Bobcat #26-3631

On August 24, a Bobcat kitten in Rockbridge County was found injured in the middle of the road. A member of the public quickly and safely contained the injured kitten and transported her to the Wildlife Center for care.

On admission, the Bobcat was dull and had difficulty using her right forelimb. While no obvious injuries were visible on her physical exam, radiographs revealed the cause of her discomfort: a fracture of her right shoulder blade. The bone was broken into several pieces, with some of the fragments displaced from their normal position.

Given the location of the fracture and the stability of the shoulder joint, the veterinary team determined that the bone had a good chance of healing without surgery. The Bobcat was started on pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication and placed in a Zinger crate in the Center’s Acclimation enclosure, where she could rest and recover.

On September 1, the Bobcat was moved to the left side of the Center’s Large Mammal Isolation enclosure, where she continued to rest in a Zinger crate. Moving her to LMI allowed her to begin acclimating to the presence of the Center's other Bobcat (Bobcat #26-3064) housed in the neighboring enclosure. The veterinary team continued to monitor her closely via camera, and despite her injury, she was quite active!
 

Initially, the Bobcat was observed limping, but over the next two weeks, staff noted that she was using her injured limb well. On September 28, the veterinary team anesthetized her for a checkup and were pleased to see that the fracture had fully healed! 

The Bobcat is no longer on crate rest and was moved to the LMI enclosure's chute, where she can continue acclimating to Bobcat #26-3064. If all goes well, staff hope to place the two Bobcats together soon.

Want to follow along with this Bobcat’s rehabilitation? You can now watch her and Bobcat #26-3064 live on the Center’s Critter Cams!