ID Help Needed

Hi All:

This is my first post to this list.  Could sure use some help in identifying the animal in my photos. 

I spotted this cat on Feb 6, 2016 at the Baldwin Lake Fish & Wildlife Area, Illinois.  At first sight I thought I had a bobcat because of the apparent large size.  The animal was noticeably larger than a domestic cat (my wife and I have 3 right now; we've had cats for 30 years); maybe approaching a mid-sized dog.  I took the pictures while I had the chance but the animal moved off into the woods and out of sight.  But at home I could see that the back of the ears are not black with a white spot; no ruff; tail pretty long; no black spot on the top side of the tail.

I'm not sure what I saw.  Just a very large stray or feral cat?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Regards,

Mike Thelen

University City, Missouri

Photos here:

https://mike-thelen.smugmug.com/Nature/Wildlife/Reserved-1/

Looking at the face it's definitely a domestic. A classic red tabby. It has relatively distinct tabby markings. It's a rather large domestic but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary.

Agree with MissTufts.   I wonder too, if he isnt a classic tabby "bulls-eye", not the much more common striped tabby.

If so, he is defintietely domestic, no true wildcats.

He may be ferale, though.  Him being in good shape and good meat is no contraindication. Successful ferales / semiferales are often in good meat. Or the other way around, being in a good meat helps them to be succesfull when they are homeless.

I'd also say a domestic, and one that spends a lot of time outdoors, judging by how thick his coat is. That adds to his apparent size.

Just a fine big tomcat, either wild or from a local farm. I actually know a huge orange tabby, named Morris, natch . Probably weighs 20 pounds without being fat. Plus, yeah, that cat has a nice winter coat that makes him look larger too.

Thanks all for the ID help.  Mike