Leigh alerted me to these tracks on Saturday morning. The cat was traveling through the woods alongside the golf course on Wilder Road, occasionally making use of the trails. The tracks appeared to be fairly recent. This series of shots shows the cat's approach to a scent post. I'm having a hard time trying to figure how it positioned itself when leaving the scent, since there are no side-by-sine prints. Maybe some twisted Rosemary Woods-type contortion? I confess to having little interest or experience in watching my cat use his litter box; perhaps someone else can help educate me here.
I have seen house cats spray on numerous occasions, and they are fairly ceremonious about achieving proper position and paddling with hind feet as they carefully deliver the squirt.
ReplyDeleteCould bobcats be less ritualistic about it? I've never had the honor of seeing one do it, but I've found many scent posts, freshly annointed, where tracks betray but a hint of a break in stride, as shown in your photo.
I think I can see it, though: Right hind is furthest to the right, in the double registered track just ahead of the stump. Left hind is the next one back. Left front has already landed in the track to the left of the midline. Right front is either still sharing that double registered track with right hind, or is already en route to the next track to the right of the midline as the cat squirts.
Did you confirm that it did have that cat smell?
I knew you wouldn't be able to resist asking that. Yes, I did. Nice analysis, but I think I need you to demonstrate the position.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Susan, but the trend these days in nature education is experiential learning. Haul yourself over to that stump and "be the bobcat". That way, you'll never forget what you learned.
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