Do bobcats eat dogs?
This blog will briefly answer the important question, “Do bobcats eat dogs?” we will also discuss the reasons for bobcats attacking dogs, how you can protect your dog, and what you can do if your dog is being bitten by a bobcat.
Do bobcats eat dogs?
Yes, bobcats can eat dogs. There are a number of reasons why bobcats eat dogs. It is very important that you should be aware of it if you are living near a forest. Bobcats can attack your dog when it is hungry or feels threatened in its territory. You should devise ways to protect your dog from such kinds of attacks.
What is the reason for a bobcat to attack your dog?
Following are the reasons for a bobcat to attack your dog:
Hungry
Bobcat attacks when it is hungry. Bobcat is a wild animal and in the wild, food is scarce. There is limited food and the wild population is growing day by day.
In case a wild bobcat doesn’t find food, it will try to attack your domesticated dog if found an opportunity. Bobcats usually attack at the night, and they usually do not roam the streets and the roads. They are in the worst, and attack when they find an opportunity.
Feel threatened
If the bobcat feels threatened in its territory, it will try to attack your dog. In the wild, it is the natural habit of the wild animals to mark their territory, and when someone breaks in they will attack them. They feel that this thing that gains entry into their territory is trying to kill them so they will attack your dog.
Competition
As we have discussed earlier in the article, the bobcat marks its territory. Due to the increasing competition, they will not allow someone to take control of their territory. Whenever there is a fight between two animals in the forest it is mainly due to the territory.
How to protect your dog from the attack of the bobcat?
Following are the ways by which you can protect your dog from a bobcat:
Fence your yard
It is an important step to protect your dog from the attack of the bobcat. You can fence your yard if you are living near a forest where bobcats happen to attack pets. You should have a high fence with deeply buried roots of the fence so that the bobcat cannot jump over it and cannot take it down with the force.
Clean up garbage
You should cover your garbage cans so that the bobcat is not attracted by the smell of the garbage. Bobcats are wild animals and do not eat garbage, but sometimes there is little to no food available so they will be in search of food here and there.
They will also break into your yard if you do not cover the garbage.
Keep traps in the yard
You should set up traps in your yard so that if the bobcat happens to break into the yard, the traps can hinder their progress. They are usually afraid of the loud noise. You can also set up loud sound devices. In this way, they will not break into your yard and attack your dog.
Surveillance cameras
You can also install surveillance cameras in your house so that you can keep an eye on your dog while it is playing in your yard. You should have the latest software, and you know how to manage such software at your home.
Dog on leash
If you are living near a forest you should keep your dog in the house most of the time. You can take your dog on a walk, but you have to keep it on a leash so that the bobcat does not attack your dog. They are afraid of humans so if you are with your dog, the bobcat will not eat your dog.
What can you do if your dog is being bitten by a bobcat?
You should call your vet if your dog is being bitten by the bobcat. You should immediately take your dog to the vet. Your vet will examine your dog and will treat your dog according to the condition of your dog.
Bobcats belong to the feline family so they can contract rabies, a deadly condition in dogs and humans. There is a 100% mortality rate of this disease in dogs and humans. Your vet will give RIG therapy to your dog to keep it safe.
Conclusion
In this brief discussion, we answered our important question, “Do bobcats eat dogs?” we also discussed the reasons for bobcats attacking dogs, how you can protect your dog, and what you can do if your dog is being bitten by a bobcat.
References
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/Rabies-Immune-Globulin-(RIG).aspx
