The sand cat usually rests in underground dens during the day and hunts at night. It moves on average at night in search of small rodents and birds. Among the Tuareg people of the Ténéré desert, it has a reputation of killing venomous snakes efficiently. In spring, the female gives birth to two to three kittens, which become sexually mature around the age of one year. Its ecological requirements are still poorly understood, as only a few in-depth studies targeting wild sand cat populations have been conducted.