TWO BOBCAT kittens found along Ohio 7 near Dilles Bottom this past Sunday sit in a box. They have been given to a wildlife rehabilitator. Photo by Liza Butler

DILLES BOTTOM — What appeared to be two lost domestic cats along Ohio 7 on Sunday turned out to be orphaned bobcat kittens.

Liza Butler, a wildlife specialist with the Belmont County Water & Soil Conservation District, said a Powhatan man noticed what appeared to be a cat alongside the road while driving. When he stopped to check on it, he discovered there were two kittens that were both alive.

He took them home and soon realized they were not just ordinary house cats, but bobcat kittens.

He left a message with the conservation office on Sunday, but it was closed. On Monday he made contact with Butler.

She drove to the man’s house to confirm the kittens were indeed bobcats. She then transported them to a wildlife rehabilitator registered with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

She noted one kitten was more “feisty” than the other.

The rehabilitator assessed the kittens and determined they were very dehydrated but otherwise OK, Butler said.

“She said other than that they should be fine and can be released back into the wild,” Butler said.

Butler declined to name the man who found them but said he knew bobcats were not endangered anymore but realized he should not be handling them. Butler said it was possible the kittens’ mother died, leaving them orphaned.

“It’s both good news and bad news. Obviously they lost their momma, but at the same time they will be released back into the wild,” she said.

Butler noted bobcats are typically weened from their mother by 8 weeks old, and these particular kittens looked to be about 6 weeks old. When handling such animals, Butler said she usually wears gloves because the cats have sharp canine teeth.