Worlds collided at a home in Lake Tyson, Ontario, this week—or at least they would have if it weren’t for a patio door. A wild bobcat and a domesticated dog were separated only by a pane of glass when the bobcat approached Skipper the poodle’s home last Friday. Marsha Steinke, Skipper’s owner, was on hand to capture a video of the bizarre situation.
“I got there Friday afternoon, and next thing you know this cat’s on the deck there,” Steinke told the Sudbury Star. “We were blown away by it, because usually they’re so timid, you know? They don’t even want you to see them.”
Steinke was having friends over and cooking dinner when the bobcat approached her back door, and it was anything but timid. When Skipper barked at it through the door, it stood its ground, seemingly puzzled at what was preventing it from entering the home. In the video, the bobcat can be seen sniffing around, seemingly searching for something. However, when the poodle’s barks become more insistent, the cat becomes transfixed by the tiny dog, raising its paws as if wanting to play. The bobcat weaves back and forth, searching for a way into the home.
“My dog’s never even seen a cat before,” said Steinke. “So to see this, it was like he just wanted to play with it. And even the cat seemed like it wanted to get in the house and play with him. It was so bizarre.”
This is certainly uncommon behaviour in a bobcat, but Steinke speculated that the smell of cooking stew drew the animal. The cat left and returned once, but hasn’t been seen since.
Related Story Family of bobcats takes over Calgary backyard for afternoon play
Related Story Wild Profile: Meet the bobcat