-raised animals back to the wild. Ideally, we need to preserve the wild habitat and stop killing wild animals for stupid human reasons.

awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!! adorable

They belong in the wild & left alone. They r so adorable...

With cats, its all about them domesticating us.... cats are cats are cats. Sounds like this little cat has some built-in breathing thing that helps them in their own environment but hurts them elsewhere - sad because this means they are vulnerable as their native habitat changes/disappears :( But guess what - inter species breeding (which DOES happen in the wild) has historically helped solve problems like that. Keeping such critters 'pure' is just as unnatural as humans breeding animals for certain characteristics... They are uber-cute LOL

Great, thanks for sharing now all the "It's so fluffy" types can ruin and breed to death yet another species.

it's just sad how people hunt them for fun.

It crushes me to think that thanks to humanity's selfish needs and wants that this precious species is just about extinct. This is what rich people do, they take whatever they want with little or no thought as to how this will affect the animal or environment itself. Had i the money, i would try to enforce their area as a sanctuary, and post guards to ensure their safety. Unfortunately, i'm not so all i can do is cross my fingers and pray that this beautiful cat does not go extinct or that a foundation out there will take up the cause to protect them.

They are so beautiful ! I hope their survival rate shall improve...

This is all a rather moot debate in the case of these adorable felines since they cannot do well or proliferate in captivity. So I'm sure that whoever takes an active interest in their survival as a species will search for alternative methods to aid them.

Absolutey unbelievable.

Super cute pics, thanks for sharing them! I'd never heard of these little dudes. Cute :)

What adorable animals; I can see why people want to keep them as pets. I am agnostic about whether they should be bred in captivity, but I do wonder what kind of pets they would make. What are their temperaments like? I wonder if they would take well to being "owned," or would be really wild in a house. In any case, I assume their thick coats serve as insulation against the heat, and their big ears help diffuse the heat and cool their blood. Am I right?

These cats are very cute. To bad No one can own one. Can they ever be tame enough to touch?