Screaming Bob

For the last few weeks, I've been treated to an occasional middle-of-the-night bobcat scream. It really makes the eyes pop open and blood chill. The screaming always starts right outside my window, but gets farther away with each scream.

This morning, since it was Saturday, and I didn't need to go back to sleep before going to work, I decided to try and capture it on my phone. As luck would have it, my dehumidifier kicked on, white-noising away any chance of capturing it cleanly. The best way to record the cry would be to go outside.

Stepping out into the garage, I didn't initially hear it. The bobcat seemed to have stopped. Walking out into the yard, though, it began again. It was around the corner of the house... right in front of my bedroom window.

As I got closer, I realized this was a slightly different sound. My lower brain function instincts immediately told me this was a warning. Goosebumps raised on my neck. There was no wall or window separating us, anymore. Realizing I had no means of self defense, other than my t-shirt and shorts, I backed away to retrieve a handgun.

After arming myself, I started slowly back towards my window. The critter had moved, though. Its scream was now coming from behind the garage.

Something caught my peripheral vision. Spinning around, I saw the big cat run around the garage and out into the yard, followed closely by my barn cat, Rocco. The animal was so much bigger than my cat, and illuminated only by floodlight and starlight, it looked like a cougar by comparison.

I stood frozen for a while, until my cat came up and began begging for food. Utterly unmoved by the incident, his hackles weren't even up... unlike mine. He received several "good boy"s and a healthy breakfast.