Lost a baby to a bobcat ...

[Cygnet]

Grrr.

Had to be the cute little roan doeling with the heavily frosted shoulders.

My younger dog -- Cassidy -- is still mostly confined to the house due to an injury. My older dog is in his teens and deaf.

Cassidy went nuts at the front door this morning. I let her out, thinking she was barking at the neighbor. When she kept barking I went out to see what she was barking at. The doeling was freshly dead in her pen -- still warm. Looks like a bobcat got her from the way she was killed. She only weighed about four and a half pounds, so she was an easy kill. Oliver, the older dog, apparently never heard a thing.

I can't leave Cassidy outside as she has an open wound that needs to be kept clean. (And it's in the crook of her elbow, so I can't bandage it.) I brought the other two kids in -- they're less than thrilled to be confined to a crate in my kitchen. I'll convert my old chicken coop to a reasonably cat proof pen.

It's a smaller bobcat -- they're not very big around here. Hopefully it won't go after my two adult Nigerians, who are both small. (Forty pounds and a tiny yearling who's 25-30 pounds, tops.)

I'm really upset about the baby ... it always seems like it's the best ones that get killed. It's life, but it sucks sometimes.

[Minelson]

Oh shoot! I'm so sorry for your loss ((((hugs))))

[April]

Aww

[Sherry in Iowa]

So sorry about your kid. If it's not one thing to worry about..something else pops up. Best to you and your goaties.

[CJBegins]

Poor baby! I hope that cat moves on to a different food supply.

[GoatJunkie]

I'm so sorry for your loss. That sucks.

[Donna1982]

Oh that sucks!!! I am so sorry, this is my biggest worry now.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I am so sorry for the loss of your new little doeling. If you have a trap of some sort I would surely be setting that tonight & for the next few nights with raw meat or (I know this is not going to set well with some folks but the doeling is already dead) the dead doeling because most likely he'll be back. Your dog probably scared it off or he would have eaten the baby or taken her with him.

I would also lock your 2 adult nigerians in the barn or garage if you have to at night for awhile.
Again I am very sorry for your loss. We just caught a mink in a live trap that had come in the night before & killed our chickens.

[daddygilbert]

Oh no! I thought dogs were my greatest worry Im sorry for your loss. I would definitely set a trap we had to do that with some raccoons we had

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Oh no! I'm so sorry.

[harvestmoonfarm]

So sorry I know it can't replace your lost little one, but the laws in your state may allow for the county to pay "replacement" cost. Just make sure you take photos and document what happened. Here in VA they have a fund set aside in various farming areas to pay for losses due to predators.

[Cygnet]

Thanks, guys.

I know it's part of life, but it sucks. She was the cute, friendly little one -- and much smaller than the other two. She was probably the easiest target. I was just seconds too late to save her.

I've had one suspicious disappearance of a kid in the past -- wasn't sure if it was a two or four legged predator. Otherwise, I've never lost any little kids to wild predators.

I have two good dogs, but one's pretty deaf (he's mid teens) and the other's confined to the house because she's got a very slowly healing open wound.

The bobcat's been around for a few years. It's killed guineas, two turkeys, assorted chickens, and keeps the neighborhood pigeon population down. The neighbors behind me have lost poultry. I can't shoot it because I have neighbors on the other side who are too close for me to legally do so and who would call the cops on me. I also need to renew my hunting license; it expired with the end of the year.

I have a trap and will set it up tomorrow -- though in the past, I've mostly caught everyone's domestic cats and the occasional stray chicken.

It's sad. The bobcat's a beautiful animal. If I trap it, I may see if Game and Fish will just relocate it. While I wouldn't mind that pelt on my wall, I'm not sure I could pull the trigger, even with the damage it's done. I've got a soft spot for cats. It does need to go, however -- I have a house cat who sneaks out occasionally, the neighbors have small dogs, and we all have livestock and poultry around here.

I live in peace with the kit foxes, the owls, the hawks, and most of the other desert critters. I had a ringtail cat who lived under my house for years. I love the wildlife ... this one has to go, though. :-(

[LFRJ]

Shucks. That's a real tragedy. Had to be a shock to walk into too. I know. I've done it.

I would be a bit nervous over the nigis though. If the cat is hungry enough, and there isn't much else, well - it struck once. Not sure that's easing your fears any. We have BIG cats around here upon occasion, and while our goats have shelter, they don't get bolted in at night. We depend on our dogs to make enough ruckus they'll move on - though I've only seen one once in a number of years. I'm sure they roam around, we just don't see them much. I think they follow the deer. We have bobcat too. I've been seeing them cross the road more and more. I'm sure you'll feel better when your dog is healed well enough to be on pilot patrol again. A good noisy dog is sure golden when it comes to predators that fences won't keep out. Good luck to you. Maybe a trap would be handy.

[Cygnet]

LFRG, I am a little worried over my Nigerians as they're fairly small. The bobcat -- assuming it's the one I've seen in the past -- is in the 20 pound range. I can't guarantee it won't try to tackle a Nigerian, but it has ample other food. Lots of birds (my neighbors put out feeders), lots of bunnies, lots of rodents. Plenty of trash cans and dog food left out by the neighbors, too.

The little kid was probably just easier to catch than even a dumb, fat cottontail.

Cassidy is an awesome dog. I'm not sure what I would do without her around.

[nehimama]

I'm sorry for your loss. It's always the good ones we lose, isn't it?

[Backfourty,MI.]

If you don't want to trap & kill the Bobcat might be time to get an LGD & let the old dog live his life out as a house pet. If you get a young LGD your other dog will bond with it rather than an older dog that is in his space.