Weight: 12-18 pounds 
Head/Body: 22 inches 
Tail: 7 inches 
Subspecies: 1 

The flat-headed cat is about the size of a domestic cat, and possesses a flat but long head and round ears. The flat-headed cat looks similar to a civet and it is adapted to partially-aquatic living. Flat-headed cats have partial webbing on their toes, which assists them in navigating through water. Their teeth face backwards to help the cat hold on to slippery prey, like frogs. In the 19th century, this cat was known as the "fire cat".

Around 1985, the flat-headed cat was classified as extinct, but fortunately they are not. In 1995 they were removed from the extinct list when they were spotted in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. The flat-headed cat's habitats are forests near rivers and river banks.

In the wild, the flat-headed cat is believed to be nocturnal, but in captivity they exhibit crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) behavior. Their diet includes crustaceans, frogs, fish and, as a last resort, rodents.

Like most other cats, this cat is solitary using scent to mark its territory. The size of a typical litter is between one and four kittens. In captivity, these cats have lived up to 14 years of age.

Because of their dependence on rivers, and the fact that pollution is a growing problem in their habitats, it is assumed that the population of these cats is not thriving.

The Flat-headed cat is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.