feral cat or bobcat

O

onehand

Explorer
Apr 11, 2005
374
1
potter co. pa.
on a 12 mile hike with the usual hiking suspects from around one side of Batsto lake to Quanker bridge then back to batsto

we were on the Batona trail (a section of which is on an old rd next to QB rd)

we started seeing "cat tracts" in the snow following the road, appx the size of a house cat

then the critter stopped to do his "business" his scatt was full of fur and hair

then the tracts continued on. i say it was a "bobcat" the last one i had seen in PA was the size of a house cat. only one other person on the hike seemed to be interested and thought is was from a "feral cat"

if i had my camera "duh" now it is in my back pack.....i would have pics

any thoughts?
 
BEHR655

BEHR655

Piney
Feb 19, 2003
2,707
8
Merchantville, NJ
www.behr655.smugmug.com
Stu,

If the tracks were the size of a house cat it would have been a juvinile bobcat if it was one.

"SIZE:
On average, bobcats measure 17 to 23 inches in height and 25 to 41 inches in length. Males weigh approximately 16 to 28 pounds, while females typically weigh 10 to 18 pounds. The bobcat is approximately two feet tall."

That would be one hell of a house cat.

Steve
 
Boyd

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Nope, not really. He's a 16 year old mellow cat now, but not obese. He has been 12 pounds his whole adult life. My daughter got a little kitten recently, and based on his proportions I'll bet he will grow to be 12 pounds or even more. I think that's pretty common actually.
 
uuglypher

uuglypher

Explorer
Jun 8, 2005
381
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Estelline, SD
onehand said:
i say it was a "bobcat" the last one i had seen in PA was the size of a house cat. only one other person on the hike seemed to be interested and thought is was from a "feral cat"
any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'd say it's unlikely that there'd be any juvenile bobcats in the size/weight range of domestic - or feral domestic - cats at this time of year. There may be some clear distinction between the pug marks of domestics and bobcats, but someone else would have to enlighten us thereupon.

If you do see a wild felid beast that you suspect may be a bobcat, it probably won't be an "up-close-and-personal" experience, wary as they are. So a few points of differentiation might be in order:

1. Bobcats (in winter) LOOK like they have a bigger head than a kittycat (due to thicker, more luxurient winter pelage)

2. Bobcats look "high in the rear" and have disproportionately longer hind legs than do kittycats, and, as a consequence thereof,

3. Bobcats have a different gait than that of a kittycat. Except when they are in a gallop - a flat-out run - their slower gaits give the impression of sort-off elegantly "hopping", and lastly, they live up to their original name ("bob-tailed cat") by having ... wait for it ... you guessed it...

4. a "bobbed" (short, stubby) tail

Herewith endedth today's lesson on bobcats. They are a neat animal. In the 70s I worked with the Iowa Fish&Wildlife folks in their effort to re-stock bobcats in the forested Loess Hills of western Iowa overlooking the Missouri river. The cats for stocking were trapped at Fort Sill (?) anyway, at some military reservation in Oklahoma and we kept them for a few weeks for health exams and vaccinations before release. I was the veterinarian on the project and got a chance to see our charges in the field for several years. Their progeny are there still.

It's gettin' downright nippy herabouts - Zero or a few below expected tonight.
It'll probably hurt the rhubarb...

Best t'y'all,
Dave
 
Boyd

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Fascinating stuff Dave!

It was glorious in the pines today, must have been at least 65 degrees. I walked all around the bogs at MacDonald in a t-shirt! Warm again tomorrow, but windy. Then it gets cold...
 
woodjin

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,342
328
Near Mt. Misery
BobM said:
Stu, in my travels I see feral cats in the Forked River Mountains. I don't like them. Sneaky and looking to kill.
Click to expand...

I hear ya Bob. They can be devastating to ecosystem. I see them all over the place. Seems like everyone with unwanted kittens thinks it is okay to dump them in the barrens.

Jeff
 
Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Stu said:
I think I have to change my name on here.
Click to expand...

It does get confusing with multiple Stu, Bob, Scott, etc.

There is no easy answer to help elevate that problem I guess.

Guy
 
Hewey

Hewey

Piney
Mar 10, 2005
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Pinewald, NJ
austrailia has such a bad problem with feral cats that they are hunted like a game animal. I have never seen a bobcat in the pines, seen them in vermont while deer hunting, very cool animal, almost ghost like, one second it's there next second it's gone very silent and very well camoflaged.
 
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