Bobcat - 'Felina'

This is FELINA. She is a blue Bobcat, native to Montana, born in 2003 on Cinco de Mayo. You will notice her coat is not the brownish color of our other Bobcat, Rufus. Her coat is a grayish-blue color because in the wild she would need it as camouflage in the colder, snowy climate of Montana. She is a very special addition to our family. On our trip home with Felina, we continually play the Marty Robbins song by that name, and decided it was a perfect name for her!

The Bobcat, although it does not bare the family name, is a distinct species in the Lynx genus. In comparison with the Canadian Lynx, the Bobcat is generally smaller and it can be differentiated from the Lynx in a number of ways. The Bobcat has less pronounced ear tufts and cheek ruffs, much smaller feet and shorter hind legs. Its tail is white on the tip, whereas the Lynx has a black tip on its tail. It has a generally more patterned and varied coat coloration. Fur color ranges from light grey, to yellowish brown, buff, brown and reddish brown and markings vary from tabby stripes to heavy spotting. Bobcats are always spotted to some extent, with some individuals patterned only on the undersides, others with spots extending up the sides onto the chest and back. Both melanistic and albinistic Bobcats have been reported - melanism has been found only in Florida.

The Bobcat is found in Southern Canada, the US, and parts of Mexico. It hunts both by night and day and feeds mainly on hares and rabbit, but also eats rodents, birds, and deer.