The Bobcat is an extraordinary feline. A highly adaptable North American bobcat, the Bobcat has managed to survive in healthy numbers in a variety of habitats, consuming a diverse spectrum of prey, in both wild and inhabited regions. Classified in the genus Lynx, the bobcat (Lynx Rufus) is generally considered a more successful hunter than the Canada lynx, and is perhaps the best medium-sized predator on the continent.

Twice the size of a domestic cat, the bobcat weighs between fifteen and thirty pounds and is typically three to four feet long. Males are generally larger. Size among subspecies is generally subject to terrain, with bobcats in open northern regions being larger than their southern counterparts. The coat is usually tan in color with a series of dark stripes that help the cat to camouflage itself. The characteristic feature is its small tail (up to half a foot long) which gives it the ‘bobbed’ appearance, responsible for the species name. Unlike other lynx cats, the Bobcat’s tail has a white underside with a stubby black tip, which distinguishes the cat. Despite being a small cat, the Bobcat is quite muscular and its strong, proportionately long hind legs allow it to generate tremendous speed limits, reaching up to 30mph!

With their keen senses, extreme agility, and amazing strength, bobcats are great hunters, capable of bringing down animals three times their size. Prey animals for this cunning opportunistic hunter include insects, rodents, birds, fish, squirrels, rabbits, and even deer. Sometimes it can hunt even foxes, small dogs and domestic cats. The usual hunting technique is to stalk the animal and allow it to come within twenty to ten meters while the cat is crouching in wait. The chase then ensues and the prey is brought down with its sharp retractable claws. The cat then bites into the animal’s neck, skull, or chest to kill it. In the case of a large prey animal, Bobcat covers it with leaves or debris to return to it over the next few days to feed. Hunting time is usually dusk and dawn, with the cat roaming freely for several miles in its range at night. Despite its cute appearance, the bobcat is a very ferocious animal and is capable of terrifying snarls and snarls, fooling many into believing its sounds are those of a mountain lion.

Solitary like most cats, Bobcats come together during mating. The female is the sole mother and produces three to four kittens after a gestation period of almost two months, although not all kittens reach adulthood in the wild. Life expectancy is almost twelve years in the wild and more than twenty years in captivity. The main threats include parasites, human hunters, and automobiles.

Despite voracious hunting by humans over the past few decades, the great adaptability of bobcats has allowed them to survive in the wild. In fact, its success as a species can be measured by the fact that, despite the great value placed on its fur in history, it is still not considered vulnerable as a species by international wildlife bodies. Its unique survival instincts have even allowed it to carve out a niche for itself even in urban areas, becoming a constant threat, due to its great stealth and climbing abilities, to farms and pets. The best idea would be to stay indoors to avoid the wildcats. Other alternatives include keeping a dog locally (bobcats have been known to be hunted and chased through trees by dogs) and notifying local wildlife officials. Remember it’s not an interspecies conflict like it is with big cats, when bobcats prey on domestic cats, it’s just that domestic cats are on the menu for these crafty predators in urban settings!