Research overview: fishing cat diet and piscivory

True to its name, the fishing cat is among the most piscivorous of felids, and this overview synthesizes diet studies confirming that fish form a major part of its diet, supplemented by rodents, birds, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, and snakes. Observations describe the cat scooping fish from shallow water, diving, and even taking aquatic prey by wading, behaviors unusual among cats. This reliance on aquatic prey ties the species firmly to productive wetlands and clean water. Documenting the diet is important because it explains the fishing cat dependence on healthy aquatic ecosystems and clarifies its occasional conflict with people over fish and poultry, helping distinguish genuine impact from the persecution that sometimes follows such conflict.