You may have a neighbor who has seen one or you may have been fortunate enough to see your self, but I think it’s super exciting that there have been numerable reports and sightings  of Bobcats in neighborhoods we don’t usually see them perusing. Friends are having face to face encounters in Manchester, Essex, and the back shore of both Rockport and Gloucester. My friend Karen took these snapshots through her screen door at 9:30 in the morning several days ago.

Do Bobcats eat pets?  Bobcats are carnivorous and will eat freely roaming cats and small dogs however, their preferred food is rabbits, rabbits, and more rabbits. They also eat mice, squirrels, skunks, opossums, muskrats, birds, and snakes. Occasionally they will take down a deer but that may be because the animal is sick, injured, very old, or very young.

Bobcats are common in the central and western part of the state and they are expanding their range through the northeast and southeast. You can easily recognize them as they are typically twice as big as a housecat and have a shortened, or bobbed, tail.

Please write if you see a Bobcat in your neighborhood and share photos and videos if you would like. Thank you!

You can read more about Bobcats in Massachusetts here Learn About Bobcats https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-bobcats

All photos courtesy Karen Thompson