What a gift it was to see these three endangered bobcats.
One morning a few days ago, these 3 bobcats, Mama and her two babies came to check out the fake deer that are in our front garden. The 2 young bobcats came to sniff it to see if it was real. They disappeared into the forest across the street, followed by Mama watching very closely. The coloring of these bobcats was much lighter than the one I saw last March.
Bobcats usually breed between February and March, but with the climate change bringing global warming to the Northeast, these bobcats obviously bred earlier.
Today I noticed they left their footprints in the snow this morning after the driveway was cleared and after we came back from shopping.
I followed the prints to the Mountain Laurel bushes in the back yard.
Metaphysically speaking, Bobcat Medicine represents:
KEYNOTE: Silence and Secrets.
CYCLE OF POWER: Late Winter and Spring
According to Ted Andrews book, Animal Speak, the Bobcat is also called the wild cat. It can be confused with a lynx, which is usually grayer and always larger.
The bobcat is usually a solitary animal, and those of us with this totem often find themselves in the same situation. Coming to terms with that – learning to be alone without being lonely, is part of what bobcat teaches. The females often have a small territory, but the males can be quite nomadic, overlapping territories of five or six females.
Because it is solitary, those who have the bobcat as a totem will find that their friends often share secrets. It is important for anyone with a bobcat totem not to break confidences.
The tail, being at the end of the spinal column, relates to the kundalini life force energy. Like with these pictures, the tip of the bobcat’s tail is black, and its underneath is white, reflecting the ability to turn on and off the creative forces as needed.
The bobcat’s keen eyesight, sensitive whiskers, and tufted ears make it a superb nighttime hunter. Those with a bobcat totem will be most effective at night. These characteristics have ties to most of the predominant psychic arts.
March 3, 2022, a bobcat crossed the road in front of my car around 8:45 p.m. At first, I thought it was a domestic cat, but it was a very large cat. Then I observed that this cat had no tail. It was quite a muscular cat. When I got home, I researched what I saw online and discovered I had observed a bobcat. Then I wondered if bobcats were native to my area in Massachusetts. I was surprised to find out they are.
Bobcat Front Footprint
After that bobcat sighting last March, which had a light snowfall the night before, I notice what I thought were domestic cat footprints walking up the driveway from the old forest across the street, by the car, and into the backyard.
Now I see that our property is part of its natural habitat. It has not bothered us and keeps to itself all the years we’ve lived here.
But the prints last March were like these I saw today, which were larger than past cat footprints I had observed, and had four larger toe pads in the front, and one in the back of it. I believed then it was a bobcat that walked up my driveway, by my car, close by the side of my house, and into the back yard. Now I am certain of it.
I gratefully thank the bobcat and fox who live in the wild area I have chosen to live. This year is the first year that I have caught only two mice in the house. I think the Bobcat and the fox are fantastic at mouse catching.
The following is from Learn about bobcats | Mass.gov :
The bobcat is the only wild cat now found in Massachusetts. Bobcats are common in the central and western parts of the state, present in the northeast, and expanding into the southeast.
Description
The bobcat is a medium-sized feline, approximately twice the size of a domestic house cat. It can be easily identified by its short, “bobbed” tail (up to 12 inches), prominent face ruff, and slightly tufted ears. Its coat of short, dense fur can vary from a yellowish to reddish brown with distinct or faint black spots along its flanks and white underparts that are also spotted with black. In summer, the fur tends to be shorter and more reddish in color, becoming longer and much paler in the winter, although there can be much variation in color among individuals. Adult bobcats weigh 15–35 pounds and measure 28–47 inches in length. Size varies depending on sex, as male bobcats are approximately 33% larger than their female counterparts.
Life History
Bobcats breed from February through March. They are polygamous and do not form lasting pair bonds. The young are born after a 62-day gestation period in April or May. Females produce one litter each year consisting of 1–4 kittens, with an average litter size of 2. The female is the exclusive provider, and the male does not participate in raising the young.
At birth, the kittens are blind and helpless but have a thick coat of spotted fur. The kittens are born in a den lined with dried grass, leaves, moss, and other soft vegetation that the female scrapes into the den. Dens are located in rock crevices, under rocky ledges, in caves, in brush piles, or in hollow trees, stumps, or logs.
Females may use the same den sites for several years in a row. The female nurses the kittens until they reach two months of age. At one month of age, the young begin taking solid food and venturing from the den. The young remain with the adult female until they are full grown, usually through their first fall or winter.
Females reach sexual maturity at one year of age, although they do not typically produce their first litter until two years of age. Males do not reach sexual maturity until two years of age.
Bobcats live an average of twelve years in the wild and females continue to produce one litter per year until death. Although some young fall prey to owls, coyotes, and adult male bobcats, food abundance is the primary factor affecting the survival of both kittens and juvenile bobcats.
They also like to eat wild rabbits, which we have in our yard. The bobcats would be wise to be leery of the owls around here. I have noticed that I no longer have oversized squirrels feasting on my bird feeders though.
Bobcats are an important natural resource in Massachusetts. They are classified as a furbearer species, for which a management program and regulated hunting and trapping seasons have been established.
Everyone walking small dogs in old forest roads, please remain alert.
Namaste
Thank you. I now know !