What made these tracks in the snow?

[hayley3]

For the life of me, I can't figure it out.
I found the tracks right after dark.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Looks like either a cat or a fox by the step pattern. They are very old though, if they were fresher you would be able to tell more.

 

[hayley3]

Looks like either a cat or a fox by the step pattern. They are very old though, if they were fresher you would be able to tell more.

They were made last night..had to wait til this morning to take a picture. And it's 19 today so they are frozen in time. LOL
I thought about a declawed cat but still wouldn't there be marks where the foot pads are?
And the snow is mounded up around each step which I thought was weird.

 

[Kirkwooder]

The snow mounds like that when it is very warm and slushy. Instead of squishing and compacting under the animals foot it "flows" out and up. If you can discern claw marks then it is certainly not a cat. Cat's have retractable claws and don't use them when walking. Fox on the other hand can not retract their claws and generally leave claw marks behind. A fox track will also be more diamond shape when fresh, and cat tracks are more rounded.

 

[KyCoop]

It looks like cat to me because it would walk one foot behind the other in "Yucky, wet snow" to keep their feet "dry".

 

[Kirkwooder]

Fresh fox tracks.

Fresh cat tracks.

 

[Geena]

Probably a fox, they tend to single track like that.

 

[hayley3]

I had a barn cat and knew exactly what her prints looked like so the lack of pad prints was confusing me. I thought cat too but that was throwing me off. I then realized the prints were on blacktop so I then went to out into the pasture and still I see no pad prints. I have never seen a cat here, nor a fox or anything else. I did notice that it was trying to stay hidden..as the tracks went under the tree, then under the car, than close to the house under the bushes. Maybe a feral cat.

I really should turn my camera toward the driveway.

 

[Painted Calls]

I had a barn cat and knew exactly what her prints looked like so the lack of pad prints was confusing me. I thought cat too but that was throwing me off. I then realized the prints were on blacktop so I then went to out into the pasture and still I see no pad prints. I have never seen a cat here, nor a fox or anything else. I did notice that it was trying to stay hidden..as the tracks went under the tree, then under the car, than close to the house under the bushes. Maybe a feral cat.

I really should turn my camera toward the driveway.

Sounds like the path a cat would take.

 

[hayley3]

Sounds like the path a cat would take.

It's just so weird, I never see any cats during the day.