Bobcat Detained By Fitchburg Police

Last week, a bobcat in Dane County caught the eye of a concerned citizen, who then proceeded to call the cops on it.

This person didn’t just drop a dime on the bobcat because it was loitering. It was sitting in the middle of the road, just six miles from downtown Madison. Word is the cat was “being unsafe and stubborn,” and also “looked unwell.”

Bobcats are relatively common in Wisconsin. They are found in 72 of the state’s counties with over 45,000 of them roaming about. But it is unusual for one to just post up in the street with cars whizzing past.

So the Fitchburg Police came and, presumably, asked it a few questions about where it had been earlier and what it had been doing. Then, with the help of Wisconsin WildCare, a DeForest-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization, took the bobcat into custody.

Now, before we cast aspersions on this roadway layabout, who among us hasn’t felt “unwell” and been unable to move on a Saturday afternoon? That’s not a crime.

It could have been at the bobcat equivalent of the all-you-can-eat fish fry on Friday night and gone a little overboard. Maybe it drank a little too much pond water and was paying the price.

The important thing is that the bobcat is safe now and has likely had a chance to rest, hydrate, and have a healthy meal. It’s probably back on four feet already and out there making more questionable decisions this weekend.