Beloved bobcat that educated NM public for 19 years dies. ‘Heartbreaking loss’
.jpeg "A beloved bobcat who spent 19 years educating the public about her species died at a New Mexico wildlife center, officials said.")
A beloved bobcat who was a longtime favorite among visitors and staff at a New Mexico wildlife center has died, officials said.
Joni the bobcat arrived at the New Mexico Wildlife Center “in 2006 as an orphaned newborn kitten” — and would go on to spend 19 long years as an ambassador animal for her species, the center said in a July 8 post on Facebook.
“During her time in rehabilitation, she required intensive care, which saved her life but led to her becoming extremely habituated to people,” the center said. “Her comfort level around humans made her non-releasable, but she became a fantastic ambassador for her species and spent 19 years educating people about New Mexico’s most abundant wild cat.”
Because “bobcats in the wild can be elusive,” Joni gave visitors “a spectacular opportunity to meet a bobcat face to face,” officials said.
“It was common for us to hear that Joni was a repeat visitor’s favorite Ambassador Animal, or that a new visitor was most excited to have seen Joni in an Animal Encounter program,” officials said. “She was also, of course, a favorite of many staff members and volunteers over the years.”
That was the case for a former volunteer who shared a memory of cleaning the cat’s enclosure in the comments.
“She was such a sweet girl,” the former worker said. “Sometimes if we sat down on the log she’d come up behind and put her paws on our shoulders and rub her head against ours, just like a house cat might. And she loved her boxes! So sad but she was very loved and well cared for.”
Joni delighted audiences “of staff, volunteers, and visitors” each time “she received a new enrichment item,” officials said.
“Notable favorites of hers” were “scent-based enrichment like catnip, hibiscus, and doe urine,” officials said.
Several photos shared in the post show Joni with enrichment items, including her beloved hibiscus water.
“Pretty in pink after rubbing her face in a dish of hibiscus water!” the photo’s caption says. “The scent of hibiscus kept Joni engaged for a long time, and while the pink didn’t last long on her fur, it was certainly amusing for us to see.”
Other photos show her cuddling up and rubbing her face on a catnip-dusted pumpkin, a toy, “biting and tugging at a long piece of felt,” or carrying her whale plushie around in her mouth.
A photo of Joni’s Sweet 16th birthday party shows her celebrating with a meat “cake” in 2022, officials said. Staff also gifted her “a box decorated to look like a car.”
She also helped support the center’s hospital team “by leaving her scent on blankets” that staff “would then give to the orphaned bobcat kitten” in their care, a photo shows.
“Thanks to Joni, the kitten spent her first several weeks snuggling up to the scent of an adult bobcat on her blankets,” officials said.
As Joni aged, she started experiencing some health problems, including chronic kidney disease and arthritis, officials said.
But she handled medical injections to manage her arthritis like a pro, especially “once she learned that the quick injection was always paired with one of her favorite treats!”
The “thoughtful care” kept her “comfortable and active for several more years” — until her health recently “took a sharp downtown,” officials said.
“Despite intensive medical interventions, we understood that we had run out of options for maintaining her high quality of life,” officials said. “This past Saturday, our whole team agreed that it was time to let her go. Joni passed peacefully in the shade of a large tree, surrounded by people who loved her.”
The center encouraged visitors to share memories of the cat in the comments.
“Joni was an incredible Ambassador Animal and we are honored to have known her,” officials said.
One person shared that she brought her sons to visit Joni as a kitten when they were in grade school.
“Oh, I’m heartbroken,” she said, adding that she would look for photos of the bobcat from all those years ago. “She has brought such joy.”
Several others commented on how gorgeous and majestic the bobcat was.
“What an absolutely beautiful girl she was,” someone said, adding that they were sorry “for such a heartbreaking loss.”
Another person said it was clear she was “the most precious cat.”
“She is stunning, and her evident health is certainly a testament to how well she was cared for,” they said. “She lived a glorious life, thanks to you all.”
