Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Captured kitten to undergo wildcat DNA test

The Scottish wildcat
The Scottish wildcat

A kitten captured after getting trapped in a garden shed is being tested to confirm if it is one of Scotland’s rare wildcats.

The five-month-old has the markings of a wildcat, eats only raw meat and behaved so ferociously when cornered it has been nicknamed Grumpy Cat.

Experts at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are now doing DNA tests that will prove conclusively whether the kitten – picked up near Alford – is a wildcat.

There are thought to be fewer than 400 Scottish wildcats left, making them more rare than Bengal tigers.

Grumpy Cat – if confirmed as one of their number – is likely to join the wildcat conservation breeding programme at Highland Wildlife Park.

And she could be mated with Zak, a male wildcat also found as an abandoned kitten in Aberdeenshire in 2012.

Dr Roo Campbell, a project manager for Scottish Wildcat Action, said: “It was found in somebody’s shed. We’ve had previous reports in that area.

“It’s a young cat, and it looks quite good so it’s getting a DNA test. This cat could be good enough to go into the conservation breeding programme at Highland Wildlife Park.”

Grumpy Cat is now being kept in a specially constructed 12ft by 6ft pen at a “foster home” in Alford, which has been kitted out with logs to simulate its normal forest environment.

She is not being allowed any human contact.

Donna Webster, north-east Scotland regional development manager for Cats Protection, which rescued the kitten, said: “It looks about four to five months old. The behaviour it is giving off is that of a wildcat. She growls when you come near her.

“She’s very much treated like a wild animal. Think of a tiger, then think of a smaller version. She’s quite aggressive, warning you off.

“The growl is a low, long tone. Ears flat and everything. You just wouldn’t mess with her, put it that way.”

Scottish wildcats are critically endangered due to a loss of habitat, disease and interbreeding with domestic cats.