“Brittany Miller couldn’t believe her eyes when she looked out into her backyard in Phoenix, Arizona. ‘They are so adorable and entertaining to observe,’ she thought. To her astonishment, four bobcats—a mother and her three kittens—were leisurely exploring her lawn and pool area.”
Years back, Miller found herself with a bobcat family residing on her roof. This time, however, the bobcats opted to create a cozy spot under Miller’s outdoor grill.
Before long, the mother bobcat and her offspring turned Miller’s backyard into their personal playground and spa. They sipped water from Miller’s pool and relaxed on her deck chairs as if they owned the place. The kittens tested their agility by scaling Miller’s backyard wall.”They’re absolutely adorable and a joy to watch,” Miller shared on TikTok.Miller even considered treating them like her indoor cats.”We attempted to play with them using our cat’s laser pointer from inside, but it didn’t quite catch their interest,” Miller wrote on Instagram.
In Miller’s social media comments, many suggested she should embrace the bobcats. “Are you kidding me? I would have handed them the keys to the house,” joked one commenter.
Yet, Miller knew that wildlife belongs in their natural habitat. Allowing the bobcats to become too accustomed to human presence wouldn’t have been beneficial for them. Miller observed signs that the bobcats were already becoming too comfortable. Moreover, drinking chlorinated pool water regularly wouldn’t have been healthy for their well-being.
After two weeks of the bobcats enjoying free reign in her yard, Miller decided to call in an animal relocation specialist. The specialist had an unconventional yet effective approach to gently encourage the bobcats to move on.
“Interestingly, the specialist placed male bobcat urine strategically around our yard to mark territory,” Miller shared. This method might sound unusual, but it’s highly effective. Female bobcats, upon detecting male bobcat urine, instinctively feel compelled to vacate the area.
“This was the best approach to urge the mother to leave without causing harm to her or her kittens,” Miller explained. Despite her fondness for the bobcats, Miller acknowledged it was the responsible decision. Now, the mother bobcat and her kittens can grow up in their natural habitat, where they truly belong.