Two orphaned bobcat kittens, estimated to be four-weeks old, were admitted to Think Wild, Central Oregon’s wildlife hospital and conservation center, on May 19.
ODFW notified Think Wild that a member of the public had picked up two female bobcat kittens at a rest stop near the Tygh Valley area. The young appeared abandoned due to their condition.
“When they were admitted to Think Wild, they were hypothermic, not able to keep a normal body temperature so we had to treat the hypothermia first,” said Pauline Hice, Think Wild director of wildlife rehabilitation. “We put them in an incubator to ensure that we could keep a very constant room temperature, while we tried to stabilize them.” Spending time in a 90-degree incubator provided an environment of a constant temperature which allowed them to get past this critical stage.
The kittens were also dehydrated, so staff had to go through rehydration therapy to stabilize them. “Luckily, we didn’t have to give them IVs, but in lieu of that, we did give them subcutaneous fluids,” said Hice. “It’s a little more stressful for them, but they weren’t at such a critical stage that they needed IV fluids.”
In addition to being hypothermic and dehydrated, the bobcat kittens were malnourished. Though there wasn’t a confirmed deceased mom bobcat at the location site according to the finders, the overall poor health of the kittens indicated that either the mom had become deceased or abandoned her kittens for any number of reasons.
Though the bobcats had been with the finders and ODFW for about four days before being admitted to Think Wild, their prognosis is looking good.
“They are gaining weight steadily, their coats are cleaner and healthier, and they are beginning to exhibit more natural behaviors like hiding, hissing, and avoiding human presence,” said Savanna Scheiner, Think Wild lead wildlife technician.
Staff wear Ghillie suits or headgear when treating the kittens to minimize any habituation with humans.
Though it is early in the recovery phase, Think Wild staff are in constant communication regarding the long-term plan for these kittens. “Because we are in Central Oregon and with the extreme weather here, releasing them in the fall, especially because they do learn a lot of hunting skills in that first year with the mom, it may not be setting them for success by releasing them in the fall and going into winter where there really is not a lot of prey availability and while they are still learning how to hunt,” said Hice. One option that Think Wild is considering if they release the kittens in the fall, is to do a “soft release” where staff and volunteers would offer supplemental food for a period of time to help the then young bobcats survive. “In the month or two before they get released, they will only get live prey and have ample time to really practice those hunting skills,” added Hice.
Teaching a bobcat to hunt takes time and a lot of practice. “We’d offer them varied prey, starting with invertebrates (such as grasshoppers and beetles) and then go to larger prey such as mice that they would normally hunt,” said Hice.
Although the kittens are a first for the wildlife hospital, knowing how to care for them takes on the village concept. “We’re fortunate because various wildlife rehabilitation centers have developed really good protocols for different species,” said Hice. “We’ve reached out to quite a few facilities like Project Wildlife down in San Diego and Pacific Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) up in Lynwood, Washington, and they’ve shared their protocols about care and developmental cues that we should be monitoring.” Think Wild has its own protocols caring for wildlife species, but communicating with others ensures that the best care practices are being employed.
Costs associated with caring for these creatures is a lot more than people might think. “Being a carnivorous species, they become more dangerous as they get older and it requires more staff to ensure that they are getting properly cared for,” said Hice. “The cost of meat is always expensive, too.” Donations to help offset these costs are always welcomed. Visit the website to see several ways in which to help out this critical need in the community and to help conserve wildlife.
This article appears in Source Weekly June 19, 2025.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
