what is the closest wild relative of the domesticated cat?

Answer 1

The Felis sylvestris, the European wildcat (one of the common names anyways) is the ancestor of domestic cats http://www.tigertouch.org/cats/europeanwildcat.html . Well actually depends on which classification you use but some people consider the house cat just a subspecies, whereas others consider it a seperate species.

Answer 2

Right. The domestic cat is Felis sylvestris catus, a subspecies (3rd scientific name) so though this is very long it is the most accurate as all of these subspecies are equally as closely related to the domestic house cat:

1. Felis silvestris cafra
2. Felis silvestris foxi
3. Felis silvestris griselda
4. Felis silvestris lybica African Wildcat
5. Felis silvestris ocreata
6. Felis silvestris mellandi
7. Felis silvestris caudata
8. Felis silvestris ornata Indian Desert Cat
9. Felis silvestris cretensis (extinct, though some sightings have been reported.)
10. Felis silvestris caucasica Caucasian Wildcat
11. Felis silvestris grampia Scottish Wildcat
12. Felis silvestris jordansi Balearic Wildcat
13. Felis silvestris reyi Corsican Wildcat
14. Felis silvestris silvestris European Wildcat
15. Felis silvestris chutuchta
16. Felis silvestris gordoni
17. Felis silvestris haussa
18. Felis silvestris iraki
19. Felis silvestris nesterovi
20. Felis silvestris rubida
21. Felis silvestris tristrami
22. Felis silvestris ugandae
23. Felis silvestris vellerosa

Answer 3

Michael Jackson

Answer 4

the wild cat ,that is what it is called and it is not much larger

Answer 5

suppose something from the smaller side of wild cats, bobcat, lynx, etc

Answer 6

i'd say the bobcat or cougar