Positives
of bobcats as pets? CL: Positives to having a bobcat as a pet in comparison to a larger
cat such as cougar, lynx etc. is that it is smaller. They are very loyal
to the people and animals that raised them. They are very smart and easy
to train.
Negatives
of bobcats as Pets? CL: The negatives of owning a bobcat may be that they are very
vulnerable to the outside world when raised in someone’s home. People
and animals usually do not know how to react and can harm you cat. The
only other negative, I can think of would be damage to the furniture from
their claws, spraying their surroundings with urine, but these can usually
be remedied by de-clawing and neutering your cat.
Anecdotes/stories
about your pet bobcat? CL: I like to share with others how personal a bobcat be when you
they are raised in your home. Our bobcat sleeps with my husband and I
at the end of the bed and every night my husband and the cat would have
their playtime before settling down for the night. Then in the morning
almost always at 6:45 a.m., our cat would begin to purr loudly and wake
us up. We never need to set an alarm clock in our home.
Do they
have scent glands or an offensive smell? RU: No CL: Bobcats do not have scent glands per se, but they do spray
urine to mark their territory, which has a very strong order. However,
most cats that are neutered around nine months will not spray.
What
is their average life span? RU: I had a male 15 that was still very active. I sold the cats
before any died of old age. CL: Bobcats live to be an average of twelve years old in the wild,
but will likely live 20+ years in captivity.
Do they
enjoy interaction?
RU: Very much so. Very curious, intelligent animals. CL: They do enjoy interaction with people and other animals, but
it is usually on their terms.
What
is their general personality, disposition, and attitude? RU: Hand raised from VERY early (2 days) I found them to be friendly.
Unmanageable if I tried to take their food, put them in a crate if it
was not their choice, etc. In other words, they would be very agreeable
as long as it was their choice. CL: Generally speaking, bobcats are loners, but when raised with
humans they are very loyal, loving and social.
Are they
sweet and petable, or mischievous and playful? RU: My males were very sweet. Loved to be petted and held. If they
wanted to play, you better be willing to be played with. CL: Depending on the instruction they receive as they grow up,
they can be very sweet and approachable. You will find that they will
just come and love you when you need it. However, they love to play and
they play very fervently and rough; so look out when you get in the game.
How destructive
are they for an average household? RU: Declaw is absolutely necessary. Extremely powerful, so jumping
from furniture, for example, would cause tears in the upholstery if not
declawed because the power and force were incredible. CL: They are not destructive in nature, but if they are not de-clawed,
they will shred furniture as they sharpen those claws. As they grow, they
don’t realize how their size changes and during play may knock things
off tables etc. Also, I have found that they do not like flowers in pots
to be in the windows that they look out of.
Do they
climb or tear up furniture? RU: They climb anything. Not all the time, but you wouldn't be
able to dissuade them if they decided to do it. They have the "scratching
post" instinct. Again, declawing is a must. CL: They will claw the furniture and carpet if not de-clawed.
Are there
any problems associated with their claws? RU: See above. CL: Their claws are razor sharp and I suggest they be de-clawed
on all fours before nine weeks old.
How messy
are their droppings? RU: It depends on their diet. About ˝ of my cats insisted on urinating
and defecating in their water dishes. They would actually hold their urine
until I changed water. In the house, training to use the toilet would
have been easy, I think, although I never did it as mine were breeders
so lived in outside pens after about 8 or 9months.
Can they
be litter box trained? RU: Yes, but it is a chore. Litter must be fresh and changed daily.
CL: Bobcats are easily litter box trained and if you spend a little
time with them, they can even be toilet trained.
Can they
be trained? RU: Mine would fetch, loved riding in the car (although we quit
because when other drivers would see him in the passenger seat they would
almost have an accident), would come when called, understood basic commands
("do you want to go to the house?", "want to go for a ride?", "where is
your toy?") CL: Bobcats can be trained to do many things, it all depends on
the time you would like to spend with them. I have know of bobcats that
retrieve frisbees. Our bobcat loves to play hide and seek and will take
turns hiding and then seeking.
How are
they with other pets, larger and smaller? RU: I found bobcats to be overly affectionate with dogs. They would
rub, purr, hold, climb on dogs. It was almost obsessive. I raised several
bobcats with house cats and they did great until the house cats came into
heat. Then the bobcats would kill them. I had one male named Kahuna who
loved his Maine Coon female for about a year. One day I found Kahuna just
beside himself with despair. I found his house cat dead from a bite on
the back of the neck. It took him several days to quit crying for her.
I never saw such grief. CL: Depending on which type and size your bobcat is raised with
will determine how they get along with other animals. However, sometimes
they tend to look at small animals as food.
What
size cage do they need? RU: Mine each had a 6 foot high x 12 foot long x 4 foot wide cage.
There were 5 cages lining the building with the walls screened so they
could always see outside. Each cage had a sliding door separating it from
the next cage. Most of the time I left the sliding doors open so they
could run in a complete circle from pen to pen. If they were pregnant
or had babies, that mother was separate in the last cage so the others
did not have access to her. CL: A comfortable size cage would be 6’x10’x6’ but it is suggested
that you provide a house inside to keep them from the weather and shelves
and toys to play with.
What
do you feed them? RU: I tried all sorts of food. I had a guy make food, bought horsemeat
based food from Central Nebraska Packing in North Platte Nebraska, canned
food (Zupreem). They did fantastic on the horsemeat food. Nothing compared
to it. They had larger and healthier litters while on it also. They each
got 1 pound per day, less in the summer. It had to be fresh. I supplemented
with deer and elk in the fall to add weight for winter. CL: All of my cats are fed raw meat, but they’re many types of
dried food they others use. A friend of mine feeds her cats in the morning
on Science Diet.
What
vaccinations/vet care do they require? RU: Only killed virus vaccine for distemper - feline. I read a
study out of Canada that bobcats were also susceptible to canine distemper.
Rabies is not recommended. CL: They usually receive the same type of vaccinations that other
felines receive, however, the leukemia vaccine is not necessary as they
carry the gene making them immune. Also, never give them rabies shots;
many have died from this vaccine.
At what
age would it be best to get one? RU: The earlier the better. I had a lady get one at 12 days and
he was probably the friendliest of them all. CL: The best time to get a bobcat would be 2 weeks old, but most
dealers will not deliver kittens until 8 weeks old because of USDA regulations.
Other
Consideration for bobcat owners? RU: They require someone home A LOT. Read and study everything
you can get your hands on before getting one. Be able to afford the proper
indoor/outdoor housing. Find a vet willing to work on them. NEVER leave
small children or pets alone with them, NEVER. Check local regulations.
CL: Bobcats require a lot of time. People considering purchasing
one as a pet need to consider how much time they can spend with their
kitten. Even though they are raised in captivity, if not worked with they
will become wild.
What
kind of person should own these animals? RU: No one with small children. The owner needs to be willing to
understand the cat. They are not inexpensive to maintain. They need constant
supervision and if they ever think they have the upper hand, you will
have a very smart, very dangerous pet. They deserve better than most owners
give them, I think. CL: Bobcats tend to get along with just about any age, but the
responsible person should be an adult. The cost of feeding and care usually
requires someone with a job.
