Nobody's Pussy Cat!

I THOUGHT it was a dog.  It LOOKED like a dog — medium sized, muscular, nearly the color of the leaf-strewn ground, only orangier.  It had a blocky build, squared shoulders and head, and a stubby tail about 4 or 5 inches long that wiggled some.  He, or she, was headed home, I thought, and ain't nothing sacred — a domesticated type saunterin' through my pristine wilderness plot!  But then he leapt up that tree!  A black oak.  He clamored some two or three yards off the ground and clung to the bark with glee, like he was after somethin'.  Then he somersaulted down, and repeated the whole thing again, mouth ajar and happy, like this was a game he played whenever he passed that particular spot.

I was eatin' oatmeal outside in a lawn chair, just relaxin', enjoying the mornin' air, when I realized it was a CAT I was watchin', and that it DIDN'T belong to any of the neighbors!

I gulped,  wondering "Is it really OKAY to be sitting here eating oatmeal while a very large, wild cat wanders by?"  Thankfully, after toying awhile with his favorite scratching post, he continued on his way, nonchalant and  never noting my presence at all.

Turns out it was a bobcat I saw in Whisperwood that morning.  They range widely and help control rodent populations.  Here's a great article on bobcats in Arkansas called  "Phantom of the Woodlands" if you'd like to learn more.  Don't expect ever to HEAR a bobcat.  They're silent in motion.  Look for the color of amber, moving quickly, in a line.