Bobcats
by Esther Kiviat

When "cats" are mentioned, most people think about the soft furry pets which inhabit our homes, sleeping on the couch or easy chair or on their laps, or living in kitchen or cellar, presumably catching mice to earn their keep. Some persons may recall the popular Broadway musical Cats, while others may remember a feral cat stalking birds near a backyard feeder.

All cats belong to a class of creatures known as "felids," ranging from tiny domestic kittens and wild cats to great tigers. There are 36 species of wild cats, which extend in size from the smallest: the black-footed cat, weighing only about two pounds; to the largest: the tiger, weighing up to 400 pounds or more. In Wild Cats of the World (Mel and Fiona Sunquist, University of Chicago Press, 2002) I found an especially appropriate quote: "God made cats to give human beings the experience of petting a tiger."

Cats are believed to have originated in Egypt, possibly by a cross of wild species. From Egypt, felids were spread by barge and sailing ship all across Europe and even to China. Sailors may have taken a few selected cats or kittens home; some adapted to their new surroundings to become family pets. Cats that did not adapt well to indoor life may have been turned out to fare for themselves, accounting for numerous feral cats around the world.

Writing about feral cats reminds me of an interesting sight that I came across when I visited Italy a number of years ago. Exploring the old part of Rome, I happened upon an entire sunken block (probably the foundation of an ancient building). Looking down into the open pit, I saw a multitude of cats of every description and size, from tiny kittens to full-grown cats. As I was observing them, an old woman came by and threw some food into the pit. In broken English, liberally interspersed with Italian, she told me that when people have unwanted cats, they dropped them off in the pit, where other city dwellers like herself provided ample food for them. The cats proliferated in the sunken block, providing an interesting sight to the casual onlooker.

Most cats have long, sinuous tails. A notable exception is the bobcat, a wild cat whose tail is only about five and a half inches long. It derives its name from this very short tail. Bobcats range all across southern Canada, and south into the United States and Mexico.

Bobcats are known by several names, including, wildcat, chat sauvage, lynx cat, pallid lynx, red lynx, and other similar names. A member of the lynx family, bobcats resemble the true lynx, which usually does not venture very far south of Canada. Male bobcats are larger and heavier than the female felids.

Bobcats formerly were distributed throughout the contiguous United States and into Mexico, becoming scarce as wild land was converted to farming or became more highly populated. Bobcats still occur throughout Dutchess County, but are rarely seen except by ardent nature lovers, hunters, and other outdoors people. They seem to prefer the rocky eastern and extreme southeastern portions of the county, away from more densely populated areas. Portions of the rugged eastern hills of New York which still remain forested and their bordering farmlands are typical bobcat country, although bobcats are occasionally seen and reported from populated areas. A friend who lives just east of the village of Rhinebeck recently observed a bobcat in his backyard, walking along the top of the wooden rail fence at sunset. Bobcats are described as crepuscular, that is, most active in early evening.

Good habitat for this carnivorous member of the cat family requires an abundance of rodents and rabbits. It shares habitats with other carnivorous animals such as coyotes, which are known to kill bobcats occasionally. It is thought that bobcats may have declined as coyotes have moved into northern parts of New York State and into Maine.

The bobcat is about the size of a cocker spaniel, but with heavier longer legs, a notably short tail and a somewhat small head. Like all cats, it is digitigrade, which means that it walks on its toes. The bobcat's distinctive ears are tipped with black hairs and it has a ruff of fur on its cheeks and neck. Bobcat fur ranges in color from brown and reddish or yellowish brown to gray and may have a mottled appearance. The fur is soft, thick, and warm, popular with furriers and those who still wear animal fur. It is used primarily for jackets or trim on jackets and coats. Fortunately for the bobcat and other animals, the use of fur is declining except for very expensive fur garments, thanks to animal rights activists and other animal lovers.

Bobcat habitats are varied, and include coniferous and hardwood forests, swamps, grasslands, desert brush, and lightly cultivated edges of farmlands, as well as areas with dense cover and broken terrain, which may provide escape or concealed birth dens.

Although most of us may have never encountered a bobcat, it is interesting to know that these wild creatures reside near our homes. If you are outdoors frequently at sunrise or sunset, and especially if you live near or are exploring the rocky southeastern parts of the county, you may sometime spot this wilderness denizen with the very short tail. It looks like a slightly oversized domestic kitten, but if you get too close, the bobcat may take off in sudden fear, revealing its wild nature to these threatening upright creatures known as humans.