Bobcat

It is mostly nocturnal and crepuscular. It uses habitats including forests, swamps, brushlands, farms and large undeveloped tracts. It feeds on rabbits, rodents, birds and occasionally larger prey such as young deer.

Bobcats move quietly along edges, trails and cover, using short bursts of speed rather than long chases. They hunt mainly by stalking and ambush.

Bobcats can live in surprisingly close proximity to people while remaining almost entirely unseen because they move mostly at night and around dawn or dusk.

As a native mesopredator, bobcats help regulate rabbits, rodents and other prey and occupy an important place between smaller carnivores and the largest predators.

A bobcat can live in a patchwork of woods and suburbs while remaining nearly invisible because it relies on cover and low-light activity.

Mating — most often winter to early spring, though breeding can occur outside that peak.
Gestation — about 60 days.
Kittens — usually 1–4 are born in a secluded den and remain there for several weeks.
Dependency — kittens travel with the mother for many months while learning to hunt and usually disperse before the next breeding season.

• Keep small pets indoors or supervised, especially at night.
• Secure poultry with a roofed enclosure and sturdy wire rather than relying on deterrents alone.
• Remove outdoor pet food and other attractants that gather prey around homes.
• Give a bobcat an open escape route; cornering any wild cat increases risk.

• A bobcat near a neighbourhood is stalking people. Bobcats usually use wooded edges and prey-rich corridors while avoiding direct human contact.
• Bobcats routinely take adult dogs. Small pets can be vulnerable, but bobcats chiefly hunt wild prey such as rabbits and rodents.
• A short tail means a domestic cat lost part of its tail. Bobcats naturally have a short tail with a characteristic black tip above.