I think my cat is half bobcat, maybe a quarter

So my cat is not quite like other cats - he is very friendly, very intelligent, chirps a lot, but he also does some crazy playing - for example, a lot of climbing and a lot of growling and indoor acrobatics. Yesterday, I was walking to the fridge and he leapt off the top of the kitchen cupboards onto my back.

My friend joked that he could be part bobcat. Knowing that there are bobcats in the area, and also being a psychology major who likes to apply what he learned to animals, I thought this might be the case and did some research. I started by looking up pictures of half-bobcat cats and bobcat kittens.



This is a picture of my cat taken today. The distinguishing features are the facial coloring, also the ear shape and the lines on the face.



This is my cat when he was more of a kitten.



This is a pure bobcat kitten. It doesn't look the same, exactly - but the ears are similar. Bobcats also have a bobbed tail, which my cat does not. However, check out the suspected half-breed pictures.



This is a picture of a suspected half-breed bobcat kitten.



This is a picture of a suspected half-breed bobcat mid-range cat.



This video shows a suspected hybrid bobcat all grown up. My cat has been very hard to tame, but he's doing fine now, he was always super happy and persistent. The cat in the video looks very similar to my cat. I found other movies and pictures on the web that are almost identical, but couldn't find them when it was time to write this thread, of course.

According to Wikipedia:

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. [3]

Wikipedia: Attempted or Unconfirmed Feline Hybrids

a reply to: darkbake
Your cat looks more like a Siberian or half Persian half Himalian to me,,she is a beauty anyways.

a reply to: darkbake

I have a big male cat that looks like yours, he's a Maincoon.

Your cat looks like he could also be one, the temperament fits, they tend to be dog like in behaviour.

Nice kitty cat btw.


Cheers

a reply to: Treespeaker

That would make sense, thanks Treespeaker. My cat definitely has dog traits, such as following me around the house and staying by my side most of the day.

Beautiful cat .. one thing about cats no matter how much you try you will never fully tame them .. they tend to humour one and make you think you tame them ..

Cats also tend to choose their owners .. over the years had many that just showed up and decided to stick around .. will admit cats are better company than most people ..

a reply to: darkbake
Disclaimer:
I have nothing to say about the possible origin of your cat.

Message:
Oh my! Your cat is so freakin CUTE dude! Epic! Cat! Epicat!

I love cats. I love their personalities ... their independence ... how snuggly they are ... how fun they are ... everything. I'm married to a dog person and we have a beagle, but I'd love to have cats . Maybe in my next life ...

Great looking cat you have there Dark ...could do with a clean though

Just a question I just fell in love with the Bobcat kitten...can you get domesticated ones?

originally posted by: darkbake
a reply to: Treespeaker

That would make sense, thanks Treespeaker. My cat definitely has dog traits, such as following me around the house and staying by my side most of the day.

I agree with TS, One of the features of MaineCoons is that they aren't not afraid of water either and actively play with it. I had a MC that loved to paw at the water in his dish until it was empty, then chirp or kitten meow at me until I refilled it.

He would also jump into the shower with me just to watch...the perv!

MC's can get large as well. Mine topped out at 30lbs. Chunky, but not fat as he was always active and doing something.

BTW, nice looking Gato.

This is a bobcat. Your cat looks like a normal cat, possibly a main coon if he is big. Beautiful kitty you have!!

Looks like a Maine Coon especially if it has a full tail.

He is a beauty!

I have been trying to figure out if my cat is a Bengal cat mix, and I am pretty sure he is. They are said to be low shedding cats, which would be great! Although, he is around a year old, so the shedding may set in. Also, he is strictly indoors, and while we keep windows open for him to sit in, he may not be getting the amount of sunlight needed to trigger a lot of shedding.

Regardless, he fills a void that I didn't know I had! Love those cats!

Domestic longhair cat, possible Persian or other long haired breed, Pixie Bob and other breeds mixed in. I own Pixie Bob mixes, your cat's markings remind me of them. DNA tests have shown while they are not really mixed with Bob Cats, but highly resemble wildcat features. Are the toe pads black and/or polydactyl toes? Large size? Markings, bobtailed and black skin on toes, tipped ears and lips indicate the breed or a mixture of it. Not even to mention the temperament, "very doglike". The Pixie Bob originator lives in the NW(Wash state), locale can also be an indication.

Cats 101- Pixie Bob

Your cat may be part bobcat, but I think there is just a recessive gene that popped up reverting back to a wild cat.
Now for a pleasant story from my youth.
When I was a child, my family had a Springer Spaniel that killed and ate cats when they came around our home. He ate the whole cats... bones, claws, teeth, fur and all.

Beautiful kitty, OP, simply gorgeous! I do agree with others that yours might be a Maine Coon rather than bobcat. Stil beautiful either way

originally posted by: butcherguy
Your cat may be part bobcat, but I think there is just a recessive gene that popped up reverting back to a wild cat.
Now for a pleasant story from my youth.
When I was a child, my family had a Springer Spaniel that killed and ate cats when they came around our home. He ate the whole cats... bones, claws, teeth, fur and all.

O.O Did Satan ever come looking for his lost hound? (I kid, I kid, but that is pretty weird)

I was thinking Maine Coon, too. As for the back part, I've had several cats throughout my life that had a tendency to jump on your back. It's a kitty thing that they can just randomly decide to do depending on the cat. Being climbers who like to look down from on high, it makes sense that some of them would like to perch from your shoulders.

originally posted by: Treespeaker
a reply to: darkbake

I have a big male cat that looks like yours, he's a Maincoon.

Someone abandoned two kittens in my driveway a couple of years ago, and they look exactly like OPs, with the male being a bit darker in color with brown eyes. The consensus of opinion, considering a lot of people around here own them, is that they are at least part Maine Coon.

We have bobcats around here, so I've interacted with a couple of bobcat crosses in the past and they have rougher coats, shorter tails, and it is very hard to win their trust even if they are used to humans. These are typically very "raw" looking, big-boned, and have very long legs. They don't lose the top of ear tuft as adults, and may come into a house but prefer to be outside. They have obviously independent "equal" attitudes toward humans.

Maine Coons are sweet tempered, and tend to be high energy and very playful. They love to play with toys. They're super smart, and will get into everything, and love nothing better than to open drawers and pull stuff out to play with, but otherwise are not destructive and are generally easy to train. They tend to have polydactyly or at least really big feet. Mine prefer being inside, although they do like short excursions outside. They come readily when called.

a reply to: TDawgRex

Yes, that sounds like my cat Gus, he likes to watch me shower and bathe. I wonder if this is really the type of cat he is.

originally posted by: Orphanim

originally posted by: Treespeaker
a reply to: darkbake

I have a big male cat that looks like yours, he's a Maincoon.

Maine Coons are sweet tempered, and tend to be high energy and very playful. They love to play with toys. They're super smart, and will get into everything, and love nothing better than to open drawers and pull stuff out to play with, but otherwise are not destructive and are generally easy to train. They tend to have polydactyly or at least really big feet. Mine prefer being inside, although they do like short excursions outside. They come readily when called.

That makes a lot of sense, my cat Gus comes when called and he also opens drawers and cupboards, no matter where they are in the house and climbs inside. He is smart and has big feet. Also, very playful, not afraid of water.

I put this in the Cryptozoic forum in the first place because there is some dispute on this domestic cat / bobcat hybrid. Interesting that a similar thing happened in your area, where there are also wild bobcats - thanks for noting the differences between the two.

a reply to: chelsdh

Thanks Chels! If it wasn't for you guys and my cat Gus I would have gone crazy already living alone in my new apartment.