By Dan Weisz
The other afternoon I stepped onto the back porch to water the plants during the heat of the day and surprised two bobcat kittens. They had bedded down on the moist soil of a flower bed in an area that had been cleared from plants that died during the winter. I had placed wire round the bed many years ago to keep javelina from digging in the garden area. As soon as I noticed the startled bobcats, I backed into the house and ran for my camera while the kittens settled back down. These photos were taken through the back windows. Even though the bobcat kittens are behind wires, I thought it was interesting to watch the their behaviors for the half hour they remained there. (This scene repeats itself throughout the Foothills where bobcats are common.)
Looks like they were watching a tennis match, first to the left, and then to the right.
Those teeth!
It was very hot, and cats do nap often.
They were restless the entire time, changing positions frequently.
The closest kitten.
The kitten sitting further back.
My favorite shot of the day.
Cats, that’s what they do.
And then, they got up and strolled into the desert.
For more on bobcats, here is a fact sheet from the Desert Museum:
https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Bob-cat.php