When she saw a cat emerge from the bushes, it was far too big to be the neighbor's cat. This cat was as big as a Labrador.

"It really startled me," she said. "I realized it was a bobcat. He was a big, beautiful, mature bobcat." The bobcat was carrying a kill, possibly a squirrel or a gopher. "He was so proud to have what he had in his mouth."

This was Thorpe's second sighting of a bobcat on her property on Farwell Avenue. She had seen another bobcat, which looked like an older kitten, run across her lawn a few months earlier.

Thorpe was excited to see the cats but wants people in the area, especially those with small children and pets, to be aware the predators are prowling in the bushes.

Bobcats are not uncommon in Saratoga. The cats have spotted reddish-brown fur, tufted ears, and a short tail that is about four to six inches long. They usually weigh between 24 to 35 pounds. They prey on rabbits, squirrels, gophers and other rodents, and are known to take down fawns.

Mike Philips, a wildlife specialist for the Santa Clara County Vector Control District, said bobcats are nothing to worry about. "The only time they cause problems is if there is pet food left out at night or in the early morning hours," he said. "Then they can fight over the food."

Phillips said that bird feeders that spill seed onto the ground attract a whole host of animals up and down the food chain. Birds, squirrels, rats, opossums, skunks and raccoons are attracted to the birdseed, which in turn attract predators such as bobcats, coyotes and even mountain lions. Phillips said animals such as skunks and raccoons like to make their homes under decks. Fruit trees that drop fruit on the ground also attract animals that bobcats and other predators hunt.

Thorpe said she has four bird feeders around her yard and she has a small orchard behind her house. Her property backs up to an open field where there are many squirrels and gophers. "It's a very natural setting," she said. She has lived there for 38 years and has often seen skunks, raccoons and deer, but this was the first time she had spotted bobcats.

"He's a beneficial animal to have around, but he's telling you there's a food source that is attracting his prey," Phillips said.

"Now, if you're seeing a small lion, that's a different story," he said. Phillips said the easiest way to differentiate a mountain lion from a bobcat is by the tail. The bobcat has a short tail while the mountain lion has a tail that is almost the full length of the body with a black tip. Also, the bobcat has a bushier face. The mountain lion's face is smoother.

Saratoga has not had the problems with mountain lions that Palo Alto and other places in California have had. Phillips said the main reason is because the mountains bordering Saratoga are wooded without the open meadows where mountain lions like to hunt.

Cindy Roessler, a resource management specialist for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, agreed that bobcats are not a big hazard. But she said it's best to bring pets inside at night, especially for those who live on the edges of parks and wildland. She does not recommend that people feed deer because it could attract mountain lions.

"I'm sure it's fun to see a bobcat but I wouldn't want them hunting around my home if I had pets," Roessler said. "But there's no reason to call Vector Control unless you see a repeated pattern of a bobcat hanging around and hunting, and people are worried. If you see a bobcat five or six times in a couple months in a place it doesn't belong, then call Vector Control."

"The main thing is if people are really concerned, then give us a call," Phillips said. "We'll be happy to do a free inspection of the property and tell you how to avoid problems with critters."

For more information on the Santa Clara County Vector Control District, visit www.sccgov.org/portal/site/vector/ or call 408.792.5010 or 1.800.675.1155.