The population is suspected to be declining due to poaching of prey species for human consumption as bushmeat, persecution, traffic accidents, and predation by herding dogs.

The scientific name Felis nigripes was used by the British explorer William John Burchell in 1824 when he described the species based on skins of small, spotted cats that he encountered near Litákun (now known as Dithakong), in South Africa.

[4] The validity of a subspecies was doubted as no geographical barriers matching the observed differences exist between populations.

[6] Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear DNA from all Felidae species revealed that their evolutionary radiation began in Asia in the Miocene around 14.45 to 8.38 million years ago.

[9] The black-footed cat is part of an evolutionary lineage that is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of all Felis species around 4.44 to 2.16 million years ago, based on analysis of their nuclear DNA.

[7][8] Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA indicates a genetic divergence of Felis species at around 6.52 to 1.03 million years ago.

[7] This migration was possibly facilitated by extended periods of low sea levels between Asia and Africa.

[11][17] It spends the day resting in hollow termite mounds and dense cover in unoccupied burrows of South African springhare (Pedetes capensis), aardvark (Orycteropus afer), and Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis).

Due to this habit and its courage, it is called miershooptier in parts of the South African Karoo, meaning 'anthill tiger'.

A San legend claims that a black-footed cat can kill a giraffe by piercing its jugular.

[20] Unlike most other cats, it is a poor climber, as its stocky body and short tail are thought not to be conducive for climbing trees.

[21] However, one black-footed cat was observed and photographed resting in the lower branches of a camelthorn tree (Vachellia erioloba).

[23] Other forms of scent marking include rubbing objects, raking with claws, and depositing faeces in visible locations.

[24] It is difficult to survey because of its highly secretive nature; moreover, it tends to move fast without using roads or tracks like other cats.

These were probably exceptionally high densities, as both areas feature good weather and management conditions, while the number of individuals in less favourable habitats could be closer to 0.03/km2 (0.08/sq mi).

Its energy requirement is very high, with about 250 to 300 g (9 to 11 oz) of prey consumed per night, which is about a sixth of its average body weight.

They plucked large birds like northern black korhaan (Afrotis afraoides), ate for several hours, cached the remains in hollows and covered them with sand.

[25] Neonate springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) lambs keep hiding quietly in a hollow or under a bush for the first few days of their lives.

It consumed around 120 g (0.26 lb) meat in each of several bouts of eating, starting from the thighs, making its way from the lower back through the flanks to the neck; later it opened up the chest and fed on the inner organs.

[5] Captive females were observed trying to shift their kittens to a new hiding place every six to ten days after a week of their birth, much more frequently than other small cats.

[29] In the wild, kittens are born in South African springhare burrows or hollow termite mounds.

[12] Both captive and free-ranging black-footed cats exhibit a high prevalence of AA amyloidosis, which causes chronic inflammatory processes and usually culminates in kidney failure and death.

[32] Known threats include methods of indiscriminate predator control, such as bait poisoning and steel-jaw traps, habitat destruction from overgrazing, declining South African springhare populations, intraguild predation, diseases, and unsuitable farming practices.

[1] The black-footed cat is listed on CITES Appendix I and is protected throughout most of its range including Botswana and South Africa, where hunting is illegal.

[1] The Black-footed Cat Working Group carries out a research project at Benfontein Nature Reserve and Nuwejaarsfontein Farm near Kimberley, Northern Cape.

[34] Between 1992 and 2018, 65 black-footed cats were radio-collared and followed for extended periods to improve the understanding about their social organisation, sizes and use of their home ranges, hunting behaviour and composition of their diet.

[35] Camera traps are used to monitor the behaviour of radio-collared black-footed cats and their interaction with aardwolves (Proteles cristatus).

In 1993, the European Endangered Species Programme was formed to coordinate which animals are best suited for pairing to maintain genetic diversity and to avoid inbreeding.

[37] As of July 2011[update], detailed records existed for a total of 726 captive cats since 1964; worldwide, 74 individuals were kept in 23 institutions in Germany, United Arab Emirates, US, UK, and South Africa.

[42] The Audubon Nature Institute's Center for Research of Endangered Species is working on advanced genetics involving cats.