If you’ve ever seen a bobcat kitten bounding through the underbrush or heard high-pitched mews coming from a hidden den, you may have wondered when exactly in the year bobcats give birth. These secretive wild cats mate in late winter or early spring, with bobcat kittens arriving a couple months later.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Bobcats typically give birth to a litter of 2-4 kittens between April and July.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about bobcat mating, gestation, and kitten rearing so you can understand their reproductive cycle from start to finish. We’ll discuss when mating occurs, how long pregnancy lasts, ideal denning sites, number of kittens, and development of the young.
Whether you live near bobcat habitat or are simply fascinated by these elusive wild cats, you’ll learn fascinating facts about how and when they welcome new litters each spring.
Bobcat Mating Season
Late Winter Courtship
Bobcats begin seeking mates in late winter, typically January through March. During this time, males will roam wider territories, scent mark, and vocalize more frequently to attract females. The males’ courtship behaviors often involve rubbing, chasing, and pouncing in a playful manner.
Females in heat make loud, caterwaul-like calls to signal their receptivity and attract potential mates.
Signals of Receptivity
There are a few key signals that indicate a female bobcat is ready to mate:
- Increased vocalizations – females will yowl, caterwaul, and make other loud noises
- Increased scent marking – females rub, roll, and scratch to leave their scent
- Swollen vulva – a physical sign hormones are peaking
- Restlessness and roaming – seeking out males instead of normal activities
These signs typically last between 2-10 days during their fertile period. Experienced males recognize these cues and will pursue receptive females.
Mating Behaviors
Once a pair of bobcats have identified each other through courtship rituals, mating will take place. This involves several behaviors:
- The male will approach the female cautiously then mount her from behind for copulation.
- Mating is very brief, lasting only 5-10 seconds typically.
- They will mate multiple times with the same partner over a span of several days.
- Males do not stay with one female, they will mate with multiple females if given the chance.
- Females often mate with different males and the dominant male breeds most successfully.
- Mating can be aggressive at times, with noisy vocalizations and some chasing.
- The female is often in charge, making or breaking contact as she sees fit.
After mating concludes, the male and female bobcat go their separate ways. The female has the sole duty of raising her litter once born.
Bobcat Gestation Period
Delayed Implantation
The bobcat breeding season occurs between February and March. After mating, the fertilized eggs go through a period of delayed implantation, where the embryos float freely in the uterus for around 7 months without implanting.
This evolutionary adaptation allows the bobcat embryos to implant later in the year when conditions are more favorable for raising young. The inactive embryos essentially remain dormant until the right time to actively develop.
Delayed implantation is an ingenious reproductive strategy that gives the female bobcat flexibility in timing birth. By delaying implantation, the bobcat can ensure that birthing and raising kittens coincides with warmer weather and peak prey availability in spring.
This boosts the odds of survival for vulnerable kittens.
Active Pregnancy
The active bobcat pregnancy lasts just 2 months after the fertilized eggs implant in the uterus wall, usually in December or January. Once implantation occurs, the embryos rapidly develop into fetuses over a short 8-9 week period.
This condensed timeline allows the bobcat to give birth in late winter or early spring.
During the active pregnancy, the bobcat fetus grows quickly inside the mother’s womb, developing eyes, limbs, organs, and fur. The kittens will be born blind, deaf, and helpless, weighing just 1 pound. But they develop rapidly under the attentive care of their mother.
Den Preparation
In the final weeks before birthing, the pregnant bobcat prepares a secluded den in which to deliver and nurse her kittens. She may choose a rock crevice, hollow log, brush pile, or abandoned burrow. The den provides shelter, warmth, and privacy for rearing vulnerable young.
The mother lines the den with leaves, grass, moss, or bark to create a soft bedding for newborn kittens. She may also move her previous litter out of the den if they have not fully dispersed. Just before labor, the bobcat spends more time close to the den and may transport bedding material inside.
Bobkitten Birth and Development
Litter Size
The average litter size for bobcats is about 2-4 kittens, according to research from the University of California (www.universityofcalifornia.edu). The number of kittens born depends on factors like the abundance of prey, habitat quality, and the age of the mother.
Older, more experienced female bobcats tend to have larger litters than younger first-time mothers.
Birth and Care
Bobcat kittens are born between March and June after a gestation period of 60-70 days. The mother prepares a den in a secluded area like a rock crevice or hollow tree and lines it with fur and feathers.
Bobcat mothers are very attentive and protective of their young, with the kittens relying entirely on her milk for the first month.
An interesting fact about newborn bobcats is that their eyes are sealed shut and they weigh less than 1 pound on average! The kittens open their blue eyes at around 10 days old. By 2 months old, they emerge from the den and start learning to hunt with their mother at around 6 months old before dispersing.
Growth and Maturation
Bobcats reach sexual maturity between 1-2 years old. Their development rate depends on factors like food supply, climate conditions, and their dominance status in the territorial hierarchy.
Age | Developmental Milestones |
2 weeks | Eyes open, start exploring nearby the den |
2 months | Emerge from den, start eating solid food |
6 months | Learn to hunt with mother |
1-2 years | Reach sexual maturity and leave family group |
As you can see, bobcats mature relatively quickly compared to some other felines. The speedy development prepares young bobcats for the solitary life they will lead as adults.
Conclusion
Bobcats are highly secretive animals, so catching a glimpse of mating rituals or newborn kittens in the wild is a rare treat. Understanding their reproductive timeline gives you the best chance to witness these special moments.
From courtship starting up in February through birth in late spring and development of the young over summer months, the bobcat’s yearly cycle revolves around welcoming new litters to sustain future generations.
Now that you know when bobcats mate and give birth, you can head out near dawn or dusk in optimal habitat to try glimpsing these elusive yet fascinating wild cats with their spirited spotted kittens.