Sand Cats, as the name suggests, are desert dwellers. The northern European climate does not make them easy captive subjects. All British zoos that keep, or have kept, them have done so entirely indoors. Some on the continent allow them outdoors during the summer. Like many desert animals, their respiratory system is quite sensitive. But providing the atmospheric difficulties can be overcome, they are easy enough to maintain and breed. Those already present in the UK are nearly all very closely related and of the harrisoni subspecies.