Kooger

[Palm crazy]

Dave here are two friends and kooger. As you can see he is very friendly with everyone. He just loves attention, more than the normal cat. 18 years old and counting.

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

WOW that is a big cat! Do you know how much he weighs? I thought my 22lb cat was big. He looks twice as big as my cat.

Jeff

[John in Andalucia]

Well he certainly looks like a cougar! I adore cats, BTW.

[Darold Petty]

Roger, is this truly Lynx rufus 'fasciatus' ? Please elaborate the details of how and when this cat came to live with you. Thanks !

[DoomsDave]

Holy cow!

That is a CAT! Bet you can hear him purr on the other side of the county . . .

How much does does he weigh? Bet he's hard to carry with one arm . . .

You're the first person I've heard from who had a good experience with a bobcat for a pet. Most people don't; the cats don't tame.

[Palm crazy]

Ok just a few short answer.

Kooger weights 40lbs - last time I took him to the vet, they showed me his x rays and the Vet said see that white around his body thats.... FAT! it was one inch thick, So I have to exercise him everyday to keep him in good shape. There are 12 subspecies of bobcats in N. America and they can range from 15 lbs to 60 lbs. The ones in the north are usually reddish brown (wetland bobcats) and have winter coats, while the desert ones are more darker with very little winter coats.

He purrs really loud thats for sure.

Yes, he is a bobcat. He doesn't have all the fancy markings, because his mother did not have many. He was born in MN and how I got him was purely accidental. I wanted an exotic pet and so I started looking in magazine but didn't see anything that appealed to me, except a skunk, which I found out later I couldn't have as a pet in my state. I then saw an add for bobtail kittens and thought now that sounds cool, but I thought it was a regular cat. So I called the breeder and sure enough they were really selling exotic wild cats that they hand raised. So after taking a year to think about it and talking to a vet I meet another pet owner who had a young bobcat name PJ a 3 year old gorgeous bobcat.

When I meet PJ the owner called him out while we talk and this beautiful animal came out from the second balcony in their living room. The owners quickly say NO PJ NO, he was going to jump form the upper floor down to us, but came down the stair like his owner told him to.

He came right up to me and started purring and rubbing up against my leg and then walked away about 10'. I thought oh that was quick, then he turn got a wild look in his eyes and charged me full force, jump on my shoulder and took my hat from my head and I knew right then I wanted one. LOL!

Let me remind you that this was before the internet, so I was pretty much on my own about learning about these awesome creatures. I was lucky to fine a really loving breeder so when he came to me by plane at 8 weeks old, he was already litter trained, uses to a bath (that didn't last long once he turn a year old) and the most lovable pet I have ever seen. But thats just the beginning of taking care of these pets. You have to give them from the very beginning lots of love, understanding and a ton of patience. You cannot discipline then, and you only have a small window to teach them not to bite when playing. iThese are not the kind of pets you can reason with and are not a family pet by no means. There is a lot of animal psychology that come natural to me so I found it pretty easy to tame him, but don't get me wrong bobcats are the most suborn wild cats out there. Canadian lynx are the most even temper and gentle wild cats. All the ones I have meet in my town have been pretty tame but not as tame as mine.

Kooger is really smart and his range of emotion are amazing, he can open a door inside by using his paws, he learn that from watching me open the door. Feeding them is not cheep either round $100 a month. Nowadays you can get pet food from a can for them or dry but he's been on a raw meat diet since he been two years old. Unlike a normal cat, they don't uses their claws to cling to things like a regular cat does. I hope that answers some of the basic question.

Heres a video I took of him this evening, I think if you turn up the volume you might be able to hear him purr.

http://s1130.photobucket.com/albums/m527/tropicalwa/?action=view&current=MOV00001.mp4

Edited August 30, 2011 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

Sorry about all the mistakes above, just wanted to thank all that were curious about Kooger. If you have anymore question feel free to ask.

- Roger

[kahili]

He is so cool! I want a kooger! How long do they normally live to? How are they with cats and dogs? I would imagine maybe ok if they were raised with them? Maybe not the cats...or do they not really want to hunt if they are fed regularly? I have a cat, Buddy that is pretty big and thinks he is a dog, but not that big. He sleeps on the floor and in the doorways and you have to walk around him-as do the dogs. Do you let him outside without being tied up? Would he hunt other cats in the neighborhood if loose?

thanks for showing us him and telling us about him-I always wanted a really large cat-but they are too unpredictable for me, but kooger seems like a good alternative

[Palm crazy]

He is so cool! I want a kooger! How long do they normally live to? How are they with cats and dogs? I would imagine maybe ok if they were raised with them? Maybe not the cats...or do they not really want to hunt if they are fed regularly? I have a cat, Buddy that is pretty big and thinks he is a dog, but not that big. He sleeps on the floor and in the doorways and you have to walk around him-as do the dogs. Do you let him outside without being tied up? Would he hunt other cats in the neighborhood if loose?

thanks for showing us him and telling us about him-I always wanted a really large cat-but they are too unpredictable for me, but kooger seems like a good alternative

Hi kahili's, dogs and cats don't really get along that good. If its a small dog or a cat, out of the question, otherwise they'll be on tomorrows menu. Kooger hates dogs, but if they are raised together they usually get along good. Big cats are hunters and they NEVER forget it. He would kill a house cat in a minute if I wasn't around.

Normal life span is 12 yr. in wild but longer in captivity. The wild ones in our state only live about 2-4 years do to hunting and bigger animals....This is from the Dept. of fish and wildlife data.

No he cannot go outside in the open with out a leash! Its also against the law. Also, They will run off and you'll never see them again, or someone might shot him. Its funny though the few times he did get out all he wanted to do was look at people gardens and smell the plants and roll around and stuff. I live in the city, so he has to have a safe place to run around. His cage is pretty big and he comes inside, once in a while, his favorite spot is to sit in the bathtub. I walk him on a 25' leash and pretty much just let him lead me where he wants to go. He's old so most of the time he just wants to be outside and relax in the shade or investigate the garden.

When he was little he was into everything, I couldn't even have pictures on the walls because he likes to jump up and knock them down, and then pee on them leaving his mark that little rascal. So he lives outside and has a very nice enclosure that is dry and shady to keep cool. Just so you know bobcats have very hot tempers they can be playful one minute and growling and hissing the next if they can't have their way. Your better off getting a pixie bob cat or exotic feline domestic cat. Smaller but very exotic looking and not dangerous at all except to mice.

Edited August 30, 2011 by Palm crazy

[kahili]

Thanks for the info Palm crazy. The dogs would be ok, I doubt he would mess with them. they are big-100 lbs and bigger and one is a Anatolian Shepherd mix from Turkey. They are guardian dogs used for guarding herds from bears and wolves etc. But the cats are a different story. I have enough going on without having to keep the animals separated. I went through that with a ferret that I inherited from a son that rescued it, brought it home and then moved out, leaving the ferret. I actually got quite attached to it, but had to make sure it was not out of the cage when the cats were inside. Mr. Ferret was fearless with the cats-who would have killed/hurt him if given the chance. I saw him climb up on Buddy's back (the large cat) when he was sleeping once. Buddy didn't seem to care, but that was only going to happen a few times before Buddy bothered to wake up and swat him. Another would stalk him from above (tables, chairs etc). I think that he actually freaked them out. Anyway I had to put Mr. Ferret down last year and it was sad. But life is easier now, so I get what you are saying.

You have done a great job keeping him alive for so long!

[tank]

Not sure if you answered this already, but does your cat still have it's claws?

[Palm crazy]

Not sure if you answered this already, but does your cat still have it's claws?

He is declawed, and fixed.

Thanks Kahili, you sounds like a nice animal lover too.

I should also point out kooger did have a playmate, Bo my (can. lynx) died from liver disease 5 years ago, but lived almost 9 yrs. May he rest in peace!

They grew up together and were really good companion. Kooger was a year older and actually raised Bo from a kitten, Bo was a rescue cat that I help saved from a really bad person.

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/images/canadian-lynx-1.jpg

Edited August 30, 2011 by Palm crazy

[DoomsDave]

Palm Crazy!

You might be Cat Crazy as well, crazier than me . . .

Those are CATS!

[Kim]

He is a very handsome cat, and that purr is ferocious. I can see how a pet like that would require tremendous dedication, and it's fortunate you've been able to devote the time, effort, love, and space Kooger needs. This is the best way for me to enjoy your pet, looking at video online -- cats fascinate me, but I am very allergic to them, and always end up with a massive sneezing attack after interacting with one.

[Palm crazy]

Hey all cat lovers (big or small) just wanted to let you know if you like to learn more, enjoy photos and stories about exotic cats or your average house cat this is a great message board to learn and admire (without having to have one).

Enjoy!

- Roger.

http://www.exoticcatz.com/forum/index.php

Edited September 10, 2011 by Palm crazy