Sand cat News

With their big ears, wide eyes and furry paws, sand cats may look adorable… but they’re quite tough! Sand cats are the only members of the cat family that live exclusively in desert environments. Get to know these hardy felines in this Q&A.

Small Mammal House keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Thor, an elderly male sand cat who was humanely euthanized Sept. 29 due to a recent and irreversible decline in health. He was 14 years old. 

If you've visited the Small Mammal House recently, you may have noticed that our male sand cat Thor now has a female companion! One-year-old Lulu arrived at the Zoo in May and, after a routine period in quarantine, she was introduced to her new exhibit mate. You can tell them apart because Thor's...