Officials from the Houston, Texas SPCA identified that a unique animal recently took an unusual trip into the Bayou City. A ringtail cat managed to hitch a ride all the way from Bandera (roughly 250 miles west of the Bayou City) out of the Texas Hill Country and down into Houston. Traveling on the underside of an RV, the animal is the first of its kind to be admitted into SPCA care at the Wildlife Center of Texas.
Treated for dehydration, Houston SPCA officials have noted that there is presently a plan in place to release the cat back into the wild after it has fully recovered from its ordeal.
Photo: Wikimedia
Commonly known as civet cats, bassarisks, and miner’s cats as well, ringtails are a member of the raccoon family. They are nocturnal mammals which are rarely seen in the metro Houston area and are more commonly found in dry locales. Weighing roughly three pounds at full growth, their species is quite often mistaken for small foxes.
Photo: Facebook/Texas: A Beautiful State of Mind
Medium to dark brown in color, having white underparts, the name “ringtail” refers to the black and white rings on its tail, which measures longer than its body. Their claws are straight, short, and semi-retractable, and other discerning features include large, black eyes encircled by patches of light-colored fur. They’re quite cute little guys, and this one was no exception, however, we’re sure he’ll have a heck of a ring-tale to tell his buddies when he gets back into the wild.
References:
ABC 13
Wikipedia
