What the heck???

[RickN]

Saw something odd on the side of the road this morning (3am) and no I do not mean JB chasing PH. It was a large cat, but an odd one. About the same size as my Dalmatian (50lbs) black with orange patches. The head looked like a bobcat but the body was longer and sleeker. The legs were longer plus it had a long tail.

When I first spotted it, I thought a dog was standing beside the road, but when I got up close to it I could see it was a cat. It did not run off just stood there looking at me while doing the "don't mess with me" cat tail swish. I even had time to shine my flashlight on it for a better look and wish I had a camera.

Does anyone know if bobcats can crossbreed with domestic cats? That is the only explanation I can come up with.

 

[doctorjj]

Must have been an ocelot. In all seriousness, many years ago someone ran over a very large cat near my parents house. It had spots on its underbelly and had a long tail. It weighed about 25 lbs. And it wasn't big as in a big fat house cat. It was tall and long, basically like a bobcat. We were convinced it was a cross between a bobcat and a house cat. I don't know if it happens naturally or if breeders do it intentionally or if it can even produce live offspring at all.

 

[woolworh]

Sounds cool.

 

[RickN]

I don't know what the heck this was. Thing was mostly black but for a few orange patches like a tabby. One of the patches was over it's left eye so it really looked weird. The head was more rounded then a domestic cat but the body was similar outside of being much larger then any domestic I have ever seen. All in all it was pretty fuggly.

 

[rebelracer79]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_(cat)

Domestic cats can be bred to wild cats

 

[RickN]

Interesting. If I ever see it again I might have to see if it is tame. (very carefully, I may be crazy but I ain't stupid) It sure did not seem to be afraid of me.

 

[Lurkerinthewoods]

Interesting. If I ever see it again I might have to see if it is tame.

Can you PLEASE have someone record this when you decide to..

 

[POKE1911]

My brother in law just got a savannah cat. It is part African cerval (SP), part Egyptian cat. At 2 years it will be full grown. Huge cat, its a meat eater and supposed to be on a leash if outdoors. This cat is about 3 months old and can jump over the couch. The other day we caught it on the counter so we brushed him off, so he jumped to the ground, about 6 feet from the counter, it is amazing. The guy he bought it from says its momma will jump up and land on the top of an opened door.

 

[Jeff405]

Are you sure it wasn't a Cheetah? http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah/

 

[kd5rjz]

Yes, bobcats can breed with house cats. I have a rather fat lazy one at home that is probably sleeping on my couch right now. The strange thing is that their demeanor is usually closer to a dog than a cat, they'll follow you around outside like a dog, and don't really attack everything like a house cat would.