Several bobcats were hanging out in a West Hartford yard on Jan. 11, 2026.

Bobcat in West Hartford. Photo credit: Don Kauke

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford resident Don Kauke spotted two cats in his yard on Sunday – but not your ordinary domestic kitties.

“Feline playtime in our yard on Sunday, near Duffy school,” Kauke told We-Ha.com as he shared several images of the majestic bobcats.

“These were both here the better part of the day, playing, chasing each other, and resting,” he said. One appeared to be slightly larger than the other, so he’s not sure if they were siblings, parent and kitten, or mates.

“We have had single visitors the past couple of years but this is a first,” Kauke said of seeing the pair of bobcats.

He said the shrubs in his yard “provide great cover” for a variety of wildlife. “Our perennials have been devastated by rabbits over the years,” he said.

Last fall he saw a bobcat in the yard, and then found a rabbit pelt on the lawn. “We also have had chipmunks so there are probable meals to be had,” Kauke said.

Bobcat in West Hartford. Photo credit: Don Kauke

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) website states that “bobcats prey on cottontail rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles, white-tailed deer, birds, and, to a much lesser extent, insects and reptiles. Bobcats, on occasion, may also prey on unsupervised domestic animals, including small livestock and poultry.”

According to the most recent information available from DEEP, there were 217 bobcat sightings reported in West Hartford in 2025 – and 4,386 reported statewide. It appears that West Hartford has the most reported sightings of bobcats of any town in the state, but note that those are just reported sightings and not a population count.

More information about bobcats in Connecticut, as well as additional resources, can be found on the DEEP website.

West Hartford had more reported bear sightings in 2025 than any other municipality in the state – 1,096 of the 12,122 sightings reported statewide according to DEEP. In December, the agency held one of four listening sessions on bear management at the Elmwood Community Center in West Hartford.

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