Watch some precious baby Pallas cats explore their environs

Well, it’s Monday again (said in my best Bill Murray voice) and we’re at the grind, again. But you know who’s not out there working 9 to 5? These adorable Pallas’s Cat kittens. Yes, it’s time for a new animal deep dive, courtesy of Discord member Kehl (thanks, Kehl!) sharing this video on the new babies posted by the community site and YouTube channel Manulization:

First-time mom Snezhinka gave birth to six fluffy bundles of cute this past April at the Rostislav Shilo Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia. By all accounts, her litter is happy, healthy, and (from watching the video) perfectly ready to explore, much to their mom’s chagrin. Three-year-old Snezhinka (whose name means ‘snowflake’) was also born at Novosibirsk Zoo, along with litter-father Achi. And while this may be Snezhinka’s first litter, she’s in capable hands — according to Manulization, the Novosibirsk Zoo has over 30 Pallas’s Cats in residence, with the new litter bumping them to 34.

Fun fact — Manulization’s title might seem like a non-sequitur, but Pallas’s Cats are also called Manuls, after their scientific name’s (“Otocolobus Manul”) epithet!

Pallas’s Cats natively reside in regions of montane (high-elevation) grasslands and shrublands of Central Asia; their extremely dense fur and thick, bushy tails are designed to keep them warm in the extreme cold while being easily shed in summer heat. They have large home range sizes (which make them difficult to protect within reserves) and a dependency on marmot burrows and rock cavities, particularly for raising their young in the wild.

Currently, Pallas’s cats can be found as far west as Western Iran and were previously believed to extend further, into Armenia and Azerbaijan. One of the reasons their territory is so broad and amorphous is that Pallas’s cats are challenging to track. Referred to as “the most secret representative of the family Felidae” by Novosibirsk Zoo, these grumpy-looking cats are elusive. Their mottled brown fur readily blends them into their native environs among the rocky steppes, but they’re especially clever when hiding in the plains. They will flatten themselves close to the ground on their bellies, essentially camouflaging themselves as just another rock.

Pallas’s Cats are categorized as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List as of a 2020 assessment; however, their populations are declining (like those of most other animals) and remain difficult to gauge due to the natural stealth of Pallas’s Cats. They may be an internet sensation thanks to their adorably expressive faces, but don’t let their diminutive stature fool you — housecat size does not mean domesticated! Instead, enjoy their cuteness the way the rest of us do, through YouTube channels such as Manulization, dedicated to educating people about the species and traveling around to photograph and record them in their zoo habitats.