What's the value of a pet bobcat compared to a wild bobcat?

Georgia Department of Natural Resources in their bobcat fact sheet say that the economic value of a bobcat in their state can be boiled down to the value of their pelt which is $25-$70 per pelt depending upon pelt size, colour, fur thickness and spottiness. I believe the last word refers to the number of spots on their coat. The more spots the more attractive it is, is my guess.

Difference between lynx and bobcat. Image: MikeB

Wild bobcats

So, the value of a wild bobcat is around US$50 because it's just the value of their fur. Of course, I hate the thought of trappers and hunters killing bobcats for their skin but a lot of people like doing it. Trappers in Georgia harvest annually between 1,200 and 1,800 bobcats while those that shoot them harvest between three and five times more. Enough said. It's horrible for me. I don't know if the flesh of the bobcat is then eaten by the trappers or sold. I would doubt it. If it is, it will add slightly to the value.

Pet bobcats

As for pet bobcats, I wouldn't advise adopting one, buying one or looking after one. If you are set on the idea then you've got to be very knowledgeable and very well equipped both financially and in terms of facilities. We should leave bobcats alone in the wild to live their lives naturally. To adopt one as a pet is self-indulgent.

Apparently Big Cat Rescue say that a bobcat kitten is usually priced around US$900. My research indicates that you can get hold of a bobcat cub for around US$1,000 but they might go up to US$1,500 or there might be a bit cheaper. This is similar to the price of a purebred domestic cat.

20x more expensive

So, you can see that a pet bobcat, which I presume has being somewhat domesticated through socialisation, is around 20 times more expensive than a wild bobcat.

Of course, all my references are to America which is where the bobcat is mainly distributed. They live in North America but not far into Canada because it's too snowy.

How long do bobcats stay with their mother?

The answer to the question in the title is a little bit elastic because the moment when young bobcats no longer stay with their mother is itself elastic and they disperse at various ages. Essentially the answer is: until 7-12 months of age, but dispersal occurs at 9-24 months of age.

Bobcat photograph by PD Ryan on Flickr.

My resource, which is the excellent book Wild Cats of the World by the equally excellent Mel and Fiona Sunquist, states that "Kittens are dependent on their mother until about seven months of age, after which they spend progressively more time away from her, although some mother-young associations may last a year or more".

You see what I mean by the elasticity of that moment? It varies from seven months to 12 months.

The authors go on to state that before bobcats become adult in terms of size and weight young bobcats leave their "natal ranges" (the home range of their mother) and wonder looking for a home of their own in "unoccupied habitat". They become part of a "transient or floating population" of bobcats.

And then the bobcat disperses by which the authors mean bobcats leave their mother's home and set up their own home permanently. This moment varies also with some young leaving as early as nine months of age while others might be two years of age before they disperse and become an independent bobcat living in their own home range.

And the way this takes place also varies with some young bobcats upping sticks suddenly and rapidly travelling many kilometres while others may take several months to do the same thing.

Sometimes, rarely, an individual might set up home in their mother's range if, for example, the mother has disappeared or has died.

Newly adult bobcats want their home range because it's a prerequisite for successful reproduction.

How far do bobcats travel in a day? Studies on radio-tagged bobcats indicate that the distance they travel in one day varies with male bobcats travelling farther than females and movement patterns vary by season and region, but estimates vary between as little as 2.6 km to 18.5 km per day. The longer distances are normally associated with the mating season.

How long is a bobcat's tail? The tale is about 14 cm long being white underneath and marked with dark bands above.

What breed is this stray neighbourhood cat?

"What breed is this stray neighbourhood cat?" asks a Reddit.com user and the answer is that this is a bobcat. This is not a breed of cat but a species of medium-sized wild cat ubiquitous in North America wandering around suburbia looking for a domestic cat to feed on! 😢

It looks like a 'purebred' bobcat (i.e., not a hybrid) who has wandered into the neighbourhood as they sometimes do as they often become habituated to suburbia which is not great for the cat as sometimes residents panic and grab their guns of which there is a copious number in the US.

What breed is this stray neighbourhood cat? It is not a breed of cat but an American bobcat wandering around American suburbia probably looking for a domestic cat to feed on. Image: Reddit.com (u/Gimme_More_Cats)

You'll see a lot of bobcats in American suburbia and the big problem is that in some places such as Florida bobcats acquire a taste for outside domestic cats. They attack, kill and eat them. Domestic cat owners find that their cat companions have simply disappeared, and the bobcat can return for more.

RELATED: Two dozen domestic cats attacked and eaten by bobcats at Flagler Beach?

You can end up with a mini slaughter of indoor/outdoor cats in one area. I guess small dogs might be vulnerable to bobcat predation as well.

The problem is human made as these settlements have been built on bobcat territory. They are simply occupying what is rightfully theirs and they bump into prey animals: domestic cats.

Sometimes you see escaped pet servals wandering around neighbourhoods. They, too, are vulnerable to being shot at because people can be scared, and they tend to exaggerate the dangers.

If they simply keep their cats inside and left the bobcat alone all would end well. You just have to leave them alone to share the place. It is their place anyway.

RELATED: Do bobcats make good pets? Do bobcats eat cats? Do bobcats live in UK? Do bobcats attack humans?

There are actually many news stories of bobcats interfering with human life sometimes with bad outcomes. For example, a contractor claims a bobcat attacked him on 18th floor of condominium in downtown Tampa. 

This is incorrect: "Cute baby bobcat rescued from dog attack in Indonesia"

There is a story and video currently doing the rounds on the Internet, on the news media websites. And the title is that a cute baby bobcat has been rescued from a dog attack in Indonesia. The problem is that there are no bobcats in Indonesia. The picture is of an Asiatic leopard cat in my considered view. They are quite rare (and endangered) and this is the wild cat half of the Bengal cat which is a very popular domestic cat.

The authorities in Indonesia are describing this small cat as a bobcat which is entirely incorrect. This is an Asian leopard cat.

But the Asiatic leopard cat is much less pliable and amenable to being domesticated them a bobcat. Not that you would normally domestic at a bobcat either. But judging by the video the Indonesians who found this leopard cat are treating it as a pet. 

That is not going to work out sooner or later as the kitten or cub grows up a bit and becomes more independent and manifestly aggressive. The story behind this young Asian leopard cat is that dogs killed the mother and her/his sibling. The caption says that "the baby lynx luckily managed to survive."

This is not a lynx. This is an Asian leopard cat. You do not find lynx in Indonesia. They bobcat and lynx are native to North America. They say that this Asian leopard cat was found in the Agam district, West Sumatra province, Indonesia. The villager who had the cat said:

“I was gardening, saw some stray dogs and hunting dogs who were surrounding the mother and the two baby bobcats. Unfortunately, the mother and the other baby died"

Apparently, it is the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) who decided that the cat was a bobcat. They are entirely incorrect and I am absolutely certain of it. They say the animal is protected and I hope therefore that it is released into the wild when adult and able to fend for itself. 

Although I suspect that life for an Asiatic leopard cat in Indonesia is pretty hazardous with a high chance of being killed somehow or other.

Deep friendship between a domestic cat and a wild cat: the bobcat

The emotional connection and friendship is tangible. There is no doubt that this bobcat is deeply emotionally involved with the ginger tabby-and-white domestic cat. Obviously, the bobcat is domesticated to a large extent. But wild cats never quite attain that level of domestication that domestic cats do. 

Deep friendship between a domestic cat and a wild cat: the bobcat. Screenshot.

But in this video, it almost looks like we are viewing two domestic cats. The behaviour of the bobcat is no different at all to a domestic cat. He or she is allogrooming which is mutual grooming. 

It is the kind of thing humans do to cats when we stroke them. It's a bonding exercise which is exactly what it looks like. And they lick the parts that the recipient cat can't get to for obvious reasons. They must do it totally instinctively. They know the part that cats can't get to and therefore they lick them. I think that pretty clever actually.

Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Evi a small female bobcat who escaped from captivity under strange circumstances

A bobcat named Evi lived at the Reflection Riding nature preserve located at 400 Garden Road Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. A young man whose name is Cayden Melia was kayaking on Lookout Creek after drinking alcohol (and perhaps during his kayaking).

Evi a small female bobcat who escaped from captivity under strange circumstances. Screenshot.

When he got to Reflection Riding, he got out and walked to the area where a bobcat and an eagle were kept in cages. I will have to presume that the reason why he broke into the cages with a rock was because of his inebriated state. He then broke into the bobcat's cage.

Once he was inside the bobcat's captive area, he decided the play with the bobcat. He was playing with a ball when the animal decided to escape. He tried to get the cat back inside the cage but failed so he returned to his kayak. Evi is domesticated and behaves like a domestic cat to a large extent.

He admitted that he knew the area was off-limits. A person had come forward who suspected that Cayden was the culprit. A city officer went to his home in North Chattanooga, read him his Miranda rights and took a statement. This brief article is based upon the statement and comes via The Chattanoogan.com.

He had his first court appearance on August 6 2020 before General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh. The "crime" took place on June 11, 2019.  Melia is charged with vandalism and criminal trespassing. I expect he received a nominal sentence.

Evi was spotted numerous times on the side of Lookout Mountain. $4000 was donated by the public to cover the cost of the search. The police have decided that Cayden did not try and steal the bobcat and has been charged with vandalism and criminal trespassing. 

Evi was recovered 5 days later according to the video below. Evi is quite small, not much larger than a domestic cat.

Emaciated bobcat with burnt paws rescued from Dixie Fire, California

AUBURN, Calif. (KTXL) – An emaciated adult male bobcat with burns to the bottoms of all four paws is now in the care of Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn, the organization reported Sunday. The bobcat arrived from Plumas County, where the Dixie Fire has burned. Caregivers are “cautiously optimistic” about the bobcat’s prognosis....

Emaciated bobcat with burnt feet rescued from Dixie Fire, California. Photo: Fox40 FB page.

I don't have more because it is still the case that some American news media websites do not allow Europeans to read their articles. They could easily resolve this problem by complying with European Union regulations but they would rather bar Europeans from their website than do a bit of work.

And what is surprising to me is that this is the only story about cat rescue that I have found on the Internet coming out of the huge California wildfires this year. They happened last year too and they seem to be a perennial occurrence and they also appear to be getting worse. Global warming?

However, the news media appears to be disinterested in reporting on animal welfare. I would like to see some heroic stories of domestic cats being rescued or saved from the fire by their owners. But nothing is available to me on the Internet. This story about the bobcat is unsurprising and I would expect many other wild animals to have suffered in the same way. Obviously, the cat was without food because their prey animals had been killed by the fire. And equally obviously this cat must've been walking through hot undergrowth and burnt ground which is why their paws were burnt.

There are no videos about this rescue either. I am very good at searching for stuff on the Internet and if something was there, I would find it, I feel. Perhaps the biggest problem for the wild cats of California affected by these wildfires is the loss of prey animals. They will feed on a lot of relatively small animals living in the undergrowth and they have probably perished. The bobcat feeds on small prey animals such as snakes, lizards, birds, rodents, rats, the white-footed mouse, the pocket mouse and so on. I foresee a lot of death in these species of small animals due to the devastating wildfires.

What wild cats live in Florida?

Two wild cat species live in Florida: the bobcat and the Florida panther (puma, cougar, mountain lion). At one time the Florida panther was believed to be distinct subspecies of the puma but no longer. Because of the low population size of the Florida panther - in the hundreds and as low as about 100 I recall at one time - pumas from the west of the country were introduced which I understand to be an acceptance by the conservationists that they have abandoned the notion of keeping the Florida panther purebred and are just trying to save the puma from becoming extinct in Florida. It is the last place in the east of the US where it exists. The rest were hunted to extinction long ago when they were considered pests. And now they are treasured but it is too late.

Florida panther killed on the roads that criss-cross the state. Tragic but not uncommon. PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLTON WARD, JR.

It is a species of cat which is under constant pressure from human activity such as new roads and new developments. I believe that commercial organisations find the presence of the puma in Florida a nuisance and want rid of the pesky animal. I even suggested a conspiracy to get rid of it at one time.

There is talk from time to time of jaguarundi being present in Florida. There may be some but they are likely to be escaped 'pets' as the experts (IUCN Red List) say there are none.

That's about it. Back in the day there would have been ocelots but no longer. Those days are long gone as the best we can do nowadays is see fossil records of ocelots in this sunny state.

Pet bobcats instinctively like to use human toilet to poop and pee

This is a story from Melissa, Texas, USA of a couple of pet bobcats adopted quite recently by Mick and Melissa. They have made a video of their experiences of living with the bobcats. Melisssa says that bobcats like to hide the smell of their feces and urine when living in the wild. They do this by using a pond or a stream. This is why they took to using the human toilet so naturally. 

Melissa play-fights with one of the bobcats. Watch those hands. A bobcat bite can break the
bones of the hands according to Melissa. Screenshot.

My research indicates that bobcats don't normally hide their feces in the wild. In fact they create a bobcat feces toilet! I visualise mounds of poo at an important place in their home range. They tend to mark territory at the boundaries of their home range using poop, pee and scraping the ground. This contradicts Melissa but I sure that she is correct in saying that the bobcats used the toilet naturally.

So what is going on? It seems that they want to hide the smell of their poop. Sometimes in the wild bobcats need to be invisible. Perhaps it might be a female with her cubs. Or a juvenile bobcat. My reading of the situation is that Melissa and Mick's bobcats are feeling a little anxious and don't feel confident enough to mark territory.

Pet bobcat instinctively pees and poops in human toilet the owner said. Screenshot.

They probably don't feel that it is their territory but the territory of their owners. Perhaps as they become more bold and older their toilet habits might change.

Melissa does not say if the bobcats have sprayed urine against the walls as is commonplace in captive medium-sized wild cat pets. The serval is another example.

There are many cases of serval owners giving up and abandoning their exotic pets to sanctuaries because it all becomes to much hassle.

Bobcats can live long lives at about 30 years in captivity. They are the longest lived wild cat species in captivity. If Melissa and Mick are around 40 years old they'll be looking after these gorgeous bobcats when they are approaching 70. Can they do it? Will they tire of it or will their circumstances change so that they can no longer care for the cats?

Melissa admits to getting scratched and even suffering from broken bones in her hands because the bite of these cats is very strong. Not many people are able to accept that. Some delcaw their exotic pet cats. I can't tell if these bobcats are declawed. I don't think they are and I sincerely hope not. It is a very cruel operation.

Bobcat peeing and pooping in a human toilet. Screenshot.

As you can see, I am against wild cats as pets because ultimately it works against conservation of these animals. So much better to let them live out their lives naturally in the wild and allow them the space and peace to do it.

Are felines nocturnal?

The answer to the question depends upon the species of feline that you are referring to and the circumstances under which they are living. There is no simple black-and-white answer to the question. For example, the domestic cat tends to be nocturnal or a better description is crepuscular which means active at dawn and dusk when prey is about.

Tiger at night. This is not real because there are no white tigers in the wild. Photo: Pixabay.

But domestic cats are also active during the daytime sometimes. They just tend to be more active when daylight is subdued or it is dark. But the domestic cat is only one species of about 36 (the number of cat species is still contentious). I'm not going to go through every single wild cat species to tell you whether they are nocturnal or not but I'll mention one or two to give you an idea about what I'm talking about.

The American bobcat is distributed across America except for a 'hole' in the middle of it near the Great Lakes so it is a very well known wild cat. Bobcats are primarily crepuscular like the domestic cat. They are most active in the few hours before and after sunset and sunrise. There are exceptions

Some studies have found that bobcats are mainly nocturnal while other reports have found that they may be active at any time of the day or that they are arrhythmic (without any pattern or rhythm). In some places bobcats are more active during the daytime in winter because they must spend more time searching for food. In essence it would seem that a bobcat's activity coincides with the activity of the animals that it hunts. That makes sense. As I said the answer to the question the title has to be nuanced.

Canada lynx. Photo: Pixabay.

Taking another well-known medium-sized wild cat species living in North America, the Canada lynx, this cat is primarily nocturnal although they may be seen moving about at any time of the day. The animals that they mainly prey upon, snowshoe hares, are basically nocturnal which is why the Canada lynx is also mainly nocturnal. Once again you can see that the activity of the cat is dependent upon the activity of the prey.

The ocelot is a very well known small to medium-sized wildcat. Its coat has made the coats of many rich and famous people in the past. They are primarily nocturnal but they also hunt during the daytime especially when the weather is cloudy and rainy. They may be entirely nocturnal in areas where they are hunted by people. That sentence would apply to the past in America because as far as I'm aware they are no longer hunted by people because they are protected in North America if they are still extant on that continent.

The mountain lion lives in both North America and South America. They have a huge range in terms of distribution. These cats can be found hunting at any time of the day or night. In most areas the peak activity is reported to be around dawn and dusk i.e. crepuscular. They rest during the middle of the day. Once again their activity levels coincide with that of their major prey animals. Therefore it is seasonal and it depends upon where they live. For example, in the Idaho Primitive Area they are active during daytime to hunt ground squirrels. Where humans are more active such as where they are logging timber, mountain lions avoid them by being more active at night.

The concept of wild cats being more active at night to avoid people is also apparent with leopards. And you will find that lions also behave like this when necessary. They tend to avoid people by becoming nocturnal. Lions are apparently primarily nocturnal but there are no hard and fast rules as mentioned. It depends on the availability of prey animals to kill to eat and the type of habitat where they live which provides cover when stalking. Activity levels also depend upon the seasons and temperatures. And lastly it depends upon whether they are disturbed by people.

There have been reports of lions becoming nocturnal to avoid trophy hunters killing them. In the Serengeti there are two major peaks of activity, one of which is just after dark and the other between two and four in the morning.

Lastly, as I'm just giving you an idea as to whether cats are nocturnal or not, I will mention the tiger. Once again, in response to the activity of people, in certain parts of the world they have become totally nocturnal. If they are undisturbed by people they can be seen to hunt at any time of the day or night. Once again, also, their activity levels depend upon the activity of their prey animals. In other words it mirrors the activity patterns of the animals that they kill to eat. For example, in Chitwan National Park both male and female tigers mainly travelled at night for about 10 to 12 hours.

If you want to read more about the wild cat species and whether they are nocturnal or not then I would suggest that you search for those details on the main website which you can access by clicking here.

What wild cats live in Georgia?

In my honest opinion, only one wild cat species lives in Georgia, officially, and that is the American bobcat. You may see the odd Puma but they are not meant to be there. That is what the experts say. Perhaps a Florida panther might wander into Georgia but I would doubt it. If someone knows better they can leave a comment, please. If you want to know what wild cats live in America, please click on this link, which tells you which wildcat species live in which country across the planet.

Sprayed by Tiger Urine

If you go down to the zoo today be prepared for a big surprise! We know that our domestic cats can spray sometimes. This means marking territory by spraying a horizontal jet of urine against a vertical object behind the cat. Male cats have a "specially retractable penis" that allows them to leave these scent markers at a height that is perfect for other cats to sniff.

It is relative rare that domestic cats spray objects because they are usually neutered or spayed and domesticated and don't really have a home range to protect.

A home range is the area that the cat considers his or her home territory. They can be extremely large for the bigger wildcats such as the snow leopard. When the area is large it is impossible for the cat to physically patrol the area and see off intruders so scent marking is the next best thing. It says to intruders that the occupying cat is here and recently.

Here are some examples of how frequently wild cats spray their territory:

• Male serval - up to 41.2 times per kilometer (46 times per hour).
• Bobcats spray urine from 1.9-7.5 times per km.
• Canada lynx spray more frequently than bobcats at about 10x per km.
• Tigers spray mark territory "up to 11 times every 30 mins.

I found these to be high numbers. I had not realised how frequently wild cats sprayed their territory.

If you are visiting a zoo and looking into the tiger enclosure don't get too close because if you do and see the tiger turning around presenting his rear end towards you, you know what you are about to receive - a large shower of prime quality tiger urine. This has happened and will no doubt happen again.

I have been sprayed with serval urine when I entered a serval cage to photograph them - there were two, one male and one female. The male, a large cat, sprayed me very quickly. I had no chance to get out of the way. The picture below is of the cat who sprayed me.

Morpheus at A1 Savannahs.

You can read about Morpheus on this page. The information on spraying frequencies comes from The Natural History of the Wild Cats by Andrew Kitchener ISBN 0-8014-8498-7.

Is the bobcat a lynx?

Yes, the bobcat is part of the genus lynx. There are four cats that are part of this genus:

1. Lynx lynx - Eurasian lynx
   
2. Lynx canadensis - Canada lynx
   
3. Lynx pardinus - Iberian lynx
   
4. Lynx rufus - the bobcat

They all look like a lynx, which is helpful. It is the name that misleads as the three cats other than the bobcat have "lynx" in their name, whereas the bobcat does not.

The full classification for the bobcat is as follows: Kingdom: Animalia - Phylum: Chordata - Class: Mammalia - Order: Carnivora - Family: Felidae - Genus: Lynx - Species: L. rufus.

The group called "genus" is low in the taxonomic ranking. Classification of species is simply organising species in much the same way you organize files. The difference is that scientists use latin terminology, which is a throwback to the 1500s and before when scientists first classified the species.

Bobcat Description

Two fine bobcat photographs accompanying this bobcat description. I really like these photographs. The smaller one is a bit different. The photographer has the Flickr username of mikewiz. The original photo on Flickr is a lot darker than my adjusted version. The larger photo is very good for supporting a description of the bobcat.

The bobcat has some other names: bay lynx, lynx cat and pallid bobcat to name three. This medium sized to small wild cat is the size of a cocker spaniel. The largest male was recorded as weighing 26.8 kilograms and the largest female weighed 15.9 kilograms. Bobcats in the north are larger than those in the south of their range. The size of the bobcat's skull is similar in size to that of the domestic cat.

The legs are long and head relatively small. The tail as we know is short. In fact it is about 14 inches long, with white fur underneath and banding on the upper surface. The ears have classic lynx tipping - tufts of black fur growing out of the end of the ear flap. The back of the ears are black with a white eye spot, which can be seen in the photograph.

Male Bobcat - Photo copyright Tory - see in large format on Flickr

These photographs are published here with the photographers' express permission. Please ask the photographer if you wish to use either.

Bobcat - protected by copyright
Please ask photographer for permission
to use.

The bobcat has a ruff growing from the cheeks and neck. The quality of its fur is the reason why it is hunted and trapped. It is thick and soft. The cat's eyes are ringed with white fur ("spectacles" in cat fancy language). The chin is white as is the belly and the insides of the limbs. Dark spots and bars overlay these areas. The coat varies in color: buff to light grey and yellow/reddish brown.

Melanistic bobcats have been recorded. These cats are black with ghost markings. There have also been albino bobcats. The Canada lynx is similar in appearance to the bobcat. The bobcat has smaller and less hairy feet than the Canada lynx indicating that the Canada lynx is better adapted for traveling in snow.

Associated pages: Mexican bobcat, Florida bobcat.

Bobcat Picture

This is a camera trap bobcat picture from siwild on Flickr. This sort of wildcat picture is not pretty in the conventional sense. This is because the camera trap camera is less sophisticated in terms of its ability to create high image quality. However, being motion activated it captures the kind of image that you don't get with human operated cameras. They are wilder, more real. You get a real sense of what it is like in the wild for the wild cats.

Bobcat Picture - in the wild - camera trap image - by siwild - see it on Smithsonian Wild

I have improved the image quality slightly although there has been no adjustment to the content.

You can see the moon above the bobcat. This bobcat picture was taken in the state of Virginia, USA. The words on the lower RHS of the photograph is the name of the manufacturer of the camera.

The bobcat is the most common wildcat in the USA. It occupies areas in the east of the US from where the puma (cougar) has been removed or extirpated. The bobcat is part of the lynx genus. In Canada the Canada lynx is that country's version of the bobcat. The Eurasian lynx is the biggest of the lynx cats.

What wild cats are found in Georgia?

Officially, one species of wild cat is found in Georgia, USA and it is the bobcat. The bobcat is a medium sized wild cat. It is one of four wildcats under the Genus: lynx. The other three are the Canada lynx, the Eurasian lynx and the Iberian lynx.

The bobcat still has a wide distribution on the USA despite the expanding activities of people:


View Bobcat Geographic Range in a larger map

Female bobcat photographed by by goingslo on Flickr