Cat Tracks?

CharlieTR · Jan 28, 2007

Went out first thing thing morning and noticed what I think are cat tracks walking up to my front door. There is a lot of mud around my house from box blading and attempts to grow grass in the last drought. There is sod around the house but only 15 feet out from the house on each side.

I think it must be a bobcat because the tracks are only two and they are big, the size of a tennis ball. If I remember correctly the cat is the only or one of few that steps his back feet in front feet's tracks, make only two tracks.

I saw one two Summers ago, it was the size of a doberman or close to it.
I guess my question is there anything to worry about with this animal so close. No small kids for him to eat, or any pets. I would like him to stick around to control rabbits and mice.

Thanks

MossRoad · Jan 28, 2007

I haven't seen a bobcat for over 30 years here in northern Indiana. You are fortunate to have them around. As I recall, they are very shy towards humans, but will go after livestock and small pets.

mjarrels · Jan 28, 2007

I remember about ten years ago when I was living in Alameda Ca. aboard the USS Carl Vinson, Oakland was murder capital USA (probably still is) but people were terrified of mountain lions. Hundreds of murders each year and maybe one or two cat attacks. Never could figure it out?

mark

EddieWalker · Jan 28, 2007

Charlie,

I'm no expert, but wildlife is a hobey of mine. I've hunted bobcats here in East Texas and in California. I've seed a few dozen bobcats in my life and killed about ten. I've see them on my land about once a year out in the open, and my wife was one down by our pond last spring.

I've looked at fresh bobcat tracks quite a few times. I've never seen one that would be anywhere close to the size of a tennis ball. In fact, they are fairly small without any claws visible.

From what you described, I think you have a domestic dog. If you see claw marks in the prints, it's almost guranteed to be a dog. They will readily come up to a house door when they are lost or hungry. There knowledge of humans has tought them what a front foor is. Wild animals don't generally know this and avoid homes almost all the time. At our home, we can see tracks of animals as the walk past the house and they always stay right outside the lights.

Good luck,
Eddie

ultrarunner · Jan 28, 2007

California Mountain Lion population is exploding due to the ban on sport hunting. Not too long ago, California paid hunters a bounty on each lion killed. Every couple of weeks there seems to be another story of a close call or attack. We have even had sightings in Oakland CA.

Fish and Game issued a permit to a neighbor because they determined a cougar had attacked his horses. He lived in the Oakland city limits and the news that Fish and Game had issued a permit caused a much bigger uproar than the attack on livestock.

By the way, last time I checked, Washington DC was the murder capital and Oakland was ranked number 15 behind such cities as New Orleans, St Louis, Detroit, Richmond. Atlanta, etc.

JohninCT · Jan 28, 2007

Here's a link showing what bobcat tracks look like. Did yours look like this?

Animal Tracks - Bobcat (Felis rufus or Lynx rufus)

Here's another.

Bobcat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

wushaw · Jan 28, 2007

Eddie is correct on the Bobcat track. Bobcats are very leary of us and try to keep a wide birth.

LMTC · Jan 30, 2007

Bobcat near a house would be a major surprise. Spent a LOT of time in the woods in my younger days, and I tend to be hyper-observant. I have seen one bobcat in it's entirety, at perhaps 50 feet, across a small creek in the very early morning. Otherwise it's been an occasional glimpse of a part of one, perhaps a half dozen times. One of the scariest sounds you can hear is a bobcat scream. I have heard it on two occasions, in the dark. Both times I was in possession of serious firepower and I still trembled, hair stood up....it is a sound that just invokes a certain feeling (think FEAR) instinctively.

But they are neat critters. Not in abundance, and very very reclusive.

dmccarty · Jan 30, 2007

LMTC said:
... One of the scariest sounds you can hear is a bobcat scream. I have heard it on two occasions, in the dark. Both times I was in possession of serious firepower and I still trembled, hair stood up....it is a sound that just invokes a certain feeling (think FEAR) instinctively.

Me and the dog went to the back porch to get some firewood at 6:00am this morning. No light and dark, Dark, DARK in the woods. Put a bunch of wood into the two buckets and start walking back into the house. Its FREEZING cold. I'm half asleep. No coffee yet. Just want inside.

Then I hear this, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Scared the hooyey out of me! Then I Heard it again! It sounded like someone was in the woods yelling at me. I looked at the dog. She looked at me, did a dog shrug and kept walking to get into the warm house.

Then I heard, "Whooooo Whoooo Whoooo"

Danged owl!

Later,
Dan