Research overview: disease ecology of Pallas cats and other small wild felids

Small wild felids such as the Pallas cat, sand cat and various others have distinctive disease ecologies that are often poorly studied yet conservation-relevant. This overview surveys disease in small wild cats, including the notable vulnerability of captive Pallas cats to toxoplasmosis, which causes high kitten mortality, and exposure to feline viruses and parasites in other species. It examines how the natural history of these cats, including habitat and prey, shapes their pathogen exposure, the special challenges of disease in captive breeding, and the gaps in knowledge for most small felids. The synthesis connects felid disease epidemiology to the often-overlooked smaller members of the cat family. It aims to help readers appreciate that disease threats extend well beyond the charismatic big cats, affecting a diversity of small felids whose health remains comparatively little understood.