American Bobcat

Bobcat Geographical Range

See a page on the Bobcat cat range.

Links to more

Wildcat – Domestic Cat

It is interesting to see the small wildcats that are currently populating this world and make comparisons to our beloved domestic cat. This is because our domestic cat is a wild cat that domesticated himself some 9,500 years ago.

A comparison between current domestic and wild cats opens a window through which we can get an indication as to how much we have changed the wild cat through selective breeding and indeed how much the domestic cat has naturally evolved without our intervention over the past 9,500 years.

When I look at this picture of the American Bobcat I can see a domestic cat in there – bobcats like catnip just like domestic cats. The difference is one of size mainly but there is a large overlap in the size of domestic cats and medium to small wild cats. There is also the naturally more rugged appearance of the wild cat. The bobcat is slightly more “thick set”, meaning heavy set and stocky looking and lacks the cosseted refinement of the pampered domestic cat.

Two bobcats in a tree by my house: We live on top of a wilderness ridge in north central Alabama.  Last week just before sunrise I heard a commotion in the forest adjacent to our home and saw two animals up in a tree that seemed to be scuffling. 

At first I thought they were raccoons but the tails were too short.  I grabbed a telescope and saw a bobcat looking back at me. 

The one higher in the tree was trying to discourage the lower one from approaching it, and the lower one finally gave up and left. 

The remaining one stayed for a while and I tried to get a photo of it but it was still too dark and it eventually climbed down and left too.

Larry (North Alabama)

American Bobcat
American Bobcat – Photo: © ucumari –

At the back of the right ear, you see white marking. This is to frighten foe when she turns the backs of the ears forward and flattens them in an aggressive/defensive mode. The Serval has very distinctive ear markings like these.

Domestic cats look relatively delicate. Some, of course, have been bred to extremely delicate levels (perhaps extreme levels). This breeding-in of elegance (away from coarseness) and delicacy is amply demonstrated in the development of the Modern Siamese.

Other than the differences born out of living in the wild, their lives, manners and eating habits are essentially the same as the domestic cat.  There is thought to be a tenuous connection between the American Bobcat and the rare domestic cat the Pixie Bob, which you can read about here. See a Bobcat catching prey.

There are many more pages on this website that feature directly or indirectly the bobcat, please try searching for them using this custom search form:

Leave a Comment

follow it link and logo