Felis (catus) silvestris was the scientific name proposed in 1778 by Johann von Schreber when he described a wild cat based on texts from the early 18th century and before.

[3] In the 19th and 20th centuries, several wildcat type specimens were described and proposed as subspecies, including: As of 2017, two subspecies are recognised as valid taxa:[9] Zoological specimens of cats that originated on Mediterranean islands are not considered native but introduced, including:[10][11][1] Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear DNA in tissue samples from all Felidae species revealed that the evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia in the Miocene around 14.45 to 8.38 million years ago.

[17] The European wildcat is part of an evolutionary lineage that is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the Felis species around 1.62 to 0.59 million years ago, based on analysis of their nuclear DNA.

On the sides, it has irregular dark stripes, which break up on the hind legs, thus forming a blotched pattern.

The dorsal surface of the neck and head are the same colour as that of the trunk, but is lighter grey around the eyes, lips, cheeks, and chin.

They also have a less diffuse stripe pattern, proportionally larger teeth, and feed more often on rabbits than the wildcats north of the Douro-Ebro, which are more dependent on small rodents.

[21] The European wildcat is on average bigger and stouter than the domestic cat, has longer fur and a shorter non-tapering bushy tail.

[28] In the Netherlands, European wildcats were recorded in 1999 near Nijmegen and in 2004 in North Brabant; these individuals had possibly dispersed from Germany.

From time to time, it also preys on small carnivores like martens, European polecat, stoat, and least weasel (Mustela nivalis), as well as fawns of red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra).

[20] Birds taken by Prut wildcats include warblers, ferruginous duck, Eurasian coot, spotted crake, and gadwall.

In Moldavia, the wildcat's winter diet consists primarily of rodents, while it preys on birds, fish, and crayfish in summer.

Brown rats and water voles, as well as muskrats and waterfowl are the main sources of food for wildcats in the Kuban River delta.

Wildcats in the northern Caucasus feed on mouse-like rodents and European edible dormice, as well as birds, young chamois and roe deer on rare occasions.

Wildcats on the Black Sea coast are thought to feed on small birds, shrews, and hares.

[42][43] In the 1990s, the easternmost population in Ukraine, Moldova, and the Caucasus was threatened by destruction of broad-leaved forests, entailing a reduction of their range.

This project aimed at relinking Germany's forests by planting bushes and trees between areas inhabited by and suitable for European wildcat, and which are larger than 500 km2 (190 sq mi).

[48] In 2023 a license was approved by NatureScot to release captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms region in June of that year.

[56][needs update] In 2023, it was announced that beginning in 2024 wildcats would be reintroduced in Devon and Cornwall for the first time in 500 years as part of a conservation project.

It is unknown whether it was truly on the verge of extinction, if it has returned from France, or if it was reintroduced by private individuals or official services.

[63] A small remaining population of wildcats is believed to survive in the Var department, particularly in the Esterel Massif.

Naturalist Frances Pitt wrote "there was a time when I did not believe this ... my optimism was daunted" by trying to keep a wildcat she named Beelzebina.