February 15, 2009 - Courting Cats

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They walk through the field, one after the other. He approaches; she walks away. He approaches again; she looks at him and hisses. He is not rebuffed, even though she trots away again. He walks up behind her; she yowls and jumps. This persistence and resistance is typical of bobcat courtship. Solitary for most of the year, these wildcats pair briefly in February and March. The larger males court a female bobcat until she is receptive. Their uneasy relationship is brief and somewhat stormy. Twice the size of a domestic housecat, these feisty wild cousins tip the scales at ten to forty pounds. Although not often seen, the growls and moans of courting cats can transform a quiet winter’s night into a noisy affair.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.