Cats Named Bob

We have a new cat in town, literally.  There has been an increase in reports of a Bobcat being spotted in town.    It’s not clear whether this is a result of a new cat in town or whether the popularity of trail cams has led to this new discovery.  Anyway, Bob is here.  

Bobcats are native to New England; they hunt mostly rabbits, squirrels, and mice.  All good things to pursue.  According to the Massachusetts Department of Wildlife “…Bobcats rarely cause conflicts with human activities….” So…don’t worry, unless you’re a squirrel.  

Which leaves us time to ponder more important things about our new-found feline, like, who named him Bob?  Oh sure, there is some far-flung idea about it being named Bob, due to its “bobbed” tail, but is anybody really going to believe that?  

Naming a cat is important, most cats get named the wrong name.  Which is why they totally ignore you when you call them.  The first recorded cat who received a name was named Nedjem from around 1479 BC.  Nedjem means  “sweet” and “pleasant.”  Nedjem undoubtedly rolled his eyes, hissed, and left after hearing his new name.   Since then cats have had the upper hand in the human-cat dynamic.   

A quick google search will give you the most popular cat names. Max, Tigger, Oscar all make the list, suffice it to say.  Robert,  aka Bob,  did not make the cut.

So how did a fierce, capable hunter end up with a name like Bob?  Bob just isn’t fierce, sorry!  I can’t help but imagine the comedian Bob Newhart when I hear the name Bob.  The image of the short, self-deprecating comic hunting wild game just doesn’t fit.  It is a funny image though.

So welcome to our new neighbor, keep up the good work on the varmint, and if you see him, be sure to say “Hi Bob”.