Summit County woman tries to save family cat from bobcat

WANSHIP, Summit County — The drought has forced wildlife into populated areas as they look for water, and for one Summit County woman that led to a fight with a bobcat to save her pet.

There is a lot less water to look at this year at Rockport Reservoir, but the view from Brittney Miller's back deck is still one you could stare at all day.

"It's gorgeous. We love that the lake is right there," she said. "It's kind of secluded and it's pretty."

Part of that mountainside seclusion in Summit County puts her near wildlife.

"We've had a skunk that lived in our garage for a summer," said Miller with a laugh. "We've had a porcupine in our tree, we've had coyotes cross the road right in front of us."

Never, though, did Miller have an encounter with an animal like the one she had last week.

"A bobcat? Yeah, that was, like, my first up-close encounter with one," said Miller.

Her neighbor recorded video of a couple of bobcats lying in their Wanship neighborhood.

Miller didn't know if it was those bobcats that fought with her cat in the middle of the night.

"I heard, like, a catfight. I could hear something going on," said Miller while pointing to a corner on her back deck. "So, I ran downstairs, and I ran out the door, and I came out and the bobcat had my cat cornered and it was attacking it. It was killing it."

Miller yelled at the bobcat and tried to scare it so it would leave.

"It's fur was raised. It was yowling. It was very agitated. It was in fight mode. It swiped at me a couple of times," said Miller with a swiping motion.

Eventually, the bobcat jumped down off their deck and left.

However, it was too late for the family cat.

"We did take her in the house and things like that, but she passed," said Miller. "I loved that cat. We got her from the rescue shelter. I think there was definitely some internal trauma."

According to Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources, the drought may lead to more wildlife going into neighborhoods looking for food and water.

This part of Summit County in Wanship gets a lot of wildlife anyway, but you may see more moose, cougars, and even bobcats this year.

The Millers say they're being more careful now of what's around their home when coming in late at night or opening their door.

"We understand that where we live things happen," said Miller.

For all the beautiful views of nature her back deck provides, she's hoping a bobcat is never one of them again.

"It was big," she said. "It was a big bobcat."

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