What Do Pallas's Cats Eat? Hunting Pikas and Zoo Meals

The Pallas's cat's diet is pikas and small rodents

The main food of the Pallas's cat is the pika (a member of the rabbit family, with short ears and a body about the size of a hand) and small rodents (rodents). According to a report by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Cat Specialist Group, the main prey includes pikas, common voles, water voles, hamsters, and jumping voles.

Occasionally, the Pallas's cat also eats animals such as jerboas, birds, insects, hares, young marmots, and lizards. They may also eat dead animals (carrion). The weight of prey is generally about 50 to 300 grams.

The key point is this. The Pallas's cat lives by eating animals as small as the size of a hand to the size of both hands. Since its body is about the size of a domestic cat (size), its food is also of a similar small size.

Looking at the Pallas's cat's diet from a survey in Mongolia

There is a study that actually examined the diet of the Pallas's cat. It was a survey conducted in central Mongolia in 2010. Researchers collected 146 fecal samples of the Pallas's cat and examined the bones and hair left in them to determine the prey. A total of 249 prey items were identified.

The most common prey was the Daurian pika, a type of pika. Small rodents, insects, birds, reptiles, and carrion were also found.

Interestingly, there were more small animals than pikas in the survey area. Nevertheless, the Pallas's cat ate far more pikas than the number of other small animals. Researchers believe this is because the pika is chosen as prey. The reason is size. The pika is about 2 to 4 times larger than other small mammals, so it provides more nutrition in one hunt.

This study also highlights another important point. In China and Mongolia, there are initiatives to remove pikas to protect grasslands. However, since there are no other prey animals to replace the pika, such removal could threaten the Pallas's cat's way of life. For more details, see Is the Pallas's cat an endangered species?.

The Pallas's cat's hunting is good at "ambush"

The Pallas's cat has three main hunting methods, as summarized by the IUCN Cat Specialist Group.

1. Creeping: Moving low to the ground, hiding in grass or under rocks while approaching
2. Stalking and flushing: Walking through tall grass to flush out hidden small animals or birds
3. Ambushing: Waiting quietly outside a burrow and catching prey when it comes out

The Smithsonian National Zoo describes the Pallas's cat as an "ambush predator." The lower body posture helps in hunting, and the short legs help in getting close to prey quietly. One adult Pallas's cat can eat up to five pikas, water voles, or mice per day.

The Brookfield Zoo in the United States mentions that the Pallas's cat may also insert its front legs into the burrow to catch prey.

The Pallas's cat is mainly active at dawn and dusk. Although they may move during the day or night, hunting is centered around twilight. The often still posture is also related to this hunting style.

What do Pallas's cats eat in zoos?

In zoos, the main diet of the Pallas's cat consists of mice (such as laboratory-raised hamsters) and quail. Foods that are similar to wild prey, small and whole, are selected.

The official blog of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Nagoya City) mentions the food of the 2025-born kittens. They start showing interest in food after four weeks of age, and by eight weeks, they can eat up to five small mice per individual. After 12 weeks, they finish weaning (stopping nursing), and can also eat larger quail.

The Columbus Zoo in the United States provides mice, rats, and quail.

The blog of a caretaker at Saitama Children's Zoo and Nature Park mentions that the amount of food varies by season. This is based on the amount of food that wild Pallas's cats eat in summer and winter, and some individuals were found to differ in weight by about 1.5 kg between summer and winter.

Understanding the Pallas's cat's lifestyle from its diet

Knowing the Pallas's cat's diet reveals its lifestyle. Pikas are common animals in high grasslands in Mongolia and China. They find burrows in rocky areas, wait quietly, and then pounce suddenly with their short legs. The Pallas's cat's body structure and even its proud face are adapted to this lifestyle.

Also check out the Pallas's cat's habitat and what kind of animal is the Pallas's cat?. Whether or not it can be kept as a pet is explained in can the Pallas's cat be a pet?.

Sources

• IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group: Pallas's cat (diet, hunting methods, activity time)
• Ross, Munkhtsog & Harris 2010. Dietary composition, plasticity, and prey selection of Pallas's cats. Journal of Mammalogy 91(4)
• IUCN Red List: Otocolobus manul (2020 assessment)
• Smithsonian National Zoo: 10 Fascinating Facts About the Pallas's Cat
• Brookfield Zoo: Pallas's cat
• Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens Official Blog: Raising Pallas's cat cubs (September 20, 2025)
• Columbus Zoo: Pallas' Cat
• Saitama Children's Zoo and Nature Park Blog: ZOO Meeting ~ About SCZOO's Pallas's cat ~ (May 6, 2023)