That bobcat must have been 3/4 done in by rabies. You picj up a fighting bobcat, what you pick up is 20 nedle pointe claws o mounted on 4 rotation limbs that create a buzz saw.
When he picked it up the cat could have removed most of his scalp and blined him , just like that.
NEVER pick up a bob cat. Get a gun, stick or axe.
However, I think it wound up in his hands because he extracted it from his wife's back.
Once he realized what he was holding up, he gave it a heave-hoe. Then, he realized it was coming back for him/his wife/their cat...he pulled his handgun (and apparently killed it).