Cute cat , er, make that bobcat

It had spots and stripes, but it was no ordinary feline dropped off at the Arizona Humane Society.

It was a baby bobcat.

“Initially everyone in admissions was looking at it as if it was a kitten,” AHS spokeswoman Bretta Nelson said. “But it became very apparent when he opened his mouth and it was not a meow that came out. It was quite a noise.”

A Scottsdale man dropped off the kitten on Tuesday after spending three days bottle-feeding it at his home. He first discovered the animal Saturday, walking along Cave Creek Road near Dynamite Boulevard.

In similar situations, AHS advises baby bobcats be left alone, as often their mothers temporarily leave to find food.

The bobcat is doing well at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, where he will eventually be released back into the wild.