Bobcat Relocation in Tucson: What to Do When a Bobcat Shows Up in Your Yard

If you live anywhere around Tucson, there's a good chance you've spotted a bobcat slipping along a wash, walking calmly across your back patio, or perched on a back wall at dusk. I'm Josh with 1st Response Wildlife, and bobcats are one of the animals I get called about most here in the Sonoran Desert. Most of the time these cats are just passing through and doing their own thing, but every so often, one settles in a little too close for comfort, and that's when folks reach out to me about bobcat behavior leading to possible relocation in Tucson. Let me walk you through what these beautiful cats are all about, and what I can do when one becomes a nuisance on your property.

What a Sonoran Desert Bobcat Looks Like

Bobcats (lince) are our native mid-sized wild cats, and they're a lot smaller than most people expect. A grown bobcat usually runs about 15 to 30 pounds, roughly twice the size of a big house cat, with long legs, tufted ears, and that famous short, bobbed tail that gives them their name. Their coat is a tawny, spotted brown that blends right into the desert. Around Tucson, they're common along the washes, desert edges, golf courses, and the quiet neighborhoods that back up against natural land. They're native, they belong here, and honestly they do a lot of good keeping rodent numbers down.

Why a Bobcat Shows Up in Your Yard

When someone calls and says there's a bobcat in my yard in Tucson, the reason almost always comes down to food, water, or shelter or, a concern about possible danger to a small pet or children. Our desert gets hot and dry, so a dripping hose, a pool, a pet water bowl, or a birdbath can be a real draw. Prey is the bigger pull, though. Bobcats hunt packrats, rabbits, ground squirrels, doves, quail, and other birds, and a yard with feeders or a lot of brush tends to have plenty of all of those. Sometimes a cat will also go looking for a quiet, sheltered spot to den (give birth to a litter) or rest, and a cool space under a deck, shed, in an attic, or, low porch can look perfect to a tired bobcat. Take away the easy food, water, and hiding places, and most of the time the cat moves along on its own.

Are Bobcats Dangerous? Keeping Pets and Kids Safe

Here's the reassuring part: bobcats are shy by nature, and they want very little to do with people. In all my years working with Sonoran Desert wildlife, an unprovoked bobcat going after a person is just about unheard of. They would much rather slip away than tangle with anyone.

That said, I completely understand why a homeowner gets uneasy, especially with small pets or backyard chickens around. A bobcat can see a small dog, a cat, or a coop full of hens as an easy meal, so a little common sense goes a long way. Keep small pets indoors or supervised, particularly at dawn and dusk when bobcats are most active. Feed your pets inside so you're not setting out a buffet, secure chicken coops with a solid roof and hardware cloth buried into the ground, and keep an eye on little ones when a wild cat has been hanging around. Never corner one or try to shoo it away by hand. Give it room and it'll almost always take the exit.

Here is a bobcat that got into a chicken coop and killed all 8 chickens.  It was caught before it ate any of the chickens but, the damage had already been done.  It was safely relocated.

Humane Bobcat Relocation in Tucson

When a bobcat truly becomes a nuisance, denning under your house, in your attic, up on a roof under a swamp cooler or other structure, going after your chickens, or just refusing to leave, that's where I come in. As a licensed trapper, I humanely trap the bobcat and relocate it alive to good wild habitat well away from your home. I never harm these cats. My whole approach is about getting the animal safely caught and back out into the country where it can thrive, while giving you your yard back. I serve Tucson and the surrounding areas and, I'll come out, take a look at what's drawing the cat in, and set things up the right way so we solve the problem for good and treat the bobcat with the respect it deserves.

Give Me a Call

If you've got a bobcat in your yard around Tucson, or anywhere in southern Arizona, please don't panic and don't try to handle it yourself. Give me a call and I'll help you figure out the best next step, whether that's a few simple changes to make your property less inviting or a humane trapping and relocation. I genuinely love this work and I'm always happy to talk through what you're seeing, so reach out anytime.

Josh's Cell: 520-345-3814

1st Response Wildlife: Licensed trapping and relocation of nuisance wildlife.