Fox 5 San Diego had a story back in November about a bobcat near Westview High School, one sighting the bobcat was asleep near the school and one he was climbing up a tree near the football area during a band competition. Check out the story HERE.
Unlike coyotes, bobcats do climb trees so they’re definitely graceful enough walk along a fence during a hunt. Weighing 15 to 35 pounds they are smaller than half of my pack but more brutal and built to kill their prey easily. San Diego is a great home for bobcats, who live a mostly solitary life in dense vegetation and brush.
A typical bobcat diet includes rats, squirrels, mice, and insects….great to have around if you want to keep up with pest control! However our small pets are easy prey for the stealthy bobcat that will wait hours to spring on it…bobcats have a 10 foot springing range.
Being the avid cat lover I’m not for killing these magnificent animals, and I would definitely prefer to live harmoniously with them. You don’t need traps or poisons, using a natural humane common sense area control will keep you and your pets safe.
First off never feed the bobcat which means you don’t want to leave food or water outside in the yard. If you live in an area where bobcats have been seen I would recommend you not feed any pet outside (the smell of food can travel) Also, bird feed should be kept up if not stopped with a bobcat problem like my clients community is experiencing because it attracts the bobcats’ prey (rodents).
Now that we San Diegans are able to have chickens in our yard bobcats are even more attracted. The typical chicken wire only keeps the small ones in, it is not a reliable source to keep bobcats out. You want a hard strong safe area to keep them in at night.
The fencing should be at least 6 feet tall with a 1/2 foot under ground to prevent digging. Now keep in mind cats are stealth and able to jump and climb so this isn’t a for sure method, you still want to supervise your furkids while they’re outside. I nice little tip is to place ammonia soaked cloths and moth balls around the yard to deter the big cats from entering. If you do see one, make a lot of noise, throw rocks towards the cat (please don’t hit it, just scare it away)
Have you come across a bobcat? What did you do and how did you deter it and control the area?
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