NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — He's soft, stunningly adorable and already a survivor - and the Virginia Living Museum said their feline friend is in need of a name.
The juvenile bobcat in question is a male kitten, around one year old, who was rescued from the side of the road in southern Virginia.
His mother had been killed by a car, but a spokesperson said this guy was determined to live. A veterinarian treated him for a range of injuries, including a fractured forearm, and he went to live at the museum in Newport News in October, 2019.
His forearm developed some painful complications, so the team had to amputate it - but they say he bounced back from that surgery with all the fervor of youth.
Dr. Kelsey Hayden, the Virginia Living Museum's lead veterinarian, said this little guy is already known as an overcomer.
"He really is a testament to the strength and beauty of his species," Hayden wrote. "We are all so excited to be able to watch him continue to grow and flourish at the museum.”
The call for names went out September 8, and the museum is still in the process of gathering ideas.
Some ideas getting likes on the comment thread? Sarge, Cotton and M&Ms (in honor of the kitten's "big murder mittens"), just to name a few. There's also every variation of "Bob, Bobbie and Bobby."
A release from the museum said officials plan to take the three most popular suggestions and put them to a vote on September 21. You can vote on Facebook, Instagram or the VLM's website.
The final name reveal comes October 3, when the bobcat will take his place in the Outer Boardwalk Trail at the museum.
