something weird

[woodjin]

It is late Friday night. I was just in the back yard. Out of nowhere in the woods behind my house comes this freaky noise. Sounded strangly human, a mid frequency, agressive, scream, almost a growl. Next thing I know I hear a cat (probably my neighbors) screaming back as though being attacked. A very distressed cat. Then, just the cat meowing in distress and then nothing.

I've heard alot of animals but this was very odd. Freaked me out a bit. I was expecting some crazed lunatic to come running out the woods at me with an axe...untill I determined that the cat was it's prey.

It didn't sound like another cat, and I almost would guess a mad racoon but there is no water nearby. Weird! Coyote perhaps? I don't know. Probably the Jersey Devil.

Jeff

 

[ZZ3GMC]

Maybe it was the Cloverfield monster.

 

[MarkBNJ]

I've heard that once or twice, Woodjin. Almost like a house cat ran into a Lynx or something, and for all I know that's what it was.

 

[Teegate]

You need a trail camera set up. Didn't you say you had one?

Guy

 

[grendel]

see if you can find the sound here


http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Bobcat_sounds_audio.aspx http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php



http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

 

[LARGO]

A fox can produce a squall that in the evening can be quite unnerving until you get used to it. For a number of reasons. Probably gave way to many of the rumored "night sounds" of the "J/D" over the years.
Raccoons and even occasionally the lowly skunk can set up a fuss that sounds pretty unusual. We have a vivid selection of these sounds out here.
All the night noises are cool. Enjoy.

g.

 

[grendel]

I am having a hard time posting links for some reason. If you google animal sounds you can find anything that lives in the pines. Well almost

 

[GermanG]

Without hearing it, I'd lay a bet on fox as well. My house backs up to a golf course and there are plenty of them living along the edges. It took me a while to figure out what the sound was. Eventually, I swalowed my fear and crept out into the middle of the course at night and switched on a powerful flashlight just as I heard the sound close to me. I did have a few months of fun with my wife and kids though, telling them what it might be until they figured it out as well. I always hear them more this time of the year. They breed in mid to late winter and either the males are giving each other guff or they are calling to attract the opposite sex.

 

[LARGO]

Without hearing it, I'd take lay a bet on fox as well. My house backs up to a golf course and there are plenty of them living along the edges. It took me a while to figure out what the sound was. Eventually, I swalowed my fear and crept out into the middle of the course at night and switched on a powerful flashlight just as I heard the sound close to me.

I followed one & it's racket the same way one evening with my dog at the time on a lead. I had a plain old flashlight so all I got was the little booger's eyes.
He never broke stride with the racket though. If you don't see them and it is near you it will raise the hairs on your neck. Didn't seem to bother my dog one way or the other though that night. Might explain your neighbor's cat's angst though.

g.

 

[woodjin]

see if you can find the sound here


http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Bobcat_sounds_audio.aspx http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php



http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

Thanks for the sound link. Listening to it, I would say it is highly likely it was a territorial growl from a fox that I heard. If you listen to that sound bite, you can hear how human it is. Also, there is a sound bite of two foxes fighting... I am now thinking that a cat was not involved in what I heard that night but perhaps another fox since, in that sound bite, you can clearly hear a feline like scream comming from another fox.

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

You need a trail camera set up. Didn't you say you had one?

Guy

Yes I do. I set it up last night and checked it this morning. Nothing. but I will keep you posted.

Jeff

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Wow, will a fox prey on cats? I know coyotes commonly prey on them, but never considered that foxes will, too. That's pretty bold of them, cats are pretty formidable. You learn something new every day.

Better keep my cats in.

 

[LARGO]

Wow, will a fox prey on cats? I know coyotes commonly prey on them, but never considered that foxes will, too. That's pretty bold of them, cats are pretty formidable. You learn something new every day. Better keep my cats in.

Without really knowing their behavior, I would assume that if times are tough and pickin's slim... They'd take would they coud get.
A few years ago we had a pet chicken. (yes pet, but that's another tale)
In a hard snow the fox climbed right up the scrub pine where Chicken (that was simply his name) roosted and took him right out of the tree. In the commotion, I got out of bed and went out fast as I could but all I was left with was blood & feathers in the snow and the site of the fox slinking away through our neighbor's yard with the bird. Very upsetting to our kids.
g.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Sorry about Chicken, Largo.

I was just thinking that a fox would not be so bold to go after a housecat, those things are pointy! Seriously, I would think that a fox would risk too much injury trying to kill a cat. I guess not!

 

[andy1015]

I live in the suburbs and there are actually a few foxes that run around the area. And someone told me a story that they heard a cat hissing, so they looked out and the fox chased the cat right up the tree. He was waiting at the bottom, but i imagine if he had caught him it would of been dinner.

 

[andy1015]

Sorry Largo
Those foxes are sneaky. A friend had about 10 chickens or so that he kept on his property in Cape Cod, those foxes starting picking them off one by one, They managed to get in the hen house one time. He would make improvements to the cages and pens, but they would find another way.

 

[lgench]

Not only sneaky, but sly! But seriously, on the estate that I take of, there are many red fox and, over the years, I have never seen a rabbit. I think there's a possible connection. However there are many squirrels. I guess they're fast enough to get to a tree.
Len

 

[dragoncjo]

I live in Haddonfield and we have a good population of red fox. I've on two occassions seen red fox chasing cats in my yard........unfortunately they haven't killed the cats yet.

Jeff, I know a guy who grew up by mt. misery and reported seeing bobcats and hearing them often in that area. He said on a few occassions he saw them crossing 70 at night. Ever see any? Hear them?

 

[woodjin]

Wow, will a fox prey on cats? I know coyotes commonly prey on them, but never considered that foxes will, too. That's pretty bold of them, cats are pretty formidable. You learn something new every day.

Better keep my cats in.

After I heard the soundbites provided by Grendel I reconsidered that what I heard might have been two foxes instead of a fox and a cat. If you go to that fox sound link and listen to the foxes fighting clip you will notice that one sounds very much like a cat.

That being said, it would not surprise me that a fox would go after a cat, however, as Sue mentioned, a cat can defend itself rather will. No match for a fox but might be more trouble than a fox would be willing to put up with.

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

I
Jeff, I know a guy who grew up by mt. misery and reported seeing bobcats and hearing them often in that area. He said on a few occassions he saw them crossing 70 at night. Ever see any? Hear them?

I never heard nor saw any. However my neighbor saw a black bear cross 70 near my old house and he is a reliable witness. Coyote, piebald deer, lots of turkeys all over. A friend who grew up in Pemberton claims that a large bobcat killed two of his goats.

Jeff