I Think My Kitten Is A Bobcat.

[LotsOfFur]

Hey basscat what do you think?

Sure is a beautiful big baby! Those white spots on the back of the ears make me wonder... basscat might be able to help here.

Welcome to TCS

 

[Wags]

Below is the extract from Florida stating bobcats are a class II exotic and need a licence and here is the correct site (I think) for applying - class II is part way down the page.
Cheers

Florida Exotic Pet Laws
Class II animals are allowed only with a permit and include howler monkeys, macaques, bobcats, cougars, wolves and more. A 2010 law forbids importing, selling, and releasing non-native species. This law further restricts capturing and keeping venomous reptiles and other reptiles of concern unless the owner had a permit before the law was enacted.

 

[Wags]

Sorry forgot the link - hope it all works out for you (and him)
FWC - Captive Wildlife Permits

 

[abyeb]

Can you post more pictures of his tail? Bobcats have a short tail, but it's the same width as a regular cat tail, it's not like a pompom like seen on bobtailed cat breeds or naturally occurring bobtailed mutations. Also what it distinctive about a Bobcat's tail is that the top looks like the tip has been dipped in ink, but the bottom of the tail is white. Also repeating what Willowy said, that scientists haven't been able to prove if Bobcats and domestic cats can interbreed, so I think your kitten either is or isn't a Bobcat, not a hybrid, but I think the tail will be able to give us some more clues as to which it is. It's hardest to tell the difference between Bobcat kittens and domestic kittens when they're this young. Basscat rescued his Bobcat Gibbs when he was a tiny kitten, so they might be able to give you some input too.

 

[basscat]

You better hope it's not a bobcat. Those things are nuts! LOL
Bob cubs lean more towards Tan, have round blue eyes that eventually turn yellowish color. Stripes and spots get more pronounced as they get older. The tail is longer than what most consider "bobbed". Tail has a black spot or two near the tip on the top and the whole underside of the tail is white. (Lynx have the whole tip solid black).
Backs of the ears are snow white with a very distinct black outline. Spots on the body, Stripes on the legs, "Zipper" down the middle of their belly. White around the eyes and a VERY WIDE nose bridge.
Bobcat/Housecat hybrids are a myth in my opinion. It's never been proven and it's never happened or been made to happen in captivity. And it HAS been tried, naturally and artificially. EVERY single instance of a claim...winds up something happened to the cats, gave them away, sold them, or never hear back from anybody that's having them tested. (It's just one of those things that doesn't work between a bob and a housecat...even though, it does work with many other cats).
I just don't think it possible, but, it sure would be cool if it was.

What you have there is ONE BEAUTIFUL kitten! I love those colors!

 

[basscat]

If you are not sure, just give it a couple months. About a week after he's weaned off the bottle, and eating food. Give him a raw chicken leg. If you can take a chicken leg away from an 8 week old cat, it's not a bobcat.
I don't mean a snarly little kitten sounding all mean and stuff.
I mean you flat out won't try twice.

 

[haleyds]

I vote not bobcat, but maybe an exotic mix with a domestic and a smaller wild cat. In Florida it's not uncommon for non native species to be set free when they get to be too much to handle. So maybe a bob tail domestic mama, and an ocelot or a bengal or something like that as a parent. He is too small (even though he's larger) and too dark to be a bobcat and bobcats will usually eat a cat rather than mate with them- so a hybrid is very uncommon.

 

[amethyst]

Another possibility is it's a pixie-bob or mix, they are bred to look like bobcats, but aren't. They are claimed to be originally from a bobcat/barn cat mix, but DNA tests say otherwise.

 

[surya]

I hope it isn't a bobcat. I read on the internet they don't make very good pets. And if you don't keep it, I wonder if it will be able to survive OK without the mother's training.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Thank you everyone so much for yalls replies, I'm still so confused he does not look like any other cat that I've ever seen, domesticated anyways! I might just end up having to have his blood work done. I'll upload some more pictures of him though for everyone it's just really hard to get good ones, he moves so much and if I try to hold him for too long he gets a little crazy LOL.

 

[Floridabobcat]

 

[maggiedemi]

Please let us know what you find out. It's fascinating that you could take in a little tiger cat and have it turn out to be a bobcat. I never even thought of that possibility, but it probably happens often in the south.

 

[Floridabobcat]

If you are not sure, just give it a couple months. About a week after he's weaned off the bottle, and eating food. Give him a raw chicken leg. If you can take a chicken leg away from an 8 week old cat, it's not a bobcat.
I don't mean a snarly little kitten sounding all mean and stuff.
I mean you flat out won't try twice.

Thank you so much for the information your Bobcat is beautiful!

 

[Floridabobcat]

Please let us know what you find out. It's fascinating that you could take in a little tiger cat and have it turn out to be a bobcat. I never even thought of that possibility, but it probably happens often in the south.

I will I'm not sure how old they have to be before you can get there blood drawn but I will post the paperwork as soon as I get the information back I'm kind of curious also.

 

[Floridabobcat]

Sorry forgot the link - hope it all works out for you (and him)
FWC - Captive Wildlife Permits

Thank you so much for the information I will definitely look into that, I have 10 acres so I can always build something for him if I do end up getting the license. If he even turns out to be a bobcat lol.

 

[basscat]

He sure is a fat little thing! Cute Cute Cute!!! And his coloring and markings are really unique.
I LIKE HIM!!!
Just doesn't have the eyes/nose/mouth of a bobcat. That "look" is just one of those things you can't explain. You can read about the differences and distinguishing features. BUT, it comes down to a certain look that is just "different".
If you start looking at pictures of black cats and black (melanistic) bobcats. You might start to see it. Since the coloring is pretty much the same (black). That leaves you with having to see that "look" in order to tell the difference.

A friend of mine (big hunter) has a black coyote mount in his house. We give him a hard time about it, saying things like..... "Why did you shoot somebody's dog?"
But, it is a coyote....it's just got that "look". (sure doesn't stop us from trying to aggravate him though)

The 1st bobcat I ever saw was in my driveway. 5 months old and housecat size. I thought it was a housecat somebody dumped. Bent over to pick it up and noticed the LACK of markings and I slowed down a bit...out of curiosity mostly.
Then it looked up at me and I jumped back...BOBCAT!
She was really pretty with hardly any visible spots on her back.
Here's a picture of her a couple months before she was released.

 

[basscat]

I hope it isn't a bobcat. I read on the internet they don't make very good pets. And if you don't keep it, I wonder if it will be able to survive OK without the mother's training.

They make great pets.... 97% of the time.
It's that 3% most people aren't prepared for.
IF that was a bobcat, it's basically too late to be released back into the wild now. It's been peopled and bottle fed and it's eyes are still blue. Which means it doesn't fear people and a wild bobcat MUST fear people in order to survive in the wild.
For a pet, you have to "people" it before it can focus. Which clearly is what's happened here (IF IF bobcat). If she had gotten it after it could see clearly? She wouldn't have any hands left.
A baby bobcat that hasn't been around people, that can see clearly? Is NO pet and never will be.

 

[Floridabobcat]

He sure is a fat little thing! Cute Cute Cute!!! And his coloring and markings are really unique.
I LIKE HIM!!!
Just doesn't have the eyes/nose/mouth of a bobcat. That "look" is just one of those things you can't explain. You can read about the differences and distinguishing features. BUT, it comes down to a certain look that is just "different".
If you start looking at pictures of black cats and black (melanistic) bobcats. You might start to see it. Since the coloring is pretty much the same (black). That leaves you with having to see that "look" in order to tell the difference.

A friend of mine (big hunter) has a black coyote mount in his house. We give him a hard time about it, saying things like..... "Why did you shoot somebody's dog?"
But, it is a coyote....it's just got that "look". (sure doesn't stop us from trying to aggravate him though)

The 1st bobcat I ever saw was in my driveway. 5 months old and housecat size. I thought it was a housecat somebody dumped. Bent over to pick it up and noticed the LACK of markings and I slowed down a bit...out of curiosity mostly.
Then it looked up at me and I jumped back...BOBCAT!
She was really pretty with hardly any visible spots on her back.
Here's a picture of her a couple months before she was released.

Thank you! I see what you mean. It makes me feel better knowing I don't have to jump through hoops in order to keep him, not that I wasn't prepared to LOL he is definitely a unique looking Kitty.

 

[surya]

They make great pets.... 97% of the time.
It's that 3% most people aren't prepared for.
IF that was a bobcat, it's basically too late to be released back into the wild now. It's been peopled and bottle fed and it's eyes are still blue. Which means it doesn't fear people and a wild bobcat MUST fear people in order to survive in the wild.
For a pet, you have to "people" it before it can focus. Which clearly is what's happened here (IF IF bobcat). If she had gotten it after it could see clearly? She wouldn't have any hands left.
A baby bobcat that hasn't been around people, that can see clearly? Is NO pet and never will be.

That's good to know. I'm glad they can be good pets.

 

[Willowy]

How long is his tail? From the first pic I thought he was bobtailed but in these new pics the tail looks normal length.

Also, are we sure he's a he? I'm thinking the light patches on the ears might be red, making "him" a torbie, but that would mean he's a she .