I Think My Kitten Is A Bobcat.

[Floridabobcat]

So I've been bottle-feeding this kitten that I found over a week ago and I think he might be a bobcat. Could you guys please tell me what you think he might be?

 

[Mystikal kitten]

It's hard for me to say seeing how I'm really not familiar with cat breeds or bobcats so I'm going to let a staff advisor answer that question for you.
From the pics it looks like there is a short tail buy I could be wrong.

 

[Floridabobcat]

 

[Floridabobcat]

He has a tail it's just really short.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

Like I said before I'm really not familiar with cat breeds or bobcats.
The way his ears look and curl slightly does make me want to say bobcat. I'm just hoping that a staff advisor or maybe someone who has more knowledge will be able to assist you better than I.

 

[Floridabobcat]

It's okay I understand, I really hope he's not I would love to keep him, I've actually gotten quite attached to the little fellow.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

I don't know about you but I know I have heard about hybrid bobcats so maybe your lucky and have one.

 

[Floridabobcat]

I didn't even know there was such a thing, I found him underneath our barn, I just figured that one of the feral cats that live in the woods had started having kittens and got spooked because we went out there and left that one, but the more I started feeding him and the bigger he started getting so early on made me kind of wonder if he was not a bobcat LOL. Here's to hoping he's a hybrid so I can keep him :-)

 

[surya]

He's adorable.

 

[Floridabobcat]

He's adorable.

Thank you

 

[surya]

It looks like it does have the distinctive black tipped ears with white patches.

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-tell-a-bobkitten-from-a-regular-kitten-1699541728

 

[surya]

Here's another site. They often have the white around the eye's too. I think you might have to take it to an expert to figure out if it's a hybrid.

Identify a Bobcat - National Bobcat Rescue and Research Foundation

 

[Willowy]

Aww, what a cutie! I'm going to say no, not a bobcat. Baby bobcats are quite spotty and usually lighter-colored. And they have a different kind of nose, plus the white patch on the back or the ears and the stripey whisker pads. They also have rounder irises, and he seems to have the normal domestic oblong irises.

Scientists have not been able to prove that bobcats can actually hybridize with domestic cats; all supposed hybrids have been proven not to be with DNA testing. So the chances of a hybrid are very low/nonexistent. I think he's a super cute little bobtailed kitten! About 5 weeks old, I'd say.

 

[Floridabobcat]

It looks like it does have the distinctive black tipped ears with white patches.

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-tell-a-bobkitten-from-a-regular-kitten-1699541728

Crap, I wonder if hybrids would have them too.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Aww, what a cutie! I'm going to say no, not a bobcat. Baby bobcats are quite spotty and usually lighter-colored. And they have a different kind of nose. Scientists have not been able to prove that bobcats can actually hybridize with domestic cats, all supposed hybrids have been proven not to be with DNA testing. So the chances of a hybrid are low. I think he's a super cute little bobtailed kitten! About 5 weeks old, I'd say.

Thank you so much for your reply, he actually has a lot of spots she just moves a lot it's hard to take pictures of him, I'm thinking he's younger than that his eyes have only been open for a week, and his teeth are just now starting to come through his gums. But I'm hoping you are right that way I can keep him.

 

[surya]

The eye's look more almond shaped than the pictures I looked at of bob cats. But it's hard to tell from one picture. So compare the eyes.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Here's a better picture where you can see his spots.

 

[Wags]

He is so beautiful - we don't have bobcats in australia ( actually we don'y have any native wild cats come to think of it). Looking at photos he does seem very similar. I wasn't sure they came in that greyish colour but they do - attached below photo of a greyer bobcat kitten for you - obviously older but I think there are enough similarities that you should be catious.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Oh my, they do look very similar. Thank you, I think he is very beautiful also, his pictures do not do him justice. I have actually been doing a lot of research about owning them in Florida and I can't really find anything that says that they are illegal to own, so I guess I'll just watch him as he gets older and go from there. But like you I also see similarities, which prompted me to ask lol I just hope I don't have to give him up if he is as I am already attached to him.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Here's another site. They often have the white around the eye's too. I think you might have to take it to an expert to figure out if it's a hybrid.

Identify a Bobcat - National Bobcat Rescue and Research Foundation

Thank you for the information, it has helped a lot!!