Research overview: flat-headed cat diet of fish and aquatic prey

The flat-headed cat is among the most piscivorous of felids, and this overview reviews its specialized aquatic diet. Observations and morphology indicate a diet centered on fish, frogs, and crustaceans taken from shallow water, supplemented by small prey along watercourses. The cat is reported to wade and feel for prey, plunge its head underwater, and grip slippery catches with adaptations of its teeth and claws. This strong dependence on aquatic prey ties the species firmly to clean, productive freshwater wetlands. Documenting the diet underscores why the flat-headed cat cannot persist where wetlands are drained or polluted, and it parallels the convergent piscivory of the fishing cat, illustrating how aquatic specialization has evolved among small Asian cats.