Bobcats, being stealthy and elusive animals that seldom interact with humans, have generated many myths among the North American consciousness. Many of these come from Native American sources, who have had a long history with these beautiful animals.
Bobcats are regarded as highly spiritual animals and have had many different qualities ascribed to them.
Sometimes Bobcats are tricksters, challengers of tradition. Most often though, they are associated with stealth, wisdom, self-reliance, solitude, bravery, and power.
These myths also include stories of how the bobcat gained its various identifying traits. In one myth, an Old Man stretches out the bobcat but leaves it with a short tail.
In another, a rabbit (a favored part of the bobcat’s diet) tricks the bobcat into building a fire when it corners the rabbit in a tree. The sparks from the fire singe the bobcat’s fur, giving it its signature spots. Fun fact, each bobcat’s coat is unique to it, just like human fingerprints!