Philmo

Male bobcat

Date of Birth: 1/1/2016
Date of Rescue: 9/8/2019

Moved to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge on December 14, 2023

Philmo is a male bobcat born in 2016. He came to Big Cat Rescue in September 2019 at only 3 years old from a sanctuary called Wildlife Waystation in California that closed down.  He is the youngest of the bobcats that came from that facility. He was reportedly kept in a closet as a kitten.

During the initial medical exam we give all new arrivals, his x-ray revealed that his spine has a strange deformity mid way down where it rises to a sharp point like a mountain rising out of flat land.  We have no idea if this was congenital or from an injury. Fortunately it does not affect his mobility, at least so far.

Philmo is very shy and is not quick to trust. He likes getting up on his platform when no one is around and watching his neighbors.

However, with time and patience one of our keepers has earned his trust through operant conditioning.  This keeper first fed him treats in the safety and cover of his den by using a long stick with food at the end.  Gradually the stick was made shorter and shorter until Philmo would come all the way out and to the side of the enclosure like our other cats. Some keepers report that he seems to enjoy playing hide and seek with them, stealthily circling in the opposite direction as the keepers move.

Training the cats to respond to operant conditioning is a valuable tool utilized by keepers and staff to see and observe the cats up close on a daily basis. Philmo’s response to it indicates that over time Philmo will get used to his new surroundings.

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September 18, 2019

I had an absolute magic moment with Philmo today!! He is definitely the shyest of the four new cats but he has taken a liking to his platform and watching his neighbors when no one is around ? He bolts away every time he hears a golf cart but then slowly comes back… I have faith that he will get used to all the new sights, smells and sounds soon ?❤️ ~Brittany Mira

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September 25, 2019

You Guys!!?? Who does this remind you of?? This is a photo of Philmo, one of our newest rescues, scaling a tree stump in his enclosure and I have fallen hard for him!! ~Brittany Mira

November 3, 2019

New rescue, Philmo, 3-year-old bobcat, was examined today. We were shocked when we saw the xrays of his spine! This deformity was a birth defect or the result of trauma early in life due to bone disease. Without Xray we would have never known this was going on inside. Philmo was neutered and is otherwise healthy. We will be observing him closely and start him on medications to make him more comfortable. — at Big Cat Rescue. ~Jamie Veronica

January 16, 2020

The unicorn made another appearance today and this time I ran to my office to get my camera Philmo is loving his newly expanded space and spends a lot of time in his tree!! ~Brittany Mira

January 25, 2021

Cutie patootie!~Brittany Mira

March 25, 2021

Just look at those feetsies – Philmo ~Brittany Mira

February 25, 2022

May 16, 2022

June 1, 2022 Update

Ta-Da! Philmo’s super awesome funtime jungle gym is complete!

Philmo will have two full size enclosures each with a jungle gym that leads to an overhead cat walk from one enclosure to the next. A planter box with ferns will add some concealment for this shy guy. We incorporated a mix of ladders and step boxes to get from one level to the next to add variety. Philmo has issues grooming himself, so we made him this brush tunnel that he can walk under to help get those hard to reach spots. There is a super long ramp connects an existing platform to Philmo’s new treehouse.  For the first time ever we have installed an elevated coolaroo bed in to one of our platform jungle gyms. Underneath are safety boards spaced apart just in case the coolaroo were to rip, but gapped enough to allow a good amount of airflow to come from underneath which is what the cats love so much.

July 5, 2022

Philmo wants to shake paws I am not sure that is a wise move lol.~Jamie Veronica

Sponsor Philmo!

You can sponsor Philmo bobcat for as little as $25/year to help support his ongoing vet care!https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/sponsor-a-cat