Rescued ‘kitten’ in Tennessee turns out to be bobcat

MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. — A couple who thought they were helping a scared kitten actually took in a wild bobcat.

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True Rescue, an animal rescue organization in Tennessee, said that a couple had rushed to its door, saying a kitten had run up on its back deck and needed an emergency placement. But rescuers said they knew immediately the animal was not a domestic cat, but a bobcat.

Rescuers said that the kitten’s larger head, huge paws and claws, and its fur along with “funny growling noises it made” were key indicators that this animal was no domestic kitten.

After an exam, the bobcat was taken to Walden’s Puddle, a wildlife rescue organization, WZTV reported.

True Rescue said that under normal circumstances, people should not remove baby wildlife from its environment.

Bobcats are the most common and widely distributed wildcat in North America, and can be found across Tennessee, according to the state’s Wildlife Resources Agency. Bobcats typically have long legs, a stubby tail, and a short snout, whereas a domestic cat is smaller with a longer tail and does not typically have black spots.

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