I sighted a bobcat just north of Chester Il, on Saturday morning 5/09/09, 7am.

I had a good 3 or 4 seconds to look at the cat, as it was starting across the road directly in front of me - I was riding a bicycle.

The cat had the characteristic "stub tail" and clearly had the "tufts of hair" in the ears. Maybe 24-30 inches long, perhaps 20-25 lbs?

But my question has to do with the cat's coat. It a all very short hair, and all solid in color, a muted gray. And the cat's face had a squarer look to it's jawline/muzzle. Like a female lion.

All the features of the cat -more closely resemble a mountain lion - excepting the tail and ears. Do bobcats "molt" or shed like a deer?

Could there be some interbreeding of species?

Is there a picture library of all bobcat types?

Update: I can see now, upon more investigation, many others seem to think "cougars" exist in Illinois.

All I know is that the animal I saw had Bobcat tail an ear characteristics - but in addition, had the coat and facial style of a lion.

The animal you describe does sound like a bobcat. The weight of 20-25 pounds is about right for an adult. It is much too small to be a mountain lion. Bobcats have a scruff of fur around the face that can give them a square look to the face. While their fur is spotted, the spots sometimes blend together which may have given the animal the appearance of having a solid colored coat. They do not change colors with the seasons. The American Society of Mammalogists provides an image library. They do not have many images of bobcats, but the ones they do have clearly show the features used to identify the animals. Their site can be accessed at: http://www.mammalogy.org/mil_images/MSLCarnivora.htm#lynx3