Do bobcats eat skunks? The answer is yes but it probably depends where the bobcat lives and the season. It appears that the bobcat has no problem killing and eating skunks. It just depends if skunks are on the menu. For instance my research indicates that for bobcats in Florida the skunk is a notable part of the cat’s diet.
The frequency of occurrence of prey intensity in the diets of bobcats in Florida includes skunks at 23.9% of scats (out of 146 scats assessed). As for stomach contents 29.4% of bobcats out of 413 tested had skunk remains in their stomachs. These were striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis). The data comes from DA Wassmer, DD Guenther and JN Layne “Ecology of the bobcat in south-central Florida” 1988.
Bobcats live in a wide range of habitats. They prefer areas of dense cover for relief from wind and extremes of temperature.
The bobcats diet is dominated by hares and rabbits over most of its distribution. Deer and rodents are also important. It depends on the location and the season. Most bobcat prey weighs less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds).
Source: Wild Cats of the World by the Sunquists.
