Bobcat on the Toler family’s fence in 2019.
A bobcat and her kitten were spotted in the 9500 block of Milltrail Tuesday morning. Royal Highlands neighbors say the animals were seen casually climbing trees, jumping onto roofs and peering inside homes through glass doors.
In-Sync Exotics, a nonprofit animal rescue based in Wylie, says they are receiving regular calls and messages from concerned citizens wondering what to do about bobcat families taking up residence in their neighborhood.
“They don’t want to bother us and are not just waiting to prey upon children or pets,” In-Sync experts explained in a newsletter. “They would much rather we didn’t even know they were there. Simply put, the best thing you can do if you find a bobcat is to leave them be.”
That brilliant philosopher Jeff Goldblum once said, “Life, uh, finds a way,” and In-Sync seems to agree.
“If you trap and remove the kittens, the distraught mother will go right back into heat and there will be another litter,” In-Sync explained. “If you remove the mother, the kittens will die. And in the case of either the removal of just the mother or the entire family, this will leave a vacancy for another mother and her young to fill.”
Bobcats are shy, elusive animals, according to Advnture.com, not known, when healthy, to attack humans. The few attacks have happened when bobcats were protecting cubs or sick with rabies. They might, however, attack smaller pets if deprived of natural food sources, so dogs should be kept on a leash on the trail.
If you’re concerned about the safety of your pets and small children, In-Sync has a few tips — and some are unconventional.
“If you don’t want bobcats in your backyard, don’t make it an inviting place — don’t leave your pet’s food out, pull in the bird feeder (which attracts birds and rodents to the seeds), and don’t leave scraps in outside trashcans. You can also leave a radio turned on to a talk radio station, set up motion-sensor sprinklers, or make loud noise any time you do see them. This will encourage the mother bobcat to move her kittens to another location and leave your backyard bobcat free.”
The advice is similar to that given by wildlife experts in Dallas after a coyote attacked a toddler in White Rock Valley last May. You’ll find tips from “the coyote lady” here.
