Bobcats are opportunistic and will attempt to take almost any prey available, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Mammalian prey, however, is often the most common prey in the bobcat diet. Cotton rats may be more important than eastern cottontails from Florida to Louisiana. Bobcats are not commonly preyed upon. Bobcats may also be killed or injured by prey animals.
Habitat management favoring bobcats is possible in areas managed for timber production.
Generally, small mammal populations peak 1 to 3 years after clearcutting and planting and decrease sharply thereafter. Delaying the canopy closure of newly planted stands promotes small mammal abundance for longer periods. Bobcats appear capable of dealing with moderate human influence on the environment. Their populations are stable in the United States, except in areas of intensive farming and dense human populations, such as in the Midwest and along the central Atlantic coast in Delaware and New Jersey. Bobcats often use recently logged areas and farms, because logging and farming practices often provide food and cover for prey species.