These tracks were about four metres beyond our back fence, running parallel to the property. No evidence that the animal stopped and shook its little forepaws in disgust when it went in up to its ankles. If it was a housecat, I’m impressed!
My first-ever award: Tree of Happiness from Dennis June 24 ’08
Kindness award from Alyson June 28 ’08
Friend of the Right Blue award from The Right Blue November 9 2008
Superior Scribbler award from Alyson November 19 2008 And from Almostgotit November 25 2008
Nice Person award from S. Le January 27 2009
Anybody out there?
Voice of the Turtle 
Ow wow…those were memorable shots. I love how it looks, kinda like painting but also show how amazing the cat was.
I never have snow but I can imagine how cold it was
I think it was a snow leopard.
Great photos & lookit the size of those prints. Better get back inside that could be a man (or woman) eating puma, lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard etc.
Yes, I guess they are like paintings, Novroz: it’s surprising how blue the shadows in the snow really are.
*giggle* Ah, of course, Barefootheart! That would explain the Tibetan chanting I heard shortly before seeing the tracks.
I thought there weren’t as many deer in the back field as usual, Tony. Will keep an eye on the dogs when they go out to play.
Perhaps a bobcat or lynx?
or a Yowie-cat
By George, Binky, you brilliant wombie scientist, I think you’ve got it!!! The Bobcat is the more likely of your two suggestions. It’s definitely in this part of the province, a little smaller than the Canada Lynx (more common in the northern half of the province), and from the looks of the Wiki article photos, more likely to come near human habitation. Its tracks are a little — not a lot — bigger than a housecat’s, and the hind feet imprint on the forefeet, something that struck me when I first saw the tracks. The local paper’s wildlife “Sightings” page has shown photos of Bobcats. Ooo, I’m all shivery!
If it was a Yowie-cat, Tony, I bet he was on his way to the airport for the hop to Halifax and a ride home. Surely this is too much snow for an Ozzie, even a mythical one!
Lovely photos!
I can picture it daintily tip-toing across the snow and putting a dirty cat’s bum face on when it sunk up to it’s ankles lol.
It’s great fun to try to solve the mystery of animal tracks in the snow. I agree with the idea of bobcat or lynx. Those are wonderfully clear tracks.
Now you can set up one of those motion-activated camera rigs to catch the little critter in action.
Thanks, S. Le! No wonder people get the “blues” in Winter.
That would be your Yowie Cat, wouldn’t it, Jayne? (And yes, I had to look that word up.)
Thanks, Anne! I know you’ve seen a lot of undomesticated snow in recent years, so I’ll accept with gratitude your seconding of Binky’s guess.
As soon as Josephine the Compost Rat has finished making her screen debut, Binky.