Living With A Bobcat

basscat said:

A bobcat has no regard for personal well being when going after something. And I mean ZERO. The cat landing on all fours gracefully? Not a bobcat. He'll hit the ceiling fan every now and then chasing a throw toy and land flat on his side. He'll get that toy though. He seldom misses.

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Hes absolutely beautiful. I love reading about him and seeing his pictures.

It seems you two have a wonderful relationship.

If one of my boys turned on me, I would be deeply saddened. Firstly I dislike pain, but mostly I would feel our trust and bond had been broken. I realize its not realistic, to think our cats will behave within accepted human norms, but I pretend they do. But even in their wild mode they have never lashed out or tried to really hurt me.

If someone already asked this I apologize but, how did you get a tame bobcat? Was he a rescue? Did you have any legal trouble getting him?

Lola3791 said:

If someone already asked this I apologize but, how did you get a tame bobcat? Was he a rescue? Did you have any legal trouble getting him?

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Had him since he was a kitten. Many states require permits, Others it's just a flat no. I'm fortunate enough that state will allow six of them.
Now that'd keep a person busy!

More pictures of Gibbs please

Tippi Hedren, of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds fame, created a wild cat reserve in Southern Oregon. The smaller cats were definitely not to be trifled with. The African Wild Cat isn’t much bigger than a house cat. Doesn’t look much different than one. But damn! He was quick! The guide put a wand “toy” in to demonstrate and I think this cat would take my head off before I got the toy unfurled.

I read somewhere that even house cats aren’t really domesticated as much as they are socialized. They are still very much wild animals and if you miss that socialization window, you’ll be an active poster in “My feral cat” threads.

Good on you and your bobcat. He’s gorgeous and it’s obvious you’re doing right by him.

Basscat you make me extremely envious. Many years ago I helped look after 2 leopards, some caracals and ocelots bought from private zoo,s and owners in your country in quaratine before being shipped here to Australia.
I really got a love for the big cats and the wildness you see in them.
Except the Ocelots..they were nasty, unpredictable grumpy little @##!%
Really learned to respect them and learnt to keep your guard up and never take nothing for granted.
Fell in love with the Caracals, would give my eye teeth to own one even though I got a 3 inch scar from one..she used me as a ladder to get up on her high perch..ouch.
Sadly the cat with the most wildness in them we are allowed to have here are the Bengals and thats why I am totally addicted to them.
Jealously admiring your pics. and show plenty more.

Looking at this picture of your bobcat, his cat trees don't come from the "regular" cat furniture stores like most of the rest of us. I bet you have to BUILD them yourself with re-enforced 2 by 4s and solid, thick wood, all "SUPER" enforced for for durability... (I think you know where I am going with this)

mazie said:

Looking at this picture of your bobcat, his cat trees don't come from the "regular" cat furniture stores like most of the rest of us. I bet you have to BUILD them yourself with re-enforced 2 by 4s and solid, thick wood, all "SUPER" enforced for for durability... (I think you know where I am going with this)

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Yeah, that's his outside house. He has his own room inside and has pretty much cleared it. Recliner had to go because he'd launch himself off of it and flip it over. Table and chairs, same.
And if that happens once, it's game on....every day there after.
Here's his scratching post.

Such a beautiful, beautiful cat! You are a very fortunate person to have him living with you.

Cool Cat I want one..lol
Wonder how Blue would go on Steriods...roid rage..naa,,better not.

A SIX FOOT LONG SCRATCHING POST! I'm impressed.

mazie said:

A SIX FOOT LONG SCRATCHING POST! I'm impressed.

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And it's pretty much the only thing he will scratch. Aside from an old keg and floor vent grates. We have a really old wooden keg that's been turned into a piece of furniture/table. He'll get on top of that and reach down and try to pull the metal bands off of it. And he just can't pass up a metal floor vent register.

Sounds all good, lucky for you and your wife!! I imagine he is not allowed in the living room unsupervised, hence his own room? The bottom line, he is a very impressive and beautiful animal, I know you guys are so proud of him!! Kudos for Gibbs!

mazie said:

Sounds all good, lucky for you and your wife!! I imagine he is not allowed in the living room unsupervised, hence his own room? The bottom line, he is a very impressive and beautiful animal, I know you guys are so proud of him!! Kudos for Gibbs!

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He and the other cat used to rip/romp and play together. He plays ROUGH, but, he was a kitten and smaller than the tabby. Tabby never really had to "put him in his place". Then, he spent a weekend at the vet after being fixed. Couple weeks later we discovered fleas on him. And I mean HUNDREDS.
SO, we got rid of all of the fleas on him and isolated him in a small enclosure away from the house. We did the same to the tabby and isolated him to the back porch.
Both were away from each other, and the house while we battled fleas and eliminated the problem.
Took 8 weeks to proclaim victory.
In which he got lots bigger than the tabby and wasn't around him either.
That was the end of them being able to play together. It might not be, but, we take no chances. Bobcats play ROUGH!
He has his own room, a sunroom with wall to wall glass to the outside, and four glass french doors to the inside. He seems to like it and knows it's his room.
He gets to run the house every few days. We just put tabby on the back porch and go through the house and hide things (bobcat proof the house). After a couple hours though, he always ends up back in his room.

I shudder to think of a house full of fleas with a big boy his size now! Now that you mentioned "the trip to the vet to be neutered," how do you manage with a cat his size? I guess he is brought in by leash/harness, but do you actually sit in the waiting room with him and how do you manage not to "clear" the place out of other patrons in the waiting room, running for their lives ( I guess I am getting carried away here, LOL) when you do see the vet?

Beneficial nematodes are your best friend in fighting fleas outside. That is a beautiful cat. I love the big cats. I'd love to visit some big cats (lions, tigers, pumas, etc.) that are used to humans and spend the day with them.

Can you tell us the back story on how you got him? What's his name?

mazie said:

I shudder to think of a house full of fleas with a big boy his size now! Now that you mentioned "the trip to the vet to be neutered," how do you manage with a cat his size? I guess he is brought in by leash/harness, but do you actually sit in the waiting room with him and how do you manage not to "clear" the place out of other patrons in the waiting room, running for their lives ( I guess I am getting carried away here, LOL) when you do see the vet?

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He HATES the vet. He's carrier trained and goes to the vet in a squeeze cage for shots and visual inspection. Anything more and he'd have to be sedated.
He's 50lbs of muscle, claws and teeth and he views the vet as a life or death situation.
Then again, our tabby weighs 12lbs and is actually WORSE at the vet.
Our other two "shop cats"...love the vet.
We now spray our house every 6 months with an IGR fleas spray. Says it lasts for 8 months and designed to kill any live fleas and prevent an infestation. We also treat the cats every 30 days with a topical. Well, bobcat gets half a dose every 15 days. A full dose would just run down to his toes. He has very short/thin fur in the summer. Not enough fur to hold a full dose in place to be absorbed.

You should write for comedy, fun to read your posts! Thanks for the laughs while giving us the information. You paint a comical picture with your words, Love it!!