Cat lovers, meet your newest obsession. 

Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of wild cat living in Bolivia’s cloud-covered Yungas forests and it’s the first new living cat species to be formally described in more than a century.

Named Tilcayo, or Leopardus tilcayo, the tiny spotted feline belongs to the tiger cat group found across South America. It’s about 46 centimeters long and weighs roughly 1.4 kilograms, making it even smaller than the average house cat.

The discovery started with what seemed like an ordinary rescue. In 2016, a local man found a kitten near a forest road and brought it home, believing it was a domestic cat.

Eventually realizing that the animal was wild, he brought it to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary, where researchers began taking a closer look.

Biologist and National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz was immediately intrigued by the unusual feline. Its small face, rounded ears, long whiskers, and distinctive spotted coat didn’t quite match descriptions of the tiger cats researchers were familiar with. That mystery eventually led to DNA testing.

Researchers analyzed genetic samples from 38 cats across several South American countries, including museum specimens. The results showed that what scientists had previously treated as a single tiger-cat group actually contains five genetically distinct species. The Bolivian lineage was determined to be a separate species, with genetic evidence suggesting it diverged from other tiger cats around 1.4 million years ago.

And yes, Tilcayo is very much a wild cat not a new breed of house cat.

Scientists currently know relatively little about the species. Camera-trap footage suggests it may be mostly active at night, while remains found in scat indicate that small rodents could be part of its diet. So far, researchers have only examined two live individuals along with a limited number of camera-trap records.

The discovery is exciting, but it also comes with a serious reminder. Bolivia’s Yungas forests are under pressure from deforestation, agriculture, fires, and mining. With so little known about Tilcayo, researchers say understanding its population and habitat is especially important.

The researchers have already shared their findings with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is expected to assess the different tiger-cat lineages separately. A more detailed assessment could reveal that Tilcayo faces a higher level of conservation risk than previously recognized.

For now, though, one thing is certain, the world’s cat family just got a little bigger. And somewhere in Bolivia’s misty forests, a tiny spotted cat has officially earned its place in the scientific record.