A baby bobcat is a wild animal that loves to live freely and does not like people to keep it as a pet because of its free-living and territorial nature. Most people consider baby bobcats as from the leopard family, but they relate to the cat family.
A common proof for it is that these animals are nocturnal that are active at night. On the other hand, leopard is more territorial than it, are and like to capture their prey at any moment of the day. This particular animal looks like a large house cat which is totally opposite to reality. In this article, we will provide you with every possible information about the baby bobcat, you desire to know.
What are baby bobcats called?
Baby bobcats are called “kittens” but some people agree them to call “cubs” These animals because of their astonishing looks. Talking to the family spreading behavior, the female bobcat gives birth to 1-8 babies with an average of 3 baby bobcats at a time, while two or fewer are hatched very rarely.
Fact: They are blind when born and open their eyes after 10 days like dog breeds.
When they are born the mother raises them alone for almost nine months, or till the next mating season. As we have already pointed out the mating season, their mating tenure remains for two months and they give birth to babies from March to May.
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The appearance of a baby bobcat
The astonishing look is the central point of their appearance, and they resemble domestic cats in appearance but are a little giant in the size. When born they are full of fur, blind, and small in the size. They also look like leopards sometimes.
Their overall size is larger than their counterparts. Another thing is that baby bobcats are aggressive towards human beings and even other animals if they find any of them to occupy their territory.
When they born, their color is mostly yellow or grey. Newbies have banding marks on their entire bodies, which confuses them and house kittens.
Motherhood and the initial phase of life
If we talk about the mating season of bobcats, it happens from late November to January, and they give birth to the babies from February to March or a few days later. Baby bobcats spend their early days with their mother alone, as male leaves the females and go out in search of the dens for the family.
A single mother raises them and stays with them until they are ready to make predations. At this time, the male mates with others, and females also mate with other males to give birth to other babies. Baby bobcats are mostly prey to wolves, other large cats, and wild dogs.
The mother remains close to them in the den and does not leave them alone for long times, also it makes them territorial because they do not want to share their den with any of the other animals.
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What name is given to a baby bobcat?
We know newborn baby bobcats as the kittens. Moreover, a female gives birth to 3 to 4 adolescent bobcat per session.
Do baby bobcats have tails?
Like typical kittens, baby bobcats have short tails. Their tails grow to maximum length over the course of a few months. So, it would take some time before you saw that their tails are short or bobbed.
You wouldn’t be able to differentiate a fresh litter of house cat kittens from a new litter of bobcat kittens only by looking at their tail length. The upper side of a bobcat kitten’s tail is covered with spots or bands. The newborn bobcat’s tail will have a uniform underside that is white, grey, or yellow in hue.
Typically, the tip of their tail bears a little patch of black fur. The quantity of black hue at the end of the tail distinguishes a young bobcat from a baby lynx. Whereas a lynx’s tail will have a black tag at the end, a bobcat kitten’s tail will just have a little black tip. As though it had been dunked in black for a few inches.
What is bobcat tail length?
Being an animal with medium size, the bobcats do not have long tails and they have 6 inches long tails with black hairs.
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Are baby bobcats dangerous?
Babies of bobcats are wild creatures. Not of their size or age, wild animals may be unexpected. While the mother is there, you need to be considerably more cautious when handling bobcat kittens, but if she is not present, handling the kittens won’t endanger your life.
The kittens’ huge claws and pointed teeth make them potentially hazardous as they grow bigger. On the other hand, the paws of a bobcat are larger and far more deadly than those of a house cat. While bobcats are naturally savage, even as young kittens, they may exhibit savage behavior.
This behavior may lead to bites, scrapes, and other injuries. You should get in touch with someone who is knowledgeable about wild animals, especially bobcats if you come across any kittens.
Can bobcats be domesticated?
Experts caution against trying to domesticate or own a bobcat. These mostly medium-sized cats avoid interacting with people, but when they encounter, they leave the area right afterwards. Bobcats are different from domestic cats.
Baby bobcat sound
Bobcat kittens have a lot to say. For a variety of various reasons, baby bobcats call out to their mother. These sounds may show many emotions, such as hunger or fear. The mother will repeatedly call out to her kittens while crying.
They shriek, screech, hoot, purr, and many other sounds. Bobcat kittens employ a variety of sounds to attract the attention of their mother.
Do bobcat sounds like baby crying?
This particular bobcat cry is one that is frequently compared to the scream or groan of a woman in pain. You might or might not know what it is, whatever the case, it will grab your interest.
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Baby bobcat as a pet
In a few cases, humans have raised bobcat babies as pets, because it’s typically not a good idea to keep exotic and wild animals as pets. These creatures require specific handling, food modeled like raw prey, and adequate space to roam in a secure outside enclosure.
Their particular demand is highly expensive. Besides being incredibly time-consuming, saving and nurturing, they requires a lot of work in training perspective.
Although it is possible to tame a bobcat kitten via bonding, but it cannot be domesticated, because they are known to have the potential to attack.
Baby bobcat vs kitten
By comparing the markings on the kittens, you can distinguish a newborn bobcat from a baby kitten. There is a strong likelihood that the kittens will be bobcats if they have spots. Domestic cats are known to have markings over the body.
When trying to identify bobcat kittens, it might be difficult because some domestic cats give birth to their youngers in the forests or wilderness. These wild cats are common in woodland regions.
Because of this characteristics, occasionally people mistake bobcats for domestic cats and vice versa. It does not follow that all the kittens you found in the woods are bobcats. Additional premolar that feral cats have in their top jaws, can also help to distinguish between bobcats and feral cats genetically by comparing their skulls.
Baby bobcat lifespan
They wean between 3 and 4 months of age, and for males and females, sexual maturity occurs at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Bobcats typically live 12 to 13 years in the wild, but at Big Cat Rescue, some have survived for over 20 years.
What to do if a find a baby bobcat?
If you come across a kitten that you think might be a newborn bobcat. It might be quite difficult to distinguish when between two bobcats when they are kittens. So the first thing you should do is watch them from a distance.
You need to get to a secure place right away, ideally in your car, if you even have the slightest suspicion that these could be bobcat babies.
If there is no sign of the mother and you think you could have a bobcat kitten or perhaps a litter of abandoned kittens on your hands, contact a professional with experience managing wild animals, preferably bobcats.
This might refer to animal control, a doctor with experience treating bobcats, or a bobcat-experienced animal rescue organization. Bobcat mothers have keen devotion to raising their offspring. Until a professional shows up, avoid approaching the kittens.
You shouldn’t attempt to move the kittens yourself, because it may be risky for several reasons. You should let experienced wildlife rescuers do what they do best.
Compare baby bobcat vs. mountain lion
Baby bobcats and mountain lions are same in the size, and both of them have almost same markings on their bodies. They are mistaken for each other. If we talk about the baby bobcat, they have short tails and pointed ears. On the other hand, mountain lion has round ears and long tails, which helps us in their recognition.
FAQs
How much does a baby bobcat cost?
Baby bobcats are allowed to pet in several places in the USA without permission. If we talk about the cost price of the bobcats, they are extremely expensive to buy as their price range somewhere from $900 to $7500. It basically depends upon the size and breed.
Do bobcats bite?
Yes, bobcats have very sharp teeth and larger paws than other animals from their family. If a mother finds any threat near her babies, she does not hesitate is biting any animals even human beings. Secondly, wild animals are always unpredictable.
Are bobcats aggressive?
Bobcats are aggressive but do not hurt human beings in a normal routine. But if they find humans creating any problems for them, they become aggressive and give humans deep wounds with sharp teeth and paws. On the other hand, they do not feel pity when they find any cat in their area.
What is the baby bobcat’s size?
The bobcat animal baby size is not too much. When they are born, they are just 8 inches tall and do not weigh more than 9 ounces.
When are baby bobcats born?
A females bobcat deliver three to four kittens at a time. Talking about the the time of giving birth to baby their time is from April and July. Here, it is vital to know that they give birth to babies around the year.
Conclusion
Bobcats are wild and nocturnal animals. They are aggressive when someone makes mistakes to bother them or capture their territory. Baby bobcats are weak and blind when they are born. That is why they depend on their mothers.
Besides it, they are fast growing and within a year they become adults and are able to find food for themselves. These animals make noise when they need the attention of their mother, otherwise, they are shy and prefer to live out of sight of other animals, especially humans. In the initial days of life, they feed on the mother’s milk and after some time they depend on the meat that their mother brings for them.
