I think my new stray cat may be a big one!

[madmikeb]

I have 3 stray cats I've been feeding and watering for the last several months on my back patio. I got up this morning and went to put fresh food and water out for them and saw these tracks on the patio.

This one is with a milk jug cap to show size.

I'm was thinking bobcat, but they look a little big for a bobcat, plus the distance between tracks is about 22". We have coyotes but looking online they look more like feline then canine.

I'm wondering if I have a mountain lion visiting, I do know they are in the area.

What do you folks think? Coyote, Bobcat, Mountain Lion or none of the above? My back yard is fenced so they're coming over the fence.

 

[mike4sigs]

no insight to what the track may be
But i would put out a trail Camera
Good luck

 

[arjay]

Bobcat or a very young mountain lion (kitten?)

 

[LVSteve]

Bobcats have surprisingly large paws.

 

[madmikeb]

The spacing on the tracks is what makes me wonder about a mountain lion. 22" between tracks is a pretty good stride online track guides say a bobcat stride is half that. With the tracks being on cement it makes me wonder if the track would look bigger if it was on a softer surface and the paw would sink in more.

 

[Yendor357]

That’s a Bobcat.

I have trail cam pics of a bobcat, and a pic of a very clear frozen in the mud bobcat track. Looks to be very similar.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Something to compare the size of the track with besides a mystery red disc would help me. Or telling us the size of the disc.

 

[4T5GUY]

 

[madmikeb]

Something to compare the size of the track with besides a mystery red disc would help me. Or telling us the size of the disc.

It's the cap from a half gallon milk jug.

 

[Peak53]

22" says lion. No doubt about it. Or, in your location, maybe a jaguar!!

 

[madmikeb]

I have 7 paw prints on the patio and there is 22" between each print!

 

[LVSteve]

I'm puzzled. Is the 22" between two left(right) prints, or between alternate left and right prints. The reason I ask is that a full grown bobcat is about four feet long nose to tail, so I can believe 22" between the front and rear legs.

Those prints don't look wide enough for a full size cougar or jaguar. I saw a cougar in a zoo close up to the glass and I recall the feet being huge.

Peak53 is quite right about the OP's location being a jaguar sighting hotspot, although "hotspot" is a bit of a stretch according to the info here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar

 

[madmikeb]

The 22" is between alternate left and right prints. If I measure between 2 left (or 2 right) prints it's about 44". I agree, I thought the prints were a too small for a mountain lion, and my first thoughts were bobcat. They are prints on cement though so I wonder if they are the true size of the paws as it would just be the base of the pads that are touching the cement. The length of the stride is what is puzzling to me, but through all 7 prints the measurements are consistent.

I'm thinking I may have to get a game camera and put it on my patio and see what shows up!

 

[lihpster]

Way too small for a lion. It's been a long time since I held one, but it had much bigger feet than that. Too small for a jaguar, too.

 

[JimW]

Cat burglar…

 

[Muddyboot]

Are Bobcats common in Southern Arizona?

 

[65Whelen]

I like the trail camera idea. That would be definitive. My guess bobcat.

 

[glenncal1]

Any of those three will go over your fence like it wasn't even there. Have you seen the stray cats you were feeding recently? They may have become prey.

 

[madmikeb]

Are Bobcats common in Southern Arizona?

Any of those three will go over your fence like it wasn't even there. Have you seen the stray cats you were feeding recently? They may have become prey.

Bobcats are very common around here, and mountain lions are seen in the area also. The track size says bobcat, but the stride is double what I have read a bobcat stride is, that's what is making me question what it is.

All the stray cats are present and accounted for!

 

[Rudi]

Here kitty kitty kitty!