MY GARDEN IS PROTECTED !

Sasquatch??

Just kidding, susie! I have no idea what it is, but we have some very knowledgeable folks on here...someone can probably help. I would worry about kitty being out alone though with something that big hanging around.

Hope everything works out for you and drifter.

Best Regards, Les
 
i guess this is the 120+ DAY UPDATE.

drifter went into her first heat. since i was sure no male could get within scent of her, i continued our normal schedule. she goes in n out 4-5 times/day. this is nice for both of us. she gets to hunt.
she needs this. plus, she does her violent play outside, swarming up n down the 7' high arbor, or climbing the ladder to the roof.
she knows indoors is for relaxing n cuddling.
so, it was impossible for a male to find her.
there is a house within 3 miles, but that's upwind . the way the wind blows, it's 12-15 miles to the nearest house.
now she was going totally crazy, stomping thru the house n screaming.
lifting her back end to get laid.
so, i didn't mind her going out.
then, near the end of the heat, i got up from a nap.drifter was on the couch. behind her i saw the biggest cat i've ever seen.
since i saw both cats at the same time, i know for sure big cat is at least 4 times the size of drifter.
i have no scale but drifter is a normal size cat, around 10 lbs.
that puts big cat around 40 lbs.
if you guys read my posts you know i found droppings i couldn't ID.
well, now i know what they are. they were cat droppings. they were just too big to be cat droppings.
n, the critter that left the droppings tossed a 20 lb haveahart across the garden.
this cat is beyond my experience. drifter saw it when i did, but didn't say anything. i studied it to look it up, but i can't. around 40 lbs, but it's smokey grey.
i saw the right side n face. it sat like any cat. the forehead is wide n strong.
the ears were house cat ears. i thot this solved it. it's a mutant housecat.
but, it turns out some bobcats have short ears. so do jaguarundis.
the animal is a thing of great beauty.
i'd think wild cat, but smokey grey doesn't fit.
i am now feeding this animal, but i never see it.
he is bad news. i think he's too big to enter drifter, but if he did rape her, she may die.
i don't know what determines the size of a kitten, but if it's the sire, the baby will be too big for her to get it thru the birth canal.
i have helped cows in birthing but i don't know how to restrain a cat so i can pull on a kit's legs.
as you can see, our normal drama continues.

as to more mundane matters, drifter now spends 16 hours/day inside.
sometimes she's loving, sometimes she's not.
sometimes she's insane, sometimes not.
she now loves me but remains feral.
she acts like a pack animal. she likes to be around me. sometimes on top of me, sometimes on the floor near me. or on the back of the couch, watching me.
she has the run of the house n i'm a cat doorman, letting her in n out.
i'm now keeping her in at night because coyotes are most bold then.
not sure i ned worry aboutcoyotes anymore, because big cat probably eats them.
i'll be coming around shortly so you guys can teach me trail cams.
i'm hoping for a black friday sale, but have no idea how they are used.
i just wanna post pics of big cat so somebody can tell me what it is.
i think drifter is hanging out with him, so he doesn't eat house cats.
 
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suzieqz,

My money is on that big 'un being a bobcat. They are seldom seen critters within their range, and I'd say it would be likely that where you live is in the correct range for a bobcat. Size wise, that could sure be about right. Now I dunno whether bobcats and regular cats can have kits or not. I wouldn't be surprised but maybe not. I also am not surprised that the bobcat would be very interested in the smells and sounds he's been hearing (if it is a he, and it likely is). I'm a bit surprised he was bold enough to come inside and that he didn't scat quick when he saw you. But what drew him inside is a powerful thing, and besides that, he's probably been living right around you for a good while without you ever seeing him or knowing it. Doubt it there is much you can do about it outside of locking your cat up till the period passes. Still no telling what the two cat's relationship might already be! It will be interesting to see what, if anything, transpires!!!
 
oh, i was sloppy in my language. when i got up, drifter was on the couch. big cat was sitting on top of the a/c that was in a window. if he was inside, i might have panicked n shot him.
it was kinda bob cat ish, but it was definitely grey.
i never heard of a grey bobcat.
i bet i could tame it, but drifter complicates things. no matter how much she eats inside, she figures it's her garden so the food is hers.
i'd like to call BIG CAT SUPPER but if i do that drifter will claw thru the door.
the most endearing thing about her is that she comes to call 100% of the time.
i'm pretty good training dogs, but they don't come every time.maybe 90%.
so, to train big cat, i gotta get around drifter.
she does like me better than him. she spends more time with me, in my comfy house.
 
Most of the bobcats I've ever seen in NM tended to be more grey. I've also seen a few that were a bit more brown, but mostly in pictures. I think where they live has something to do with that, but who knows. I still think from the size you describe and the color that you definitely had a bobcat peeking in your window! For me, not really any other logical explanation.
 
if big cat is a bob cat, i have problems.
his babies will be too big for drifter to easily birth.
also, i intend to keep any kitties.
i know that coyote n wolf crosses tend to be dangerous.
never heard of bobcat crosses.
i like having big cat around.
he will protect drifter from coyotes.
i leave out feed, but he doesn't seem to be here every day.
i won't shoot him unless he attacks.
there is a breed of cat that looks like big cat. it's english short hair.
i can't drag a pic here, but you can see pics online.
the problem is they only go 16 lbs.
plus, they cost $1,000.
not likely to go feral around here.
whatever it is, i think a coyote would decline combat.
 
I just asked Google this question.

"Can you breed a house cat with a bobcat?
Attempted or unconfirmed hybrids. Domestic cat × bobcat (Lynx rufus): There are reports of bobcats breeding with domestic cats, but evidence of offspring remains circumstantial and anecdotal. Their interfertility is yet to be proven scientifically."

I tend to believe the above, yet I'd never say never for sure. What I do say fairly certainly (till proven wrong) is that the bobcat certainly might attempt to mate with your cat if she is in heat. She might even allow it. The mating (unless violent) should not harm your cat (if it can actually be done). If she takes exception, she could get mauled.

But if the mating was to be successful, I highly doubt if conception would occur. That would mean there would be no kits to large for birth. No guarantees here, of course, but that's my take on the situation. Absent keeping her locked up till she gets out of the mood is about the only way to prevent any possible attempts.
 
thanks, kthom. that makes me feel better.
a litter in feburary would be a pain, but no big deal.i don't need many house cats, but i've got lots of room for outside cats.
i justdon't want kittens that would endanger her life delivering.
big cat is solid grey, no spots.
still could be a mutant house cat.
who knows what these critters are doing on the plains, far from human interference. since i have now found 2 cats where there should be none, i'm thinking there is a huge network of cats roaming the plains that are never seen.
an invisible cat community that is reestablishing itself since the drought.
i know they weren't here til this year, because i was shooting a bunny every month, til drifter got here.
or, maybe drifter n big cat.
i know he was around since i found the huge droppings but he may have been here for months prior to that.
i've seenhim twice now, but the food i leave out is not always eaten, suggesting this is just part of his range.
 
With no spots, it's certainly possible that your big cat is a BIG feral cat. I agree that due to where you live, it's highly unlikely that it's a visitor from a neighboring homestead. Still, when it comes to animals in heat, I've definitely seen some very interesting events surrounding such. Sometimes a bobcat is not very spotted on the upper parts of the body, but more so on the flanks and underparts. It sure would be interesting to me if you might be able to capture a photo of that critter!
 
Here's one from Arizona... Most are tan tabby... But this one seems to be sort of gray:

eyDw0wT.jpg


I'll try to find a better picture.

Best Regards, Les
 
if not for size, i'd know big cat is a house cat.
but i can't be too far off in estimating size.
drifter was standing right in front of him n she'a a normal neurotic kitty
if big cat was a girl, she could easily birth something the size of drifter.
i got this all figured out. as long as drifter isn't preg.
when she goes into heat,
i won't let her out of the house, but i'll take the litter box stuff n scatter it around, so the heat scent is calling him. i'll leave out food n aim a cheap game cam at it. i bet i get a pic where i can measure all the back ground for scale.
the big problem will be getting a pic into my comp n to this site
 
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If the big kitty is in fact a bobcat, I'd more concerned about him wanting a meal than about him wanting a mate. (Even though I am willing to acknowledge that the stereotypes most women have about most men are at least valid and often understate the case ... predatory wild critters are different.)

I would not be too concerned if there were in fact Bobcat X domestic kittens - it used to be lawful in WA to have a pet bobcat and they were apparently just fine if raised from the start and not taken in from feral. Coydogs/Coywolves are a different problem and can in fact be very dangerous in the wild; dunno about what happens when raised in captivity. There is a blog about an orphan coyote raised from pup-hood; it is different from a dog, but very tame and lives with the owner and her cat.

As I recall, it is possible to breed a Serval with a domestic, but it's not my wheelhouse.
 
thanks, rusty.
hugzzz to you.
drifter has been helping me celebrate, by not being
mean n nasty.
let me tell you, a feral cat that you tame does not stop being feral.
i have known other cats. they act like kitties.
drifter pretends to be civilized, but the wild is always there.
after 4 months of training, she is very confident. she never hides.
now that she never goes hungry, her fear of finding no food is gone n this changes her.
she seems to love me, but is not what i think of as domestic.
 
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