Let's have some fun.

Sent this to our resident expert and it is inconclusive. So there is no wrong answer cause it's still out there, somewhere. Taken in rural Mississippi on a buddy's game cam.

spotted house cat

House cat bob cross???

big house cat... think Snake may be on to something..

Rain soaked bobcat

Long tailed bobcat…… he’s well endowed

Bobcat w long tail

Bengal Cat.

Leopard

Put me in the zoo, I wish you would.

Good bet.

Black spotted panther.................


Absolutely NO doubt about it

Size, build and head shape all suggest a house-cat of some flavor.

Interesting thought. Bengal Cat or Egyptian Mau. Both would fit the bill. Bengal's tend to have Rosettes instead of spots but can be spotted.

Not sure the likelihood of either (rare cat) being in Rural Mississippi....but who knows.

That was my thought, a spotted phase of a pigmy black panther.

Buddy’s place is close to the Pearl river. Says there are no houses anywhere near by. Could have been dumped. If it is wild, My best guess is it is a Tabby Bobcat cross or Ocelot Bobcat cross. It’s spots are not right for a Ocelot, Margay or any other wild cat. It looks mature so I would guess it’s about a foot at the shoulders. Only way to know for sure is to dirt check it.

Wild area. I hunted around the Pearl River and Honey Island Swamp when I was living in Louisiana. Could be just about anything out there. Any manner of feral or cross bred house-cat.

mouse trap,

Don't kill it.

I’m no expert but the tail is wrong for a Savanna and the spots are wrong for Bengal. The closest thing picture wise I found was a Leopard cat. If that’s the case it probably was dumped on the river when it got mean?

Bengals can be spotted (vs.rosettes) as well, but likely not as heavily spotted as the cat in the OP's pic.

Egyptian Mau is another candidate among others for a domesticated cat, but again not so heavily spotted.




I have no idea what the cat really is....except to say its probably a house-cat of some type and not a bobcat variant.

Nice one