Bailey Bobcat
Female DOB 5/13/03?
Rescued 6/4/03
Bailey’s mother was possibly a native Florida Bobcat who was killed in Odessa. That or she was a pet that was abandoned. Lost and alone little Bailey wandered out in search of the mother who would never return and was discovered by a local woman about the same time as she was being discovered by a hawk. The woman rushed to her rescue and thinking she was a feral cat, she called the animal shelter. The woman called Big Cat Rescue to see if there was anything we could do to save the tiny kitten, who was only about 5 or 6 weeks old, from being euthanized. We picked her up and will provide her with a home for the rest of her expected 20 years.
Because she had only had a few weeks with her mother, she did not have the skills and training that would have taken her mom one to three years to impart. Without her mother’s guidance in such critical areas as how to feed herself, how to defend herself and how to hide from man Bailey would not have survived a week in the wild. Because of being handled by so many people during her stay in the shelter, she was not a candidate for release back to the wild. If she were to find herself hungry and unable to hunt, she wouldn’t know that approaching a human would mean certain death. Because there was no way to verify her origins she could not be released, since it is illegal to release a non native exotic animal.
It is sad to think that Bailey will never be able to roam free and make her own choices. It is even sadder still to know that more and more animals are being killed and orphaned as urban sprawl gobbles up the fields and forests that are home to so many wondrous creatures. The following year we had our first rehab and release of a native bobcat kitten. Read Faith’s Story.
February 28, 2012
We believe Bailey had Panleukopenia, even though she was vaccinated against it. This was day 9 of Bailey the bobcat’s recovery and the second meal she had eaten during her convalescence. She has made it through the worst and we are now very hopeful that she will make a full recovery.
June 15, 2013
Sponsor Bailey: http://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/sponsor-a-cat
Bailey Visits the Vet- October 27, 2014
Bailey was refusing food and wobbling as she walked so we took her in for X-rays and diagnostics.
Dr. Justin Boorstein found an ulcer on her mouth and a spot on her lung and a high temp.
Bailey got fluids and antibiotics and will recover in our onsite Cat Hospital until she is well enough to go back outside.
May 11, 2015
July 3, 2017
Bailey Bobcat, take the time to smell the roses, uh or do I mean the “toes?”
November 2, 2017
Moses Bobcat says, “Bailey Bobcat is a real BEAUTY!” What do YOU THINK?
April 26, 2018
Bailey Bobcat lives with Moses Bobcat. They are often seen lounging in the shade of the foliage grooming each other.
May 3, 2018 Update
Just wrapped up a dental procedure. Bailey had 2 bad canines removed on her right side. She did very well and is recovering in the hospital over night.
May 23, 2020 Update
From Carole:
Bailey Bobcat is in the Recovery Hospital with a paw injury. This morning during feeding Keepers noticed that Bailey Bobcat was sitting in the high grass, holding up her front paw and hurling insults at Moses. He was growling back even though he usually takes her ill temper in stride. Afton called me to come help and by the time I arrived she had nets, a squeeze cage and Keepers; Angie, Becky and Dylan at the ready.
Bailey is one of our most aggressive cats and the situation was even worse because she shares space with a bobcat who is very protective of her. Thankfully, Afton and Becky were able to lure Moses into his feeding lockout, since he wouldn’t go across the sky bridge to the far side of their cage. I sent Dylan in first to block the den entry and the rest of us brought in the catch cage and nets. This is my first time netting a cat, wearing a mask and glasses and with each breath the glass would fog over and I’d lose sight of her.
She ran into the den, but was caught in Dylan’s net as Afton rushed in behind her with a second net. Between the lot of us we sandwiched her between the three nets and scooped her up to the squeeze cage, but she was SOOOOO mad at us she wouldn’t turn to see she could escape us into the cage and just wanted to lunge and swipe and bite at us. Becky ran for a sheet to cover the cage, but before she got back Bailey had figured out the best place to be was in the transport and out of the nets. The rest you can see in the video. Sorry, I didn’t have an extra person for filming earlier.
Dr. Justin has been consulted and Bailey is on pain meds and antibiotics and we are watching her on a live camera to see if we can get a better look at her without her smacking her paws against the side of the cage.
June 9, 2020 Update
Nearly halfway done with the tunnel that will connect Moses and Bailey to their new expanded enclosure.
June 12, 2020 Update
Moses and Bailey’s connecting tunne was completed today.
January 8, 2021
Moses, always the ham while Bailey is the lookout spent some quality time with these old friends and shared some stories over a bowl of catnip.
May 14, 2021
March 1, 2022
Moses and Bailey have a new home by Funcation!
SPONSOR A CAT
You can sponsor Bailey to help cover the cost of her food and care. Kits come with a beautiful 8×10 color photo, species information newsletter, and other sponsorship benefits. Click bobcat species on the sponsorship site to choose your level of sponsorship starting at $25 Buddy Kit through $5,000 King of Beasts Kit and to see the benefits you get with each sponsorship level.
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Speak up for those who have no voice!
If you live in the USA, you can make the Call of the Wild to help us pass a federal bill to stop cub petting and phase out private possession of big cats as the first step to saving big cats in the wild. BigCatAct.com
No matter where in the world you live you can help save big cats by calling out those who you see on social media petting cubs and keeping big cats in cages and on leashes. Tell them how abusive and dangerous it is to keep big cats in captivity when they belong in the wild!
Speak up! If we don’t speak out for these majestic big cats we will lose the tiger in the wild in 5 years or less! THE TIME IS NOW!
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I'm so glad you were able to give Bailey a home. I was very lucky to see a wild bobcat cross the road in front of my car, many years ago, as I traveled slowly up a back road in the mountains in California. The cat looked like a fat teddy bear, fully muscled in a winter coat with a stuby tail, spoted and dark in color. He or she was without fear. It was a special moment and I just sat there and watched. These cats are beautiful when they live free.