Rehabilitation sanctuary gives bobcats chance

By Dr. Beth Leermakers

Everything is bigger in Texas. But if you see a super large cat in your neighborhood, it’s probably a bobcat, not a domestic cat. According to Dallas Animal Services, Dallas has a substantial population of bobcats, so sightings are common. 

Bobcats (lynx rufus) have buff to brown fur, sometimes with a reddish tinge, with spots or stripes of brown and black. They are 25-35 inches long, one and one half to two feet tall at the shoulder and usually weigh 9–40 pounds. Male bobcats weigh 26 pounds on average, while females tip the scales at about 20 pounds (but can be larger). There are two white spots on the back of a bobcat’s ears, making it easier for kittens to follow their mother in dim light. Those white spots also act as a “third eye,” making bobcat enemies think they’re being watched at night. Their short, bobbed tail (4-7 inches long) gives bobcats their name. Bobcat kittens look like small domestic tabby kittens until they are five weeks old, when they start to get the white spots on the back of their ears. 

Like domestic cats, bobcats are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk). They are solitary, territorial carnivores who eat rabbits, hares and rodents such as squirrels, mice and rats. 

Urban bobcats focus more on eating rodents. In North Texas, bobcats mostly hunt rats, mice, squirrels, ducks and cardinals. Bobcats prefer wild food to pet food — or pets — and are nonconfrontational, so it’s unlikely they will interact with people or small animals. 

These athletic cats are well adapted for hunting. Bobcats can jump 14 feet straight up (allowing them to catch low-flying birds) and 15 feet sideways. They are excellent climbers and can run up to 30 miles per hour. They place their hind feet where their front feet stepped, to reduce noise while hunting. Bobcats travel 2–7 miles in an evening, hunting and patrolling their territory (about five square miles for females and 25-30 square miles for males).

Healthy Coexistence 

is the Way to Go 

Bobcats are not a dangerous wild animal. Dallas Animal Services doesn’t trap, remove or relocate healthy outdoor wildlife. Instead, DAS encourages healthy coexistence. 

Follow these tips to protect your family and pets:

1. Do NOT feed bobcats — or any wildlife. Wild animals need to remain afraid of people — not show up at dinnertime. 

2. Protect your small pets. Pets the size of a rabbit or smaller are considered prey by bobcats. Keep your cats indoors, and don’t let your small dog go outside (even in your fenced yard) unattended at night. Bobcats are good climbers, so a fence won’t deter them. 

3. When you see a bobcat, make the encounter unpleasant for the cat by hazing her. Shout, bang pots and pans, throw a rock or squirt water from a hose. Bobcats naturally avoid people, and we want to keep it that way.

4. When walking or running, raise your arms (to appear larger) and yell while looking directly at the bobcat. Or carry a whistle or bicycle horn to scare the bobcat.

5. Do NOT run away from a bobcat. Running encourages the wild kitty to chase you. Besides, unless you can run 30 miles per hour, you won’t outrun the speedy kitty. 

6. Never corner a bobcat or any wild animal. Provide an escape route for the animal. 

What To Do If You:

Have a bobcat family living in your yard. 

Do NOT trap bobcats. It’s very difficult to trap an entire family, so you risk leaving the babies behind. Furthermore, territorial animals rarely survive being relocated. Instead of trapping bobcats, evict the furry squatters. Use bright lights, music and scents to encourage the cats to leave — and never come back. 

Visit humanesociety.org/ search for “Scrap the Trap When Evicting Wildlife) for tips about wildlife eviction. 

Find an injured bobcat. 

Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Moon Taylor, a DFW-area wildlife rehabilitator who runs the Spiritual Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Sanctuary [a 501(c)3 non-profit], specializes in caring for orphaned bobcats, foxes, wolves, coyotes and big cats (such as cougars and mountain lions). To volunteer or donate money, call Taylor at 817-422-6080 or email [email protected]. 

Spot bobcat kittens by themselves. Don’t assume they are orphans. Female bobcats are single parents, so they must leave their kittens to hunt. If the kittens are not in distress, observe them for a couple of hours. If you can safely do so, place an inverted laundry basket over the kits to contain them while you wait for the mother to retrieve them. If the mother bobcat does not return for her babies, call a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in bobcats (such as Taylor).