Wild Cat Poems

This month’s Ranger Rick Jr. magazine features a collection of fun poems about various wild cats that may resemble common house cats, including this verse on the elusive bobcat, who often finds shelter in hollow logs, rocky dens, or even thick, tangled bushes throughout the U.S.

Bobcat is a furry guy
With a stubby tail.
He slinks along quietly,
Hunting mice and quail.

These poems inspired me try my hand at poems about some of the other wild cats living in North America:

Canada Lynx

This cat is from the north
And preys on snowshoe hare.
It also eats squirrels and grouse
And other small mammal fare.

The Canada lynx ranges from Alaska across Canada and into many of the northern U.S. states. In the northern part of its range, lynx feed almost exclusively on snowshoe hares. The lynx population follows a similar pattern to the snowshoe hare, with its peaks and valleys lagging one to two years behind those of the hare. Hare populations follow a natural cyclical pattern, changing approximately every ten years from abundance to scarcity and back to abundance.

Ocelot

Deep in the rainforest,
You could see an ocelot
Although they are hard to find
Just look for their many spots!

Not often seen in the United States, ocelots can sometimes be found in southern Texas, though they primarily call the South American rainforest home. Ocelots often hunt at night, preying on small rodents and even fish. They are also very active, traveling several miles each night as they hunt and roam. Their habitat is at risk from deforestation and climate change, which is the primary focus of the international team at the National Wildlife Federation.

What cats inspire you to pen a song or poem? Let us know in the comments!

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