An unexpected visitor who either wants a snuggle or to eat my face skin off.

in Random Crap

I got up at 6am to take Dorothy Barker out for a quick walk and then I saw a cat walking up to us and I thought, “My GOD, what are they feeding that cat because it’s enorm-JESUS FUCK THAT’S A MOUNTAIN LION.”  And I grabbed Dottie and ran back inside while the mountain lion – who on second look was less of a giant mountain lion and actually more of a midsized bobcat – followed us toward the house and tried to come in.

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 8.24.00 AM

TRIED. TO. COME. IN.

"Hey. What's going on there?"
“Hey. What’s going on in there?”

So I woke up Victor and Hailey because I knew they’d never believe me and I knew as soon as I got back to the front door it would be gone and they’d think I was hallucinating but when I got back the bobcat was cuddled up on the front porch like, “Where did you go?  I wanted you to scratch my ears.”

bobcat6
“No, seriously, lady. Scritch my ears.”

And I thought I would but then Victor was all, “Don’t you like having fingers?  Because you seem rather attached to them.”  And so I didn’t.  Because he says that if you ignore bobcats they go away.

Except, not at all.

"Hi. I have no concept of personal boundaries."
“Hello. I have no concept of personal boundaries.”

So I called security and said, “Hypothetically, if I told you there was a very cute and not at all threatening bobcat on my porch would you catch it and relocate it back up the mountain, or would you kill it?  Because I’m not saying that there is, unless you promise not to hurt it” and turns out I called the wrong number and they were very confused, but then I called the right number and the lady in charge was like, “This isn’t really covered in your home-owners association.  Probably if you ignore it it’ll go away on its own.”

And he did eventually leave after giving my office a good once-over through the window and I couldn’t figure out why he decided to leave after hanging around for so long and then Victor pointed to what’s right next to the window and I was like, “Don’t be ridiculous, bobcats can’t read” but then I realized he meant Rosencatz & Guildenpurr, my ancient two-headed, taxidermied bobcat.

rosencatz

And, um, fair point really.  But also, I think this another example of my taxidermy creating miracles.  Just saying.

PS.  Link to video, but it’s messy because I wasn’t expecting company.  Obviously.

PPS. 50% of you are like “THAT’S A BOBCAT.  STAY INSIDE” and 45% of you are like “THAT’S A BOBCAT AND IT NEEDS SNUGGLES” and 5% of you are like, “That’s a Maine Coone/Savannah/bengal housecat and you should pick it up because it’s owners are probably looking for it.”  Now I don’t know what to do so I’m sharing another video so maybe someone who is super familiar with Texas bobcats can tell me if I should pick it up and put “FOUND CAT” signs up or if I should stay inside and stop making Victor nervous by yelling “Here, kitty kitty kitty” around the neighborhood.

231 thoughts on “An unexpected visitor who either wants a snuggle or to eat my face skin off.”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. He’s beautiful, and you’re a stronger woman than I am (or perhaps just more attached to your fingers), because I would totally have invited him in for afternoon tea. As long as “tea” wasn’t a euphemism for “eating your face and your dog,” that is.

  2. I would have been wicked tempted to go out and say hello. That is one adorable predator that may or may not want to eat your kidneys.

  3. If your pup is rather small, the bobcat was probably like “Excuse me miss, you seem to have a large rodent problem. I can take care of that …miss? Miss? Oh come on, I just…oh okay fine…I’ll leave”

    (That was my concern too. Apparently they don’t mess with humans usually but dogs under 10 pounds are fair game. Gonna have to start walking Dottie in the backyard for a bit, I guess. ~ Jenny)

  4. Where is the video?!
    and.. OMG A FREAKING BOBCAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Maybe it came for leftover turkey.

    (Just added the link. Try again now. ~ Jenny)

  5. It’s gorgeous!! I love in your video how your cat goes up to the window to check it out lol! Maybe that’s why it hung around…it could smell other cat smells? Maybe you’ll see it again some day!

    (Hunter S. Thomcat was very interested. All the cats were although none of them puffed up like when they see the neighborhood stray cat. I suspect they realized they shouldn’t be taunting him. ~ Jenny)

  6. Is he meowing in the video?! /WANT

    (It looks like it but I walked outside at one point and the meows were more like cute, small growls. ~ Jenny)

  7. That is beyond priceless. It just needed some love. If it acts afraid of water there might be a problem.

  12. I don’t know what I would’ve done. But then again, I’m the kind of person (my mom would probably say “idiot” is a more appropriate word) that would try to catch a bear cub and keep it as a pet. So I’d probably let the bobcat in and try to keep it as a pet until the day I came home from work and found my apartment destroyed.

  16. I wouldn’t want it around my dog, but I think seeing one is a good omen. I saw one in Arizona once, and people who have lived there for 20 years had never seen one. They’re notoriously shy, so that was amazing!

  17. I am more worried about your having the taxidermied head of Michael Jackson! What th…

  18. In the video – did you notice it was… meowing? Like cats do to be let into the house?

    Either it is friendly and nice… or it’s the advance scout team.

  20. Oooh leave it some food out on your porch? Ok I am from England and we don’t get bobcats here (apart from maybe wildcats in Scotland) but it might end up like the one on youtube (bobcat attack at the diner table ) where it steals your breakfast from the table and head bumps you?

    (I leave cat food out for a neighborhood stray and the bobcat ate a bite and then decided it wasn’t for him so I suspect he’s more lonely than hungry. Or that he wanted a small dog-sized snack. Dottie is exactly the size of a small rabbit so it’s hard to tell. ` Jenny)

  22. Rosencatz and Guildenpurr. That is the greatest name for a two-headed bobcat ever.

  23. I like that Hunter was about to take him on at the end of the video. You can still be the badass boss of the house even if you’re doing your trash-talking from behind a pane of glass.

  24. Clearly this bobcat visitor wasn’t into wearing neckties and was worried you’d try to civilize him. After stuffing his head and mounting it on a wall.

    I don’t blame him for being cautious.

  26. He is so pretty! I am a bit concerned with his nonchalance though. Watch your dog and cats closely. Bobcats have no issue preying on housecats and small dogs. If neighborhood cats start to go missing I would look to him first.

  27. But he’s so pretty!! Totally worth losing fingers to scritch that luxurious fur!

  29. I would have been hard put not to pet him. The best things happen to Us sometimes… Had a 15 minute staring contest with a huge owl hanging out on the railing across from my front door Pretty sure it was a mutual admiration moment. My animal magnetism, I need to see a vet about it.
    November is always horrific for me…very glad you’re finding the same lights Im struggling to reach.Depression lies but bobcats don’t. Wishing you strength.

    (I went out to see it and Victor pulled me back when it trotted up to me. Something about “setting a better example for our small daughter”. I suppose he has a point. ~ Jenny)

  30. I suspect he was casing the joint. If something goes missing later, ask yourself if it’s something a bobcat would want.

  35. When Hunter S. Thomcat went to the window it kind of looked like he was hoping the bobcat would stay and have a chat with him.

    “Wait, Bob, don’t go! I’d invite you in, but APPARENTLY THE DOOR-OPENING POPULATION OF THIS HOUSE DOESNT HAVE ANY MANNERS.”

  37. I am so proud of you for the restraint you showed. I’d have been opening cans of catfood and persuading the husband that kitty would be the perfect addition to our household. (Our dog is very prey driven so we can’t have cats but I think this one could handle itself.)

    Also, love the timing of this post because today was the day that I posted the video and lyrics to Foo Fighter’s new song Iron Rooster, which appears to be written from Beyoncé’s perspective. Although I don’t really feel that he is being held against his will.

  38. Well the Christmas season has officially started– maybe one of Santa’s bobcats checking up on things? Kind of like a feline Elf on the Shelf? Why not? If a freaking elf doll can snitch on you, why not a bobcat? Form a circle and discuss.

  39. I totally would have wanted to scratch his ears too. And maybe a little under his chin. And maybe rub his belly too. We already have 3 cats, what’s one more?

  40. Bobcats can live in urban settings, if they find suitable habitat. (Rabbits, small dogs, even deer.) This one seems unusual in that it seems to have no fear of people. So I wonder if it may be a bobcat that was released back into the wild at some point.

  42. Are you sure that’s a bobcat? He looks scrawny for a bobcat and that’s an awfully long tail. I’ve seen quite a few in the wild here. He almost looks like a Maine Coon/Bengal cross.

    (I did think it might be a pixie-bob or some other hybrid but I went outside to see him and his meows were definitely bobcat growls. But he did seem very comfortable around people. `Jenny)

  43. What a wonderful experience! How often can one say they’ve had a bobcat visit their home?

  48. Aw, that’s awesome! We have a family of bob kitties in our neighborhood but they NEVER come to my door. Glad you had a safe wild-life encounter and thanks for snapping pictures to share with us 🙂

  50. Why does all the cool stuff happen to YOU? Actually, now that I think about it, probably as compensation for all the crappy stuff.

  51. The video is fantastic! One of my cats would be trying to claw through the window to teach the impudent intruder a lesson. The other cat would just watch from a perch. Hunter is the cautiously curious type, good boy!

    That was a neat experience. I admit I would want to feed it….which would ultimately be bad, I know.

  52. Ooh, ooh! I would’ve gone all “Bindi Irwin” on the apot, and snuggled the stuffing out of him! Educate the masses on the lovability of wildlife, y’all!

  55. Clearly it was your spirit animal come to show you the way to…something. Inner peace maybe since you’ve been having a bit of a struggle with all the stress and traveling and PEOPLE-ING. He was there to give you comfort and wonder. Maybe. If I believed in that sort of thing, which I almost kind of do.

  56. 1- Bobcats are awesome!
    2- The fact you named your taxidermied bobcat-heads Rosencatz and Guildenpurr made my week.

  57. Neat! You have all the fun. Seriously that bobcat is adorable.

    BTW, did you get your #wheresrory photoshop conglomeration? (Sent to your PO box)

  59. Oh, Texas. Never change. Shortly after we moved to San Antonio: coyote in the back yard. Flailed about all panicky until I realized it was a) kind of balding and gimpy, and b) playing with two neighboring dogs. Yes, playing. And who was I to interrupt their fun? Kind of enforced the “whole ‘nother country” concept that is Texas.

  60. If he keeps hanging around and it turns out he really is some poor bobcat hybrid maybe your parents could take him in? I realize it’s selfish of me to want that just so I could get happy bobkitty updates every so often but I think it’s an everyone wins solution.

    (If it keeps showing up we’ll get a live trap and relocate him. My parents have chickens so when they have bobcats they have to be caged. I’d rather him go back into the hills behind us where he belongs, or if he’s domesticated maybe his family will find him. I can’t imagine that you don’t realize you’ve lose a bobcat. ~ Jenny)

  61. Perhaps it was looking for your dad (aka “the man who throws live bobcats on his daughter’s boyfriend”)?

    (For revenge, maybe. ~ Jenny)

  62. I’d bet it’s a very young bobcat (and/or some kind of bobcat mix) whose curiosity is stronger than his self-preservation instincts. What a beautiful animal and such an amazing experience! And I admit it, I would have wanted to go out and pet it, too. 😀

  63. Somebody is probably feeding it so it thinks all humans are food sources. Too bad, because it will probably end up being killed as a nuisance after it gets too friendly.

  64. Call me crazy, but I would have gone out and just hung out with him/her…just to see what him/her would have done.

  65. Perhaps New Bobcat has been searching for his list friends for years. I bet he’ll be back now that he’s found them. But in a friendly “let’s hang out” sort of way.

  66. Are all you people for real??? It’s a domestic Savanna house cat! It looks nothing like a bobcat. It probably was lost and needed rescuing! Someone is probably looking for it as it was probably a very expensive pet.

  67. While scrolling around looking at various pictures of Bobcats, and finding some very bad Bobcat taxidermy mixed in, I learned a few things. Winter is their breeding season. If it’s female she’s the only female in five square miles as they don’t tolerate other females. Males territories can overlap and cover up to 30 square miles. Males can get up to 28 pounds and females close to twenty. They can also take down a deer. A DEER. If it’s decided your house is part of it’s territory you might want to contact Fish and Game to have them relocate it. Not sure how comfortable I’d feel with an animal that could take down a deer deciding my front porch was it’s secondary den.

  68. I work in a zoo that used to have an elderly epileptic Bobcat. You’ve never heard a cat purr, really purr, until you’ve heard a Bobcat purr. It’s like a small engine. You’ve also never really handled inappropriate cat pee until you’ve been peed on by one. Luckily that happened to the friend standing next to me. I’m not sure she was able to keep those jeans.

    As for fingers, Bobcats tend to go for the throat. So, good call on the observing from a safe distance thing. Not only did you set a good example for Hailey, you kept us all from losing our tribe leader.

  69. I wonder if it was kept as a pet when it was a kitten because it acts so brazen. PSA: Don’t try to make a pet of a wild animal, no matter how cute. They grow up and are not ever truly tame, but not properly socialized for being set free either.

  71. Wow. Tamest bobcat I’ve ever seen. We’ve had one or two go through our back yard (I’m in the country), but never stopping to check things out. That one looks like it’s used to human contact. Cool videos!

  72. Well, I think it’s adorable and I would have gone outside (no Victor to pull me back) and I would have sang Soft Kitty to it.

  73. My friend’s mom keeps bobcats as pets (that she raises from infancy). Maybe a neighbor does the same?

  74. I just read this whole saga to my husband, who says that maybe it’s someone’s domesticated bobcat, but they’re not allowed to have it. So they don’t want to put up signs saying anything along the lines of “Help! I’ve lost my illegal bobcat!” I think he’s suggesting you go door to door inquiring in whispers about whether each homeowner might possibly have lost their bobcat. Maybe you should make Victor do that, though.

  75. If you trap him/her ( I’m not up on the anatomy of bobcats) can you ship to Arkansas? Our states are bumpin up to each other so I think if you poke some holes in the box USPS will ship him just in time for Christmas

  76. Your bobcat might have been someone’s pet at some point and they’ve turned him/her out now that he/she is older and able to inflict some serious damage. I’d carry an air horn while walking Dorothy Barker, one loud blast would send anything running in the other direction. Having said that, only you could have a bobcat follow you home and hang out on your patio.

  77. Could very well be an escaped exotic pet. In high school, my best friend’s mother had a Maine Coon/Bobcat mix named Sweetums. He was declawed and domesticated, but still had massive teeth and played rough. He got out of the house once and led them on a frantic early morning chase (he was too much Bobcat to be a legal pet in my state). Yours has somewhat different markings than he did, so it could be a different cat mix.

    In conclusion, I probably would have tried to snuggle it and had my face eaten off … but I’d be cooing “who’s a pretty kitty?” as it happened.

  78. There’s a third option! Stay inside and see how it reacts to a laser pointer that you point out the window! Or snuggle it. I’d opt for snuggling. I also have zero experience with wild cats and I live in the suburbs.

  80. From “Animal Spirit Guides” by Steven Farmer:
    If Bobcat shows up it means:One of your tasks right now is to learn to live alone without feeling lonely. This is a time to be vigilant, remaining simultaneously as alert and relaxed as you can be, with all your senses available as needed. You’ll find that you’re much better at discerning what lurks behind the persona that someone presents. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts rather than what others are telling or showing you. Be careful at this time about what you share with someone else, even in confidence, as there is some risk that it will be passed on to others and either distorted or blown way out of proportion.

  81. I would call the game wardens if its still around. It might be part of a game park which means it is friendly to humans but could still do some damage in the wrong situations.

  82. Its’ tail and ears are indicating it is merely curious. It doesn’t feel threatened, and doesn’t want to hunt. The reason it wouldn’t eat the cat food is because it simply isn’t hungry. You can see in the video at one point it’s a bit startled by a noise, but goes right back into “What’s this?” mode. I’d definitely risk the loss of a few fingers to give it a scritch!

  83. Wow! You’re so lucky to have seen that! When I was a kid, and my dad lived in the country, my brother slept with the screenless window open one night. He swore up and down that a bobcat came into the house through the window, but nobody believed him until we saw the muddy paw prints. Freaky!

  85. I’m furbaby-less at the moment (since March 13th) so I would have totally taken him in…and would undoubtedly be lying in a pool of blood with my face eaten off by now, while he plundered my fridge and pantry and watched all my new Christmas DVDs…I’m helpless when it comes to animals…

  87. He is gorgeous, but you were right to stay away. It’s bad for them to get too comfortable around people. We have a wonderful sanctuary here called Big Cat Rescue that takes in unwanted big cats from roadside zoos, idiots who thought they could domesticate a wild cat (they are NEVER domesticated), bad breeding situations (they shouldn’t be bred for captivity in the first place), etc. They give the cats large natural habitats and don’t try to socialize them or let anyone pet them. They also do a lot of bobcat rehab when people find them sick or injured. These they keep far away from where people are and feed them live prey through an ingenious tube system so they continue to hunt on their own. Eventually, most can be released back into the wild. Here’s a link to their bobcat rehab page. They are adorable, but they are (and should be) wild: http://bigcatrescue.org/bobcat-rehab/.

  89. It’s an absolutely exquisite animal. It really seems tame though. Makes me think someone tamed a bobcat and maybe it lives nearby. What a beautiful animal to see!

  91. I tend to be a do now think about it later type of person, I’m pretty sure I would have been fascinated by it following me and probably would have ended up petting the giant kitty… Plus I feel like if it was actually stalking you, you would have probably felt a bit more threatened. So more the reason to play Snow White and pet the kitty! I bet your daughter loves Snow White. Win, win.

  92. Love this. I needed some cute because migraine from hell for two days. I would have totally gone out to scritch the ears. Fingers are overrated.

  95. It would have taken EVERYTHING I had, and a few family members, to not go out and make a new friend! That kitty seems super friendly, and maybe a little bitey-scratchy, but. aren’t most cats? I hope you feel super lucky to have experienced this!

  97. You could have set out a saucer of milk and some nice sliced ham and hung a sign in the front window that says. ‘This property protected by BOBCATS!!!’

  98. Not certain what type of cat he is, but his tail is not right for a bobcat. Very cool!! Looking for food more than likely.

  100. It might be a bobcat cross. We had one on the farm. Some people say it can’t happen. Beelzabub had the fangs, tufted ears, was huge, and never meowed only growled. He had a longish tail like this one. Striped too. But you couldn’t touch him. He always hung around the house though. Used to sit in the kitchen window, which was about a story high from the ground. You should’ve seen him leap up there with no effort. So my guess would be a cross. 🙂

  101. Not a bobcat! Probably a (very expensive) pet Savannah cat (I see that others have suggested this as well, but want to make sure nobody tries to relocate it).

  102. We have a Bobcat that roams our property. I’ve yet to invite him in. I think they are “feral” beautiful.

  103. Definitely a bobcat! Seems a little on the slender side, but it could just be that he hasn’t fully put on his winter coat since he’s in the southern part of their range. I’m sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but there are two things about the video that should be cause for concern: 1. He’s not nearly as afraid of you as he should be. Either he’s really starving, in which case he poses a real danger to your pets, or someone’s been feeding him and he associates humans with food. 2. The species is generally nocturnal, and he shouldn’t be out running around in the daytime. I hope all your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines. I would definitely call someone to remove him if he continues to hang around. Your homeowner’s association will not be equipped to handle him, and your local animal control is likely to euthanize by default, but I’d imagine there are some local critter wrangler type companies that will relocate him for a fee.

  107. Beautiful cat. Didn’t think bobcats had tails though (based on a rather embarrasing conversation with another engineer at work). We generally just have rabid foxes, deer, turkey, and the occasional bear here (though a neighbor thought they had a fisher cat in their garage once).

  108. I’m concerned for Dottie and her cat siblings, but I am also….wow, that is so cool!!

  109. Victor should have the last word here as a reward, because didn’t your father toss a live bobcat onto his lap before y’all got married?

  111. Tip: when googling “texas bobcat” add the searchword “alive”: Far too many idiots in camo with heaps of dead animals at their feet. Sad face.

  112. Jnhrtn – That’s right! Which means he’s already gotten to snuggle a bobcat so it’s pretty selfish of him to tell Jenny she can’t. (Although, yeah, sure the bobcat in Victor’s case was clearly a lil baby kitty and therefore much safer but still: was bobcat; got snuggles.)

  113. DH (grew up in the wilds of N Florida) says it’s a bobcat. Me, I say it acts too human oriented for that. Probably an exotic cat of some sort. Check Craig’s list which always has a lost pet section and see if someone is missing a likely suspect. Failing that, call Animal Control and they can sort it out. Here in Cali, they relocate rather than kill wildlife unless it seems sick or is killing local pets.

  114. Many, many years ago, my aunt raised a bobcat cub that had lost its mother. It behaved like a feral cat even though it had been raised almost entirely indoors – very territorial, skittish and aggressive when it felt like it was being challenged. So based on this cat’s behavior, I don’t think it’s a bobcat.

    Now, it could very well be a bobcat mix. Those happen fairly often. The results are a BIG cat with a short tail and sometimes bobcat-like markings. Every one I’ve ever been around was super smart, friendly and affectionate. That would be my guess here.

  115. Bobcat populations are on the rise this year, I saw a youngish bobcat a month ago and a full grown (like yours) was filmed in a suburban neighborhood taking a leisurely stroll. They have little to no fear of humans especially in the western part of the US. I think I would have been torn between cuddling and hiding my pets also.

  116. Seems like a “tame” or at least pet bobcat of some kind, maybe an first generation offshoot of a bobcat. Either way, looks like it needed snuggles!!! and might be someone’s pet!

  117. Love the blog. I have two Savannahs and a cat that is part bobcat. Bobcats are shy and don’t want much to do with humans and aren’t aggressive, unless you want to really mess with them. Some human is going out of his mind because his Savannah/Bengal is missing. I would be!!!

  119. I’m totally in the 45%. Of course, I also have scars on my hands and forearms from volunteering at the Humane Society and scritching animals who technically didn’t want scritches, so there you are.

  120. Have we ruled out ocelot? We used to visit the Salisbury (MD) Zoo and they had them there.

  123. My husband took one look and said, “That’s a lynx.” He knows that kind of crap. Bobcats are called bobcats because they have stubby little tails. “Bobbed,” get it?

  124. As far as I know we don’t have bobcats in Australia. We have lots of stray cats that feral and eat the native fauna. I reckon the one that visited you looked good. He’d look better after a taxidermist has plied his or her trade. He’d make a great addition to your collection.

  125. There were some people who lived above me in an apartment complex who owned a serval. Apparently it ate a couple chickens per day. Seemed expensive. It would watch me come home, and first I thought it was a normal cat until one day I watched it and it turned around to leave the window. I expected the tail part to come into view soon, but no…the middle just kept going and going… It was a bit like parking in the twilight zone.

  127. While canoeing on the French River (up here in Canadaland) with friends, I chased a black bear down a path so I could get a clear shot of it. At least that’s how my friends tell the story. I only had a little camera with no telephoto, and I knew the bear was upwind and that bears have lousy eyesight. It squinted up the hill at me, and moved on.

    If I were in your shoes, I’d be all over that bobcat, but from a safe distance, of course. You got some great shots! All I get here are squirrels, and the neighbourhood fox. You might have heard the story about my cat and the fox. It didn’t end well. For me. I had to get fifteen stitches. From the cat. Can you imagine if a bobcat did that? Whoa.

  128. Well it looks like a bobcat… But, maybe it knows who your Dad is and has heard that Victor may be up for snuggles if “gently encouraged”… Just saying, word travels in the Bob cat community.

  129. I totally would have lost at least a few fingers. And that would have sucked since I really need them to work. I imagine writing for a living would be really tough without fingers. Of course, you would have likely tamed him. Total catch-22.

  130. Short tail, big body eyespots on the back of the ears…that’s a bobcat.
    Confused as to how someone could think this was a Maine coon.

  131. Texas has really lax laws about exotic pets so it’s probably some kind of exotic or hybrid. So it belongs to someone, but it could possibly still eat your face off. I’d live trap it and take it to the vet and then go from there. I’m sure your dad has some traps you could borrow.

  132. Victor sounds oddly like my husband anytime wildlife comes in our yard (we live right RIGHT up against the forest on a mountain).

    When I had a HUGE brown bears butt 5 feet away from me, I went to get my camera, when the raccoon’s came out of the tree I called them over (until hubby yelled at me and scared them away. 🙁 ) . We’ve had deer, cougars (which is also a leopard, or mountain lion depending on colour and where you live), more bears, skunks (ADORABLE, but stinky, we named him Fred) And now we even have Turkeys!

    Umm, Yeah, I like animals better than people. 😀

  134. You’re as bad as my husband and me. We leave out cat food for the neighborhood cats, and unfortunately, we’ve attracted a few skunks as well. One came right up on our back deck at 7:30 in the evening. My cat thought it was just another “friend” from the hood. That would have been SOME surprise!!!!!!

  137. Husband Steve says it has “bobish ears” so it must be a bobcat. But he knows nothing.

  138. That is a Bobcat. It is not a mainecoon, though it could be a mix. It sure has all the markings of a Bobcat, but its behavior is very domesticated animal. Possibly some crazy Texan has been keeping it as a pet? Watch your fingers!

  139. That’s a bobcat. The behavior is not as unusual as you would think. I once had a mountain lion do the same thing, through my sliding glass door, for 45 minutes. They are cats, after all, and cats are curious and fearless. Next time you see it, yell at it, wave your arms, blow whistle, whatever you would normally do to scare an animal. You want it to learn that it is not fun or comfortable to hang around your house.

  141. PS: if it is an escaped pet, still scare it away. It is more likely to return home if it gets scared while away from home, and it’s a cat, so it knows where home is.

    Pretty much always, with any wild animal that comes too close to you, try to scare it away. Fun fact: most wildlife are terrified of umbrellas. You get one of those cute little ones that snaps open when you push the button, point it at animal, push button. Umbrella snaps open at animal, animal flees. Basically you turn into one of those dinosaurs with the big frilly things around their heads.

  142. Here goes: That does indeed appear to be a wild animal. The biggest concern here is that this critter has decided that people are not scary things to be avoided but probable sources of food. This discovery NEVER ends well for the wild critter involved. The very best solution would be to find someone in your area who rehabs wild animals to grab the kitty and ensure that it is either relocated somewhere much more remote or kept safe so that it won’t wind up being killed as a nuisance animal. Feeding/petting or otherwise encouraging wild animals is simply contributing to their inevitable death as a problem animal. Also, being a grownup and having to say this stuff totally sucks, doesn’t it?

    (if it shows up again we will. I’ve been checking out different places and most of them put the animal down so I’m looking for a wild cat rehab place just in case. ~ Jenny)

  146. Did anyone weigh in with throwing a turkey carcass (or three) on the lawn of a neighbor you hate (cause he steals your garbage cans and calls the police that you are “littering” cause someone dumped another TV in your part of the alley) and hoping Cuddles the Bobcat went and bothered them?
    That was just me? Oh ok, never mind then.

  147. I was sitting out on the porch once when a poor starving looking kitty with a tiny head came up to check me out. I gave it a few pets and was trying to talk to it when my husband pointed out that it was probably not such a good idea to be petting a SKUNK! That’s when I knew I should start wearing my glasses on a regular basis. 8/

  148. I have Bengals and participate in Bengal and Savannah rescue. That is a bobcat. It looks young. Could be out of its territory, but the tail is within the “range of normal”. For those who believe this is an exotic mix, I’m willing to bet that the size in the pictures and videos is deceptive. That is bigger than a domestic cat!

    (Definitely bigger than a cat. It’s about the size of a cocker spaniel. The pictures really don’t do it justice. ~ Jenny)

  149. OMG..you have the weirdest stuff happen…not sure what the hell it was cause the jury is still out, no one can even agree on these comments about what it was….but it is cute so…here kitty kitty…

  150. I sort of think it might be an ocicat, a domestic cat that is so named because it resembles a wild ocelot. Ocicats are 100% domestic and sweet tempered. Someone is probably desperately searching for their beloved (and very expensive) pet right now.

  152. I would have been soooo happy if I were you! A bobcat outside my house??? It’s kinda scary cause they’re wild creatures but kinda cool cause it wants to hang at MY house. Get it? Hahaha

  153. It looks like the Bobcats we have here in the Sierra foothills, with the ear spots and the 3/4 tail. Nothing to be afraid of or arm against.

  154. In the 3rd picture, the kitty looks like he’s smoking a cigarette. I thought you should know.

  155. I think it’s a bobcat, not a Savannah or Ocicat, and that’s because of the tail. I live in Arizona, so bobcats are sort of as common here as there in Texas (not to mention I went to the University of Arizona – that’s our mascot). The bobcat has that bobbed tail – both the Savannah and the Ocicat have your standard long domestic cat tails (not counting manx and other anomalies). Victor was PROBABLY (probably) right about your fingers.

    But how cool is it to have bobcats following you around? It may be your totem animal.

    And I would want to snuggle him. I love cats just that much…

  156. Don’t bobcats have short, bobbed tails? I live in northern San Antonio Jenny and we have them here in Rogers Ranch, and they have little nubs for tails. This is something else, but not sure what it is.

  158. I once spanked a wild, PITA raccoon that was annoying me; because wine. My own personal Victor happened to catch me spanking the raccoon. I got yelled at!

    Being a cat-of-all-sizes lover, and depending on what dumbass thing I’d done that particular day, he’d probably encourage me to go pet the big kitty. Sometimes I have to remind him I don’t have life insurance …

    On another note, there are licensed live-trapper associations and licensed wildlife rescue groups in every state for damn near every species local to an area. Sometimes you can even get a good lead from the state’s Department of Wildlife website or talking to someone directly. If you want to email me, I can help to find you leads and/or make calls so you can’t be pin-pointed via your phone number and risk having the animal killed. I found some leads in Texas, help is out there!

  160. So, my very wise niece who does cat rescue work with SPCA in San Angelo offered this info, for what it’s worth when I asked her opinion. She said, “I have a good friend who follows her. I think she went to ASU. My friend would love to have her as the commencement speaker some day. We have lots of bobcats in this area – people often kill them. Is the blogger still in Texas? This cat may have been an orphaned cub that someone took in and tamed – only to abandon again. That’s what I think. Also, bobcats have that half tail and the thick mane.”

  163. What a perfectly darling kitty!!! I can imagine it was a bit perplexed by the “love animals” vibe that was contradicted by your two-headed taxidermied creature!

  166. So cute! And I’m sure totally harmless. But what do I know? Victor may actually be right this time. I can’t believe I just typed that.

  167. I thought that rock in the first picture was a dragon so now the bobcat looks less scary.

  168. I was just rereading your first book for my book group and had just finished he chapter where your dad greeted victor for the first time by throwing a bobcat on him. Then I saw this post. Serendipity!

  169. I laughed so hard I snorted, and then my teen daughter asked what was so funny. I couldn’t even get through the first paragraph before she was laughing, too. Thank you. And I hope he found his way home, wherever/whatever it is. BTW, the two headed guard cat? TOTALLY needs to be a guard cat shirt.

  170. It’s definitely a bobcat because of the length of its tail and those white spots on the back of its ears, and it looks fairly young. Because it is so calm being around civilization, it could be a domesticated bobcat that escaped its home, maybe even one in your area… if you trap it, please take it to a rescue place and don’t free it somewhere else as it may not know how to hunt.

  171. Looks like the Orchard Cat come to pay you a visit? You’re reminding me of the book yet again…

  172. I think it’s a bobcat because it has a short ‘bobbed’ tail. Also started your book Let’s etc quite funny 🤓

  174. I live in Colorado and we have both bobcats and lynx. A couple of months ago I emailed a picture of a bobcat to the Colorado Division of Wildlife to confirm it was a bobcat and not a lynx (I was just curious). You may want to send your pictures to the Texas Wildlife people. They are very good at identifying species. This animal looks like a bobcat, but does not behave like one at all (roaming during the day, comfortable around people). It could be an illegally domesticated bobcat or a very large f1 Savannah cat.

  175. I did some online research into house cats that resemble bobcats. I’m fairly certain that isn’t one of them and that it is a real bobcat. However, it may have been raised by humans which is why it seemingly has no fear of you. I’d say exercising caution was the right thing to do.

  176. Put me in the Maine Coon group. Bobcats (a) don’t have tails, (b) have little tufts of hair on their ears, (c) aren’t spotted (as Maine coons always are, and (d) bobcats are scared shitless of people, even if they feel peckish and want a small dog for a snack.

    Ear-scratching would have been good. Kibbles, better.

  177. If I wasn’t literally deathly allergic to all things feline, I would have absolutely picked it up and carried it into my house and loved it and cuddled it and kept him/her forever. Aren’t most bobcats/mountain lions more scared of us than we are of them? So for him to come and just chill out on your porch, I’d say he was harmless… but what do I know. I have not touched a cat since I was like 3 and that’s because I ended up in the hospital dying from my first asthma attack, and have ended up back in the hospital after other close encounters with kitties.

    Dogs on the other hand… I love those… and while still allergic… cuddling one doesn’t end with me in the hospital. Just really itchy eyes and a runny nose… and possible hives.

  178. If your bobcat had been fully mature, there would have been no question. The you tube video at # 165 is very informative and fun to watch. Your second video convinced me! Seeing him pace around on those long legs is good proof. As usual, thanks for documenting and sharing.
    Oh, and I believe that the cat watching with Hunter is Rolly, right?

  179. 100% bobcat. Here in West Lake Hills, next to Austin, we have a couple of local cats, too, and suburban cats act a bit differently than country cats, given the constant proximity to humans. Its behavior is not unusual given the extreme cloud cover we’ve had in this region plus the early hour you were out.

  180. That’s a bobcat and you should give him some food so that he’ll stay at your place and become your own personal security force.

  181. Ummm… I had a bobcat hanging around my chicken house that would not leave when I threw things at it and let me get within 10 feet. The Federal trapper (that’s his job title) came out and caught it because he said that when they don’t show fear of humans they are usually sick with rabies or distemper. He said the fact that it was stalking my chickens indicated that it wasn’t healthy enough to hunt its regular prey. Just sayin.

  183. I have always wanted a bobcat! When I was a kid…….a LONG time ago we knew someone that had a pet bobcat. We lived in Wyoming although I suspect TX bobcats would make just as good of a pet! Put him/her in a pet taxi and I’ll pick her up!!

  185. Seems that the bobcats in texas are more spotted, so I would say its a full bred bobcat….BUT, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t raised by someone in a home. Probably best to not play with him though. Maybe call wildlife control, see if they can catch him/her and determine if its too domesticated to be in the wild. Could be a situation of someone thinking it would be awesome to raise a bobcat kitten, then releasing it when it became a bit too obnoxious…surprise.

  186. Eh, I’d give up my fingers if it meant I could have whatever feline that is as a frequent friendly visitor. Just like we do with the magpies.

  187. I wasn’t convinced til I watched the video…

    My Alabamian lifelong resident vote is

    Bobcat

    Feral

    Call your local wildlife folk.
    Reasoning:
    Ear tufts
    White dots on ear backs
    Face ruff
    Bob tail with black tip and tiny white dot
    Round eyes

    He could be a mix, but still he is a wild cat. He is allowed to be curious, he is allowed to wander around. He should be much more afraid of you than he is. That puts his life, as well as your pets, small and overly friendly humans lives at increased risk.

    Do not try to make friends
    Call your wildlife folk. Let them decide in person how to handle him.
    If he is a pet, seriously I will be shocked.
    We get Lynx in my area, and the occasional weird cat/wild cat hybrids. I have a pet Maine coon we adopted from a shelter so I answer interesting questions about cats often…
    My gut says Bob cat. Stay inside. Call the local wildlife wranglers.

  188. After the way my brain reacted to the baby groundhog, “Yea, you should totally pick up that wild animal. It’s relative who is only a few feet and one fence away won’t eat your face,” I would probably be outside with a camera saying, “Here kitty kitty.” My cats and I totally press our faces against the window to watch wildlife as well. Damn squirrels.

  189. That kitteh needs lubs and crunchies…. He wants to be friends,snuggle up, and have cocoa.

  190. Definitely a bobcat. We have one that hangs out in our neighborhood, but ours looks much less like he wants snuggles and much more like he wants to snack on my head. We also have a beautiful hawk who really likes to hang out in our back yard and scare the crap out of the doves (literally, unfortunately). Basically, small animals around here are fucked.

  191. I’m joining the “that’s a Savannah cat” camp on the basis of the ear markings and lack of obvious ear tufts. My first reaction was serval/ocelot, but obviously both of those are wildly unlikely, while a Savannah is possible.

  192. I would have locked everything, closed the curtains, and hid in the closet with my phone until I was positive it went away. You are brave.

  193. My husband has been begging for a bobcat all year and is pretty upset and a little jealous that you wasted a perfectly good bobcat.

  194. It’s a bobcat. While I am not sure what the situation is in Texas, wildlife is moving into cities and suburbs due to scarcity of food and habitat. Climate change and displacement by humans. If you want to save it make sure you are reaching a reputable wildlife rescue group.

  195. Um, he was just looking for his lunch. You took it inside but he was sure you’d be back out with it eventually! That’s one relaxed suburban predator.

  196. Loved the YouTube video from Anonymous in McKinney Texas. Yeah bobcats – got team!

  197. Only you, Jenny. Only you would the wild/tame bobcat search out. I wonder about the Maine coon cat or Bengal cat too… Seemed mighty tame ☺️

  199. I googled ‘bobcat, Texas’ and the one in your videos matched all the picture which came up. Might be a younger one because a full-size adult looks a bit larger. I’d keep an eye on smaller pets so they don’t get eaten.

  200. I so would have to pet that cat. I mean, I get that it’s dangerous and all but it’s so adorable! It needs to be petted.

  201. Cool visitor, definitely a Bobcat. Though I can see why ppl might confuse it, one of my Maine Coons is 20 lbs and looks very much like your visitor if you only see him face on. But Maine Coons don’t have the ear spots, a bobbed tail or the extra powerful back haunches. In other words, compared to a Bobcat, Maine Coons can’t jump 🙂

  202. I honestly would have probably tried to pet it. And my husband would have yelled at me.

    But I would have been all like, “But it walked right up to me and it’s not my fault if it decided to rub up against my fingers” and he would have yelled some more. I’m still in trouble for getting elephant snot on my fingers the last time I went to the circus and the baby elephant totally reached over the barrier to snurfle my fingers. I maintain that I am not responsible for the choices it made. It’s not like I told it to reach for me.

    So it’s probably lucky we don’t have bobcats where we live now. But I’m insanely jealous of you at this moment. 🙂

  203. I hope Thanksgiving was a positive time for you, and not stressful. I also have to say that while that is one, big cat, I do not think it was an actual Bobcat. I cannot see the typical, tufted ears, and, its features are rather rounder than a bobcat’s would be. It could have some bobcat in it through. I would feed it, myself, and not worry too much about it attacking. It is more likely to simply run away if you get too close.

  205. #193 Audra..
    “you wasted a perfectly good bobcat”
    Your comment about your husband makes me smile when I think of it. There’s no tribe like this one!!

  207. Kiso, thats what I was thinking. its too small to be a full grown one, and yeah, in noticed he was meowing. My cats talk to themselves sometimes, just that way. Definitely a bobcat, those white spots on the backs of the ears and the shorter tail gives it away. Oh what a treat for you, Jenny.
    I just hope some of your more gun oriented neighbors dont take it into their heads to rid the world of this one. He’s a lovely thing.

  208. so, I’m late to this party, but according to this, I feel pretty confident about the bobcat identification: http://nbrr.org/identify (That does not, however, rule out snuggling, because I am also completely insane in that particular way.) (And also other ways. Because this is My Tribe.)

  209. Bobcat. As my daddy, a forest ranger during the 1960’s, 70’s, and early 80’s in South Georgia would have said, “DON’T TOUCH THAT!” Beautiful to look at, not good to handle. I just cracked up with Hailey’s giggles.

  210. Awh, so cute.
    I probably would’ve lost my fingers. Who needs them, anyway?

    (though totally agree with the don’t-encourage-but-try-rehabilitation-with-wild-cat-folks if you see it again comment).

  211. I actually had the same issue…sort of…Tom went deer hunting and found what looked to be a kitten in the wild but on closer inspection she looked very bob cat like (we live in Texas). After much research to find out if I was raising a cat or a bob cat I found out the one distinct difference is the ears. wild cats (such as bobs) have rounded ears domestic have triangle ears (pointy) I got to keep my kitten cause she had the triangle like the cat in your window

  215. I’m pretty sure that’s a lynx. In any case, he’s beautiful. You should probably call animal control, though; your neighbors might have small children who could truly be in danger around him. If you don’t have an animal control dept. then call the police; they’ll deal with it.

  216. Bobcat, not Savannah cat. It had the bobbed short tail and tufts at cheeks (though not all do and their characteristics can vary a lot). http://www.nbrr.org/identify. And bobcats are widespread and quite common in north america. Savannah cats are expensive and therefore rare as they are difficult to breed. They also have long tails and are more slender and tall. http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/cats-101/videos/savannah/ Both are quite similar though. And both totally adorable!!

  217. A bobcat is one of 4 species of lynx. The other 3 live in Canada, Spain, and Eurasia.

  219. Honestly, it’s better that this happened to you because if it had been me, I would have ended up at the ER explaining why I thought it was OK to try and pet a bobcat. “It seemed like a good idea at the time” will be on my tombstone.

  220. He’s adorable in a moderately intimidating sort of way. If I was 100℅ sure he wouldn’t maul my face I’d buy a leash for him and take him on walks. Once he got a little bigger I’d use him as a gaurd dog. My house would never get robbed :).

  221. He’s adorable in a moderately intimidating sort of way. If I was 100℅ sure he wouldn’t maul my face I’d buy a leash and take him on walks. If he got a little bigger I’d put him to work as a gaurd dog. My house would never get robbed :).

  222. That is definitely not a Maine Coon cat. Maine Coons have longer, fluffy hair and don’t have spots. I’m pretty sure this is a bobcat, given its spots and short tail.

  223. this reminds me of a story my mother told me when she was in college. one of her college friends parents had a pet bobcat but my mother did not know that. she was asleep in her friends parents living room and felt something brush her leg and she started petting it thinking was the dog but then it started to PURRRRRRRRRRR! she suddenly stopped and looked down and saw it was a bobcat. she called her friend and her friend just told her “Don’t worry that is buster. He has been declawed.”

  224. Although it’s extremely unlikely, it could have even been an escaped pet. Some people keep them in captivity (even in areas where they’re illegal). And (especially in areas where they’re illegal), if one escapes, the owner is likely to just go looking for it themselves instead of reporting it missing.

    More likely was wild, of course, and just curious.

  227. I think you should adopt him – he’s adorable and it’s very apparent that he wants to move in (BTW – I have a Bengal housecat who has similar markings so I think it’s probably something similar)

  228. Did he show up again? He shouldn’t have been in your neighborhood during daylight hours. I hope if you do see him that the wildlife people will trap him and have a vet look at him to makesure hhe’s healthy. I like the big cat rescue mentioned in one of the comments…if he was a pet that got too wild (will people ever learn?) He may not know how to hunt. Domestic cats (as an aside; I don’t know if wild cats ate the same) will hunt instinctively but won’t understand that their prey is food unless their mother teaches them. So in a neighborhood of small dogs and rodents they would still starve.

  230. Hello. If this little guy is still in your yard, or in the area, would you please contact me asap. I just ran across this post and would like to speak with you. You may reach me through my email or our website listed below. I am the President / CEO of a National Bobcat Rescue and Research Center.

  231. Pingback: Brimfield 2016 – @TheBloggess Edition | The books are taking over...

Leave a Reply

MY BOOKS:


shop

Subscribe to the bloggess, y'all.

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email. It\'s like I\'m stalking you, but more efficient.

Archives

ALL THE COOL KIDS ADVERTISE HERE:

I fucking love these people & not just because they support my wine-slushee habit:

Flourish in Progress: (T)hug Life: Part hood. Part good.

Pregnancy Calendar at Alpha Mom: Amalah’s week-by-week guide to the miracle of pregnancy and all the various indignities that come with it.

The Mack Files: Digesting life in bite-sized pieces through the lens of clichés, quotes & “truisms”.  Often irreverent, always honest.

Barking at the Moon: If your dog is your furry child, you will laugh out loud at Tracy Beckerman’s book about her family & a one-dog wrecking ball named Riley.

Kieran’s Humor: Not suitable for children, the sensitive or those hoping to get into heaven.

Go Doc Yourself Podcast: When a good doc ends, the klatch begins… Join hosts, scientists, and friends, Erin McCourt and Erin McCartt in weekly documentary dissection.

Welcome to xanaru: A mostly funny blog about the quest for happiness through authenticity, Great Danes and indiscriminate swearing. Plus hand-painted, custom artwork on bags, jackets, backpacks & more.

How the Hell Did I Not Know That?: Humorist Lucie Frost shares daily Instagram reels with learnings of the day—words, music, whatever–with plenty of laughs and all the curse words.

Beautiful Writers book: Writers! This coming-of-career memoir (w/ the BEST advice from celeb authors, real shit you haven’t heard) is life. A page-turning beach read doubling as how-to. #Magic

The Dating Days of Marta O: When I told my sister I was building a blog she said: “Do people still read blogs?” I do not know, but if YOU want to read it, here it is. Keep in mind, my stories about dating after 40 are for the brave.

Where Do I Belong? A memoir of Sarah Carrington: The unbelievable story of growing up in a religious cult in the mountains of Northern British Columbia. What happens to you in life doesn’t make you strong; rising above it does.

CONNECTED: A Personal Journal for Ketamine Therapy Created by writer & patient Katherine Davis for this powerful clinical treatment. If considering ketamine for major depression, check out this essential tool.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh: SO GOOD.

Discover more from The Bloggess

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading