American Bobcat

It is interesting to see the small wildcats that are currently populating this world and make comparisons to our beloved domestic cat. This is because our domestic cat is a wild cat that domesticated himself some 9,500 years ago.

A comparison between current domestic and wild cats opens a window through which we can get an indication as to how much we have changed the domestic cat through selective breeding and indeed how much the domestic cat has naturally evolved without our intervention over the past 9,500 years.

When I look at this picture of the American Bobcat I can see a domestic cat in there. The difference is one of size (the small wildcats are the equivalent of, large to, very large domestic cats). There is also the naturally more rugged appearance of the wildcat. She is slightly more "thick set", meaning heavy set and stocky looking and lacks the cosseted refinement of the pampered domestic cat.


Domestic cats look relatively delicate. Some of course have been bred to extremely delicate levels (perhaps extreme levels). This breeding-in of elegance (away from coarseness) and delicacy is amply demonstrated in the development of the Modern Siamese cat from the Traditional Siamese.

This wildcat in fact weighs about 20 lbs (right at the top end of domestic cat weights - a very large Maine Coon might weigh 20 lbs for example).

Other than the differences born out of living in the wild, their lives, manners and eating habits are essentially the same as the domestic cat. She feeds on small animals such as the rabbit and squirrel. This is the same as the Scottish Wildcat for instance.

There is thought to be a tenuous connection between the American Bobcat and the rare domestic cat the Pixie Bob, which you can read about here.


Sources:
http://pelotes.jea.com/bobcat.htm


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