Rufus

Bobcat

Rufus was born in Michigan on July 15th 2001. He was sold by a breeder to a family as a kit, but after 9 months they could no longer care for him anymore as he was becoming bigger and was not of good temperament.

On March 6th 2002 a visitor at the Center informed the staff that it appeared that someone had abandoned a kitten in an animal carrier inside Conny the large Whale statue at the front of our West Hartford CT campus. When the then local Director, Cindy Dulac, went to investigate she discovered that it was indeed an abandoned kitten, but a bobcat kitten.A note had been left with him explaining his backstory.

Since they do not breed bobcats as pets to be domestic animals they typically take them from their mother in the wild, which means that the animal retains its wild nature and are not particularly affectionate or safe to have as a pet. They had the animal declawed and all his vaccinations were brought up to date.

He has been here at the Center ever since and he likes to chase brooms and his feather on a stick from the opposite side of the glass or through the fence.

Resident at our West Hartford CT campus