A Bobcat’s Morning Stretch

By Dan Weisz

The other morning, just after sunrise, I rushed outside to refill two suet feeders for the birds.  After a few steps I looked up to see a bobcat quickly walking off my back porch while staring back at me. I froze and said out loud “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”  I quickly backed up into the kitchen and closed the door.  The bobcat, which hadn’t moved, began to walk back to the water the moment I closed the kitchen door.  It began to drink and drink and drink.

It took a while for me to get my camera, check the camera settings, watch the cat and begin shooting.  From the moment I shot the photo above until the cat began to move off (in the picture below), four minutes had passed.  I don’t know how long it had been drinking prior to my taking the first photo.

The bobcat surprised me by not walking off. It took a few steps, and then began a long stretch.  I’m not sure what this yoga pose is called.

After a good long stretch, the bobcat changed positions and assumed a new pose.

As it finished its morning stretch, it looked over for a moment before it resumed walking.

I was surprised that the wildcat did not walk off into the desert.  It stopped in one spot, looking around for a bit. It was on a pile of very soft dirt that ground squirrels had excavated from their burrow underneath the rocks.  The bobcat proceeded to take a dust bath, rolling around on its back for a few seconds behind the fencing where I couldn’t take a picture.  Perhaps it just wanted privacy then.

Then the bobcat turned back again and, walking near the water feature, licked its lips as it passed.

It nimbly walked up the rocky slope, investigating smells and various spots along its path before slowly disappearing once again into the desert.

That was an exciting visit!!


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