At first, Nikola Zovko thought the creature curled up in his dog’s heated bed was just one of the family cats. As he got closer, however, he realized it was a cat alright……a bobcat! Zovko immediately called the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Authorities advised him to leave all the doors open and keep himself and his pets clear of the wild animal. It took Zovko about 15 minutes to gingerly inch around the wild cat and get the front door open. He and his family — which includes 3 dogs, 2 cats, a sheep and a donkey — are used to living among wildlife. Over the years, they’ve spotted raccoons, badgers, coyote, and even mountain lions near their property. The family and their pets are well aware of how to keep their distance and avoid disturbing wild animals, but they never expected that a bobcat would leap over their 5-foot fence, let himself in through the dog door, and settle in. By the time wildlife officials arrived, the bobcat had shown himself out. In a thorough search of the house, Zovko discovered his son’s terrified little cat hiding behind the couch, but Squeakers the dog was nowhere to be found. The next afternoon, Squeaker returned, but he was in bad shape. The family rushed the dog to the vet, where the doctor stitched up and tended to Squeaker’s wounds. Though the dog had sustained deep lacerations to his back, he was lucky to have escaped with his life. On the way home from the vet, Zovko stopped at a pet store and bought Squeakers a fresh new dog bed. Bobcats are found across Arizona and it’s not uncommon to spot them on the outskirts of urban areas.
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