The Moving Home - Jungle Cat's

During my recent visit to Little Rann of Kutch, a surprise awaited us in our very first safari. We started from Bangalore early morning, and reached Zainabad by noon. After lunch, we started our first safari. On the way, we stopped for couple of Black winged Stilts which were posing really nice. All of a sudden, we noticed a kitten little far away in the middle of the reeds. There were more than one kitten, which we initially thought was a domestic cat. Honestly, we didn't even expect or think about a Jungle Cat at that time. So we were not excited in the start. Slowly, one after the other kittens came out of the reeds. There were totally four kittens and a mother. Then we realised that all the kittens are looking alike, which is highly unlikely for a domestic cat. Then, after seeing the mother's tail and hind legs, we understood that those are Jungle cat mother and kittens. 

WOW! we enjoyed the scene - the kittens playing with each other, trying to catch one other's tail and all. The mother was watching all of them as well as our movements. It was amazing to watch the kittens' behaviour. Each of them showed different personalities - one of them always stayed with the mother, which could be the youngest one, one was little aggressive and trying to dominate others by blowing arms and showing canine tooth, one was playful and one was watchful, etc. 

Their home was in a mount of reed bed, with a small water body near by. 

The first kitten

Mother and kitten

Tried to fit the entire family in one frame

Later...

We wanted to visit the place again, to see the cute cat family. So we tried the place on the 3rd day. But we couldn't see even a single cat. During our 1st visit, they were not disturbed or they never looked threatened. They were quite comfortable but watchful with our presence. But the home is not there now!?
Not sure, if the mother moved all the kittens to a different place, or if they all were out for search of food, or hiding/resting inside the home.

Moving Home...

Cats usually move their home periodically. 

The mother cat moves it's kittens when she feels they aren't in a safe location, it's too cold/drafty, too bright, or she can't adequately watch them. 
The mother cat move her litter to a new location, especially during the first few weeks after birth. Establishing a new nest is part of the cat's instinctual behaviour to safeguard her young by not remaining in one place too long.
Apart from safety, temperature is another reason feral cats move kittens. It is only the mother's body that keeps the kittens warm. If she gives birth in a spot that isn't protected from the elements, she will carry them to better protected location.
Feral cats also move kittens when food for the mother is scarce. Once the mother and litter are in a place where food is more abundant, she does not have to roam as far from her kittens to get it.

Jungle cat:

The jungle cat is the largest of the living Felis species. It has a small tuft on the ears, a comparatively short tail, and a distinct spinal crest.
They inhabit savannas, tropical dry forests and reedbeds along rivers and lakes in the lowlands, but, despite the name, are not found in rainforests.
Jungle cats are solitary in nature. They rest in other animals' abandoned burrows, tree holes, and humid coves under swamp rocks, or in areas of dense vegetation. Although often active at night, they are less nocturnal than many other cats, and in cold weather may sun themselves during the day.
Jungle cats can climb trees. Like most cats, they utilize not only sight and hearing while hunting, but also their sense of smell. While running, they tend to sway from side to side. They mostly hunt for rodents, frogs, birds, hares, squirrels, juvenile wild pigs, as well as various reptiles, including turtles and snakes. Near human settlements, they feed on domestic chickens and ducks. They catch fish while diving, but mostly swim in order to disguise their scent trails, or to escape threats, such as dogs or humans.
Like most other cats, they hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey, and they use reeds or tall grass as cover. They are adept at leaping, and sometimes attempt to catch birds in flight. Although they can run at up to 32 kilometres per hour (20 mph), they rarely pursue prey that escapes their initial pounce.
Mating has been recorded in February/ March in Central Asia and October in India. Females usually set up their dens in reed beds or thick vegetation. After a gestation of 63-68 days, females produce a litter of 1-6 kittens. They weigh around 4.5 ounces at birth and gain an average of 22 grams per day. Their eyes open between 10-12 days, they are weaned at 3 months, stalk and kill prey and reach independence by 5-6 months and are sexually mature at 11 months.