There's a Bobcat in My Yard! What Do I Do?

Monroe animal control officers responded to calls of two bobcat sightings in late March. On March 21, a woman driving on Hammertown Road reported seeing a large bobcat in the roadway around 12:30 p.m. Then on March 27, another woman told police she saw a bobcat run across Stanley Road the previous day.

In both cases, Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said the behavior the women described was normal for the animals and a fact sheet was provided with common cautions.

In a previous article on bobcats, a Patch reader asked what those common cautions are. Here it is:

• Never feed a wild animal. Eliminate food attractants such as outdoor pet food, table scraps on compost piles, fruit fallen from trees and bird seed (which attract rodents, a favored prey of bobcats.).
• Avoid any contact with wildlife.
• Keep trash securely covered or indoors.
• Feed pets inside or supervise outdoor feedings and keep the area clean.
• Keep cats and dogs indoors, especially at night, or stay outside with them. Another way to protect pets is by enclosing pet areas with fencing or having a kennel.
• If a bobcat approaches, act aggressively by standing, shouting and waving arms. Attempt to harass or scare away bobcats with loud noises (air horn). In the case of bold individuals, the use of strong unnatural odors (e.g. deodorant soap) may discourage animals from restricted areas or trails or from establishing dens in yards or near houses.
• Trim low branches on conifer trees and remove low brush cover in or near yards that may serve as cover.
• Install yard lights or lights motion detectors.

Bobcats have a natural fear of humans and it is critical that you never feed or treat this wild animal like a pet. Report any unusual wildlife behavior to your local animal control officer, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection or local police.