Can you make a good house pet out of a Bobcat?

There are a few people who manage to keep a bobcat as a pet but it is a major major job . and you can't just think of it as a house cat. & you would need to build an extremely secure outside enclosure even if you do mostly have it living in the house.

I think once they get to adulthood they can be quite aggressive to strangers.

First, is it even legal where you live? Is there any proposed ban legislation? Would you/ could you move to another state if there was a ban enacted?

You also need to find a vet that will treat a wild cat.

Realize you may never be able to leave home even for a weekend unless you have someone absolutely trustworthy -- trusted by you AND by the bobcat -- to come over.

Here is a link to something written some years ago by a bobcat owner. I think from what I remember either he or his wife is home most the time. He said they need a LOT of human contact.

http://home.comcast.net/~stormyzplace/so_you_want_...

He posts on forums under the name Amber the Bobcat so maybe search for that & you can find some of his old posts. I think he used to post more a few years ago like in the mid 2000s

I think he did have experience working for an animal park or sanctuary or something.

Here is one post on thecatsite that mentions some things about exotic ownership

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/38694/say-hello-to-bor...

The best public forum site would have probably been an exotic cats forum where he sometimes answered questions about owning bobcats. Unfortunately i don't think that site is still up but i wonder if some of it could be found via the Internet Archive.

Maybe there is a private Yahoo group or something.

But you should actually talk to people in person. This is something that you need to seriously seriously research. . Get different perspectives on people who have lived with them, don't just take the word of like one person trying to sell you a kitten.

Unfortunately there are a lot of owners not as responsible as this guy.

And I really want to emphasize that a lot of places are making it illegal for private people to have exotic species. John, the guy I mentioned, is in Ohio. and they just in May passed a ban. so I dont know what is happening to his cats. :( Like he wrote in this post http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239870/exotic-animal-o... , if they can't get it overturned in the courts, it comes down to either

" 1) Move out of state which would mean, trying to find a new job, buying a place to live with my animals and selling my current home, which we know at this time will be almost impossible. 2) Having my animals ripped from their home and taken to a place I will have no control over or 3) Having all of them PTS!!"

One thing he emphasized was you should love cats & all animals, and should have experience owning regular housecats since SOME ( not all) of the behavior is similar. And that you need to be very committed and plan your life around it. It's not something to do because you think it would look cool. and not a good idea at all if you are not already settled in life.

Bobcats As Pets

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

Can you make a good house pet out of a Bobcat?

I have read that Bobcats are generally friendly and non aggressive animals, however I've also read that they can be hostile towards unfamiliar guest in a home. I was hoping that someone with experience, or at least knowledge of these animals could give me tips on how to make sure my Bobcat is...

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Legality: It depends on where you live. They are native in most US states and require a permit from the state fish and game. Some states ban keeping bobcats as pets, while others require a permit. The same is true of county, township, and city governments. You would have to research the laws where you live. Purchasing: You would have to find a reputable breeder. Do a search for bobcat breeders in your area. Behavior: Many exotic cats are not fully litter trained, although there are some exceptions. They can jump up on shelves and knock things off. If you are willing to accept this, then I encourage you to check out the sites below for more information.

You are risking a law suit and possibly much worse. Certain animals will never be truly tamed. Wild cats tend to be especially flaky.

If you insist on it, make sure it is:

A-legal where you live to keep this animal

B-You provide safe areas in your home where children and guests will never encounter the animal.

C-There is a veterinarian within a reasonable distance who is qualified to treat this animal.

D-You maintain a healthy diet for it.

E-You never make the mistake of thinking this thing is another house cat. These are wild animals. They have instincts that cannot be trained out of them. Remember Sigfried and Roy? A hand reared tiger nearly killed Roy. If anyone knows how to handle big cats, it's those two.

I urge you to reconsider. There are many safer exotic animals.

The best thing you can do with any animal is to raise it from infancy. Make it depend on you as it would depend on it's mother in the wild. Feed it, play with it, clean it, sleep with it, talk and sing to it, and remember to respect it. Study how bobcats act in the wild and how their mothers take care of them. Love is universal, if you love it from birth it will grow to love you back. Back when animal laws weren't so harsh there were people who raised lions in this manner, so why the hell can't you raise a bobcat? The trickiest part is going to be keeping it from getting aggressive towards other people, but if you have it from birth you can raise it to respect and be gentle with humans.

good house pet bobcat

No - in most states its illegal to even own any wild cat. And while you may have one in the house, you cannot forget its wild and can easily turn on you at any point. And they may or may not take to using a litter pan well and will most likely stand up to pee which will make a mess.

NO if it gets upset it WILL attack you has a dog or cat bit or scratched you because it was mad a bobcat will hurt you ten times worse

Any animal can be trained.