A gardener was at work in San Clemente, California, a few months ago when he came across a young bobcat in the bushes. The wild baby seemed to be missing most of her fur and was lying down, completely unable to move.
“She was not feeling well at all,” Autumn Welch, San Diego Humane Society’s wildlife operations manager, told The Dodo.
Lauren Genger
The gardener, deeply concerned, brought the bobcat to an animal shelter that quickly transferred her to Serrano Animal & Bird Hospital. When the cat arrived at the hospital, she was barely hanging on. She was suffering from a severe case of mange and was dangerously emaciated.
“They said when she arrived, she was pretty much dead, so they gave her CPR and brought her back to life,” Welch said.
The bobcat was able to get a blood transfusion donated by one of the vet tech’s cats. Without the emergency transfusion, the baby likely would not have made it.
San Diego Humane Society
Once the young feline was stabilized, she was brought to San Diego Humane Society for long-term care and rehabilitation. Even after her stay at the animal hospital, she was in critical condition when she arrived.
“She was in really bad shape, very thin, and missing a bunch of her hair because of the mange,” Welch said.
The bobcat’s mange was likely made worse by her consuming rodenticides that diminished her immune system. So a great way to help keep bobcats and other wildlife safe from mange infections is avoiding using rodenticides and supporting policies that limit rodenticide use.
The humane society staff placed the bobcat in their medical ward, where they treated her with antiparasitic medications, iron supplements and fluids. After two months of intensive care, they transferred her to an outdoor enclosure where she could readjust to living in nature.
San Diego Humane Society
“Because she was a kitten, she was so small, so we decided to give her a little more time than the average bobcat, because we didn’t want to release her in the dead of winter when she was growing her fur and recovering,” Welch said.
After four months at the humane society, the bobcat looked completely different. She’d grown a beautiful coat and had developed an energetic, lively personality. At that point, the humane society staff knew she was ready to be released back into her natural habitat.
San Diego Humane Society
Staff members from both San Diego Humane Society and Serrano Bird & Animal Hospital gathered together to see the bobcat off. When they opened her crate, she took a flying leap into the grass and sprinted off into the distance.
San Diego Humane Society
“She took off and flew into the bushes,” Welch said. “She looked so healthy and just ready to go. We were really proud of how far she came in those four months.”
If you’d like to support San Diego Humane Society, you can make a donation here.
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