Year in Review with Pallas's Cats: Miscalculations, Moves, and Recognition
The number of Pallas«s cats in Novosibirsk increased even more in 2025.
So, 2025 has come to an end. For the favorites of Novosibirsk residents — the Pallas«s cats, it was filled with a variety of events. There were ups and downs, touching kittens, and thorough fattening up (the word was even added to the Russian language dictionary). Let»s see how the beloved cats from the Novosibirsk Zoo spent the past year.
We prepared a video with the most important events in the lives of Pallas«s cats.
The Treacherous House
2025 for the Pallas«s cats began with a funny blunder: one of the wild cats slightly miscalculated its strength. Or rather, the treacherous house turned out to be higher than the Pallas»s cat thought!
As a result, the Pallas«s cat hit its face on a wooden plank while jumping. And it would have been fine if the failure hadn»t been caught on video by regular zoo visitor Sergei Iltyakov. The video quickly went viral.
A Pallas«s cat»s failed jump attempt was captured in a viral video.
No need to worry. After the unsuccessful jump, the cat shook itself off and made more accurate calculations — the next jump was already successful, and the wild cat easily climbed onto the roof of the house.
Frosts and a Loud Quarrel
Last year, the frosts only came in the third decade of January, so it wasn«t possible to fully appreciate the fluffiness of the Pallas»s cats right away.
There were also disputes: one of the wild cats quarreled with its neighbor. There is a net between the enclosures, so the Pallas«s cats can see each other. One of them decided to see what its neighbor was doing, but the guest wasn»t very liked.
The wild cats showed a serious demeanor as they argued with each other.
The cats took threatening poses and even hissed in displeasure. What exactly the Pallas«s cats disagreed on remains a mystery to this day. The animals talked for several minutes, and in the end, one of them decided to give in and went about its business away from the net and the quarrelsome neighbor.
Mating Season and Its Offspring
In February, the Pallas«s cats begin their mating season. Specialists from the Novosibirsk Zoo carefully select pairs and house the animals separately. At first, the Pallas»s cats in the enclosure tried to have almost no contact, without showing particular displeasure with each other.
The result of spring was the appearance of kittens from two females: Mia and Snezhnika. At first, the Pallas«s cat kittens almost didn»t leave the house, but gradually became bolder.
The two female Pallas«s cats demonstrated excellent maternal care for their kittens.
The kittens played all season, learned to hunt, drink milk, and eat meat. Their eyes gradually changed color from blue to yellow. By autumn, they were moved to different enclosures.
Moves
In summer, one of the Pallas«s cats moved to the Krasnoyarsk Zoo »Royev Ruchey«. He is two years old, born in 2023. The Pallas»s cat was named Boris, and he became a real Krasnoyarsk star!
Boris the Pallas«s cat adapted quickly to his new home in Krasnoyarsk.
The Pallas«s cats Karaganda and Zelenogorsk, well-known to Novosibirsk residents, moved to quiet open enclosures. Due to their age, they have minor health issues — the wild cats are over 14 and 12 years old respectively, and they needed peace.
Preparing for Winter
With the arrival of autumn, the Pallas«s cats began their fattening up. By the way, this word was added to the Russian language dictionary, although it was influenced more by Muscovite Timofey than by the inhabitants of the Novosibirsk Zoo. The cats need to prepare for the cold, so they eat a lot and grow fat. Also, an undercoat appears, which makes the Pallas»s cats look like woolen balls.
In winter, Pallas«s cats take on a ball-like form with their dense undercoat.
Of course, not only the Pallas«s cats in the Novosibirsk Zoo were preparing for winter, but also wild cats. Employees of the Altai Reserve, while searching for mountain sheep, accidentally stumbled upon a Pallas»s cat.
«Gazing into the endless snow-covered and seemingly lifeless peaks of the Saylyugemsky National Park, one can feel that someone is closely watching you. And only upon looking carefully do you realize that you have caught the contemptuously-arrogant gaze of a fluffy »stone«,» the association «Irbis» quoted reserve employees Roman and Tatiana Vorobyev.
In October, a wild Pallas«s cat had already managed to grow thick fur.
The fattening up went according to plan, and the Pallas«s cats were fully ready for winter and the New Year. All the wild cats perfectly mastered how to save their delicate paws from the cold using their tails.
What Else Did the Pallas«s Cats Do?
Pallas«s cats can sit in their houses for hours if they avoid visitors.
All year, they watched what was happening in their enclosures, interacted with guests when in a good mood, hunted squirrels. And one of the cats even danced on the snow. 2025 was rich in events in the lives of the favorites of Novosibirsk residents, and 2026, we hope, will be even more interesting.
April 23 is Pallas«s Cat Day. You can test your knowledge about the wild cat with our quiz.
