After an adorable video of a baby bobcat surfaced on Tik Tok, we couldn’t help but share all of the fun and interesting facts about these precious felines. These creatures are medium-sized cats with furry ruff on their cheeks. They are 30 to 50 inches long, and 21 inches tall, and range in weight from 13 to 30 pounds.
Compared to their southern counterparts, bobcats in the north are often bigger. Their fur colors range and have been observed in tones of buff-brown, reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, and light grey. They are usually somewhat speckled; some have patterns solely on the undersides, while others have patterns on the sides and backs of the torso.
Females give birth to a litter of one to eight kittens after a gestation period of roughly 50–70 days. They average a litter of two to three babies. At birth, they range in weight from 9.75 to 12 ounces, and by six days old, their eyes will be open.
They wean between three and four months of age, and for males and females, sexual maturity occurs at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The little guy in the viral Tik Tok video looks pretty young!
Bobcats have a lifespan of 12–13 years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity. These resilient small cats are natural survival (apart from human influence) and will eat nearly anything. Although rabbit is their main food source, they also consume rodents, beavers, peccaries, birds, bats, and deer. They are scavengers as well.
Bobcats as Pets
While some contend that bobcats can make wonderful pets in the appropriate setting, the truth is that they are wild animals. The keeping of bobcats as domestic pets might result in a difficult and even deadly situation because they are not domestic cats.
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Much of the adorable wild animal footage we see is of animals being cared for by rehabilitation centers and animal shelters. These places frequently take in wild creatures that were unsuitably maintained as pets and are now unable to be released back into the wild, even when the owner no longer wants the animal.
Are Bobcats Friendly?
Of course, all of this barely considers the threat that these creatures provide to kids, guests, and domestic animals. Small animals or kids may still pose a threat to or serve as food for bobcats, even those who have been raised by humans.
Particularly if there isn’t much adult supervision while kids and dogs are around, kids have a difficult enough time knowing how to connect with animals. As a result, gentle domestic animals harm or maim children.
The people in this video can be heard calling the bobcat closer to them. It appears the young feline is meowing, likely trying to get its mother’s attention. Thankfully, these people were safe in their car and quickly left after this interaction.
