Saw the bobcat hybrid this morning...

[gritsar]

First time I've ever seen him out in the daytime. Does anyone know enough about such creatures as to hazard a guess why he would start coming around in the daytime? The sudden very cold weather maybe? I tried to get a pic of him, but by the time I got into the house and dug out the digital camera he was gone. I'm keeping the camera handier in case he comes back. I want to understand him as much as I can, so that later on when we start the actual building of our coop/run I can do the best I can to prevent having problems with him. The SO says there's been hybrids here before and his mama & grandma never had any problems with them and their chickens.
In case you haven't already guessed, we're fairly certain he's a domestic/bobcat hybrid. I can't help but look at him with wonder. He is a magnificent looking creature.
P.S. I just KNEW my barn cat wasn't going thru a large bag of cat food a week all by herself.

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

I would love to see it.
Sounds STUNNING!
Yum Yum Cat food that would be why he drops by for a visit.
Just make sure you never have any small animals that are not in their own little coops fashioned after
fort knox.
and then you can injoy both.

CAN'T WAIT FOR PICTURES.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I'd go with field fencing on the outside with hardware cloth inside for any run (plus cover it with said wire) you may add to your coop. You're going to have to build a miniature Fort Knox (like Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies said) to keep your birds from becoming his playthings. You might also consider adding electrical fencing somewhere in there too. He probably won't need to hunt them, since he's eating catfood and should be kept satisfied. Since he's domesticated he'll likely hunt for sport than for food.

I've not had dealings with any bobcats because I've got dogs roaming the property.

 

[Standard Hen]

I did not even klnow there was such a thing as a bobcat/hybrid? I would love to see a picture!

 

[jeaucamom]

Just out of curiosity.... How do you know this is a hybrid?

 

[paganfish]

Quote:
Yeah...I want to know this too.

 

[gritsar]

Just to be clear on things, this is NOT the hybrid that hangs around on our farm. In fact this is not a bobcat at all, but a highlands lynx, which is bred off of a desert lynx. Deliberately bred, not naturally. I just chose this pic because I believe it best represents the feline that we are dealing with. The one we have looks remarkably similar to this one, only heavier.
As for why I labeled the one here as a bobcat hybrid is best described as an educated guess, not on my part, but on the SO's. He grew up on this farm, he knows everything there is to know about it, and has had some experience with the hybrids before. While not common, it does happen. We also currently have in residence a full bobcat, but he keeps himself pretty well hidden. In contrast, I've gotten to know the hybrid pretty well over the last year or so as he sits just outside the yard fence at night while I am sitting out under the stars inside the yard and he meows (chirps?) at me alot. Almost a nightly occurence. I miss not being able to go out and 'talk' to him now that the weather has turned cold. So again, I doubt anything short of a DNA test would prove his heritage, but put all we have learned about him over time and we're fairly certain. He's not bothering us and we don't bother him. And oh yeah, our barn cat absolutely hates him! In fact, whenever I see killer kat sitting on top of the carport I know to start looking around outside the fence and usually find him. She's spayed, so that's not what he's looking for here.

 

[paganfish]

Hey Grit-

Thanks! What a beautiful cat though...gosh! I am a sucker for those types of coated felines. My Johnny Bravo has the same type of pattern. He's a purebred BRATTY cat though. (NO hybrid there)

I can't wait to see pictures of the one that hangs out at your place.

Now I know...

Cheers-

~;-V

 

[SpottedCrow]

My old neighbour had one...until the day that a Husky came into the yard and went after his kids...Husky never went home...nice little bobcat/lynx shredded him.

 

[lacyloo]

hope you can kill it or atleast trap it and reloke it so he wont eat ur chickens/animals..