Orphaned Bobcat Kittens Rescued: Growing Strong at Critter Care

In early August 2024, Critter Care received a rare call about an orphaned bobcat. On August 6th, a female bobcat kitten from Mission arrived at our centre, weighing only 2 pounds. She was found near death on the side of the road with no trace of her mother. Despite her small size, she’s been feisty from day one, keeping our caretakers on their toes.

The day after her arrival, we received another unexpected call: there was a second orphaned bobcat in Mission! This bobcat, also a female, arrived on August 7th, but from a location 25 minutes away, making it unlikely that the two are siblings. This kitten weighed 4 pounds and was found in a barn, mingling with feral barn kittens in her search for food, perhaps even believing she was one of them.

For the first 10 days, we kept the kittens separated, allowing them to interact only through

their kennels to ensure they’d get along when placed in a larger space. They were housed

with plenty of toys, enrichment activities, and food. Don’t let their cuteness deceive you—these carnivorous girls have hearty appetites!

Once they were settled and healthy, they were moved to a larger indoor space, affectionately called the "Juvenile Delinquent Room" at Critter Care. They instantly became inseparable, often seen cuddling, grooming, and playing together just like real sisters. We’ve even captured hidden camera footage of them wrestling, leaping between platforms, and enjoying their toys.

In many ways, their playful antics mirror those of domestic cats—just bigger and much fiercer!

Since coming into our care, the kittens have more than doubled in size and weight, showing the beautiful features typical of bobcats. The older kitten often acts protectively over the younger one when we’re around.

Soon, they’ll be moved outside to an enclosure that mimics the forest environment they’ll one day call home. This space will provide plenty of hiding spots and enrichment, helping them develop the skills they’ll need in the wild. Their diet consists of game meat, poultry, rabbit,

and all the essential vitamins, and we’ve begun scattering their food to encourage natural foraging behaviours.

These two bobcats will stay with us until next spring, at which point they’ll be released back into the wild together. They won’t be introduced to our resident bobcat, Tucker, but will grow and thrive as a pair. They haven’t been named yet, so stay tuned!

Written by Jess Cole, Wildlife Supervisor

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