wcm Solutions, Inc. - Coyotes & Kitty Cats

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A Sampling of Email Exchange

For the most part we receive email from pet owners who feel the pain, grief and confusion after the sudden loss of a pet. We share this feeling, as we too have lost one of our pets to a coyote. We are no authority on the behavior of coyotes, or any other animal. However, we have studied, read books and articles, and talked to animal control experts, hunters, vets and many pet owners. In our reply to the email we have tried to share our experiences and observations in hope that it may help others. BoBo Eating

My husband and I moved to North Austin 3 weeks ago. We're off East Braker in a neighborhood called Collinwood 600 feet from Dessau road. We came hear with 6 cats. We're surrounded by woods on 2 sides.

We've lost 4 cats in the course of one week. They were out at night and systematically have just disappeared, one by one. We noticed in the back of our property what appear to be coyote tracks. How do you know coyotes got your pets? Wouldn't there be blood or signs of struggle near our property? Do you know of coyote problems around Dessau Road or East Braker? Can you trap these creatures? I've heard they are very cunning. Any advice is appreciated!

--Theresa, Austin

OUR REPLY
I tracked the coyotes from my home after I lost my cat. The tracks and scat was visible. In the yard where our two cats were that morning I found many small tuffs of hair from my cat. I also found a tuff of coyote hair. After the loss I talked to many people who had also lost small animals. I always wondered why I never saw any squirrels or rabbits in the area (This was in far north Dallas in 1997).

Coyotes are indeed one of natures most cunning animals and almost impossible to trap using cages. The ranchers use poisoned bait and hunt them down with guns. From what I have read, the more that the are exterminated, the more they mate. The net effect is counter balanced.

I was intrigued during a trip to New Mexico last year by the amount of coyote road kill. Apparently as smart as they are, they don't quite understand the highway and automobile hazard.

The conclusion that I finally came to in dealing with the grief over my loss is that we are all just a part of nature, trying to survive in our own way. Coyotes hunting small prey is just their way. Unfortunately we have greatly disturbed eons of natural balance in the last several hundreds of years. Cats, have little defense against coyotes. The best we can do to is protect our little animals.

We finally got our indoor/outdoor cat to stay indoors. We have several outdoor strays that we are feeding and just hope that the coyotes in this area don't sense the cats and the food. We are feeding the outdoor cats dry food and insure that the food is brought in each evening.

It is rare that coyotes hunt during the daylight hours. However I have also heard from a gentleman who lost his cat during the lunch hour when he let his cat out of the house.

Clearly there needs to be a great deal more education for owners of small pets. This was the shock that we had. No one was talking about a clear and present danger where we were in far North Dallas, even though we had noticed the many missing and lost pets in our neighborhood. Pets don't get lost. They simply get taken.

Coyote fur is composed of course hair in a color similar to the photos of coyotes on our website and the photos in the links to other websites that we show on our coyote page. The only place that we saw the fur was in a small opening in our fence where the coyote had tried (or succeeded) in wedging himself through to our backyard.

I seriously doubt that you will be able to fence the coyotes out. But thats just my opinion. They can jump very high fences and I even heard the story where a gentleman watched a coyote climb a tree to gain access across a fence.

As far as support groups, it might be worth your time to search on the internet for such a group.

With a great deal of effort it might be possible to create a brochure to distribute to all of the vets in the area and maybe get some air time with a human interest story on the local TV stations and public channels. I thought about that when I lost my cat. Muffin

I saw your website regarding coyotes. I live in the Northern California foothills and we have an abundance of coyotes. I have learned to respect these animals, because we live in a rural area, and basically we have moved into their living space. We take precautions with our pets when it comes to the coyotes. At night I lock up our outdoor cat in our garage, and during the day she has access to it by opening the garage door approx. 8 inches. By leaving the door open at the bottom in this way, our cat can get in but not the coyotes. Our cat has also learned to be very cautious, and can access our roof easily if there is ever any danger. We have had her for four years and she is doing quite well. I have heard many stories up here, of how people have lost their cats or small pets to coyotes. People only have to take certain precautions and their pets will be safe. I have talked to people who want to shoot coyotes and I do not feel that is right, this is their home too. If people want to have chickens they need to cage them, so the coyotes can not get to them, don't leave them in an open area, your just inviting trouble. I can not blame the coyote for coming for an easy meal. We need to learn how to co-exist with other creatures and not kill them as our solution to the problem.

---R.K. California

OUR REPLY
I have learned a great deal from my experience with the coyotes and I agree with you whole heartedly. I believe that there are lessons to be learned about co-existing with many elements in our lives that we much watch out for. Quite often, it seems, that we are too quickly to place blame for those things that go wrong without a clear understanding of co-existence, caution and protection. I truly believe that we must protect all of our belongs from those that wish to take them from us. We live in a very crowded world with many diverse creatures--large and small.

I recently leased my 9 year old daughter a horse. this morning I went to the barn to check in on her horse and was shocked to see a coyote running towards me. I turned and went right to my car, it didn't seem afraid of me at all. I live in a suburban town in Massachusetts, not in the country. Will this coyote be dangerous to my child when she is at the barn? (I never leave her unsupervised). Would the coyote try to go after her horse? Should I be concerned enough not to let her ride this farm? The ring is outdoors, the coyote was sitting in the middle of it when I left today.

--D. D. Massachusetts

OUR REPLY
I suspect that the coyote found the barn to be a good hunting place for their favorite meals--rats, field mice, and other small animals. Generally speaking, most small, wild animals in the US try very hard to avoid humans and proceed on their way to simply survive. It is not likely that a coyote would take on a human or especially a horse, simply based on size alone. I suspect that you would want to caution your daughter not to provoke or try and corner the small animal. Most wilds animal accidents come from fright on behalf of the wild animal, simply protecting itself in a strange or endangered situation.

What can be done to keep outside cats safe from coyote? Or better yet, how do we discourage coyotes?

--Roy

OUR REPLY
From what I have read, the best way to keep you cats safe is to provide a safe place for your cats during the night time hours. A garage door open just enough for your cats to scurry in is a good idea. The problem with this is that is an open door for mice also.

It is simply best to keep you animals in at night.

Coyotes have a very keen sense of smell. The are clearly attracted by the smell of food. The aroma of moist cat food is a certain attraction. You may want to insure that there is no cat food left out overnight.

Coyotes are opportunist. In my new neighborhood there are coyotes and lots of cats. However there is plenty of field mice and rabbits for the coyotes to prey on, so they have pretty much left the cats alone. Coyotes are superb hunters. But most cats outdoors are very aware of the surroundings and are on alert.

There is no easy answer. This world has predators and prey. That is just the way it is. We now keep our cats indoors. Smokey

Found your web site. Can you help me? I live in Seattle, and am moving to an area where there are apparently coyotes (it's an urban area, but surrounded by some forested areas). The neighbors I spoke to have pets, and have all stated that they have had no problems -- but that's not what Fish and Wildlife, Animal Control, and other local animal agencies say. I am worried about my outdoor cats. I'm wondering if you can suggest humane ways to keep my cats safe. Keeping all 4 of them indoors all the time would be next to impossible. I keep them in at night, but they sometimes escape or are hard to "corral" in, and I am very worried.

--Sleepless in Seattle

OUR REPLY
In my opinion, keeping outdoor pets safe in an area with coyotes is a game of probability. Coyotes have a very large hunting area and they change their pattern often.

Our outdoor cats were safe for several years until one week we had a strong sent of garbage that drew them to our home.

I do not think that there is a safe way to keep pets outdoors, if by chance a coyote happens to drop by. There are many factors that will affect the relative chance that a coyote will be hunting in your yard.

However, I have been told that there are a couple of things that will help your chances of some safety:

1. Do not leave food outdoors at night.

2. Keep your garbage sent down.

3. Keep your pets indoors at night.

That's the best I can offer. We all exist in a world containing predators and prey. Unfortunately coyotes are particularly expert at hunting small animals, and domestic cats are no match for them.

Hey there. Recently, we have had what we thought to be one coyote in our rural neighborhood (I live in coastal Massachusetts). I have seen him/her once; I was in the back yard with my dog and it came jogging right past us, completely fearless yet disinterested in either myself or my cocker spaniel. It was very exciting but also very scary! We didn't think the woods around here were big enough for it!

Just today I found something very disturbing in the woods. I think our coyote met a bitter end with an unknown attacker. I found a mess of coyote tracks on the ice of our swamp along with one set of casual deer tracks. With the tracks I also found chunks of fur; one with hide still attached, and some smaller chunks of dried flesh in the area. At first I though the coyote might have downed a deer, but the fur, long and grey with tan tips, seemed too bushy to belong to a deer. Then I had hoped that he might have snatched up a rabbit, but again, the fur seemed too long to belong to a rabbit. I'm pretty sure our little friend was in some kind of brutal fight and likely suffered a horrible death, but I was wondering if you had any idea what might have killed him?

--Steph

OUR REPLY
I certainly am no qualified authority on animal behavior, just an observer of nature.

As humans we sometimes have a difficult time understanding wild animals. We need to remember that this is a world of predators and prey. Sometimes it seems very cruel, but nature is a world of survival, and not always fair and just.

Wild animals have as many different personalities as us humans and are often quite unpredictable.

As such, we always need to be cautious and take care to respect the nature of wild animals. Sandy

My cat just vanished the other night. I was sleeping in the backyard 'camping out" in the tent with my young daughter..it was a hot summer night I accidentally let my cat outside but figured he was safe since I was outside in our tent...we live near a wooded area and wildlife " marsh...coyotes have been spotted but I never heard a sound....Do you know if a coyote actually "eats" a cat? Would there not be some trace of remains in the bushes or somewhere if a coyote caught my cat.. or do they drag it off somewhere..I have been searching high and low....but no sign of anything..what do you think?

--Dana

OUR REPLY
Cats are very interesting animals and clearly have a mind of their own. I have had my cat wonder off for a day or so, only to have him return as if from a vacation trip.

However, most times when I hear your story and others like yours, I can only be saddened by the loss. I see signs posted "Lost Cat". Rarely, if ever does a cat get lost. The are far too smart to not know how to get back home from exploring and if care for properly, they will certainly return where they have care, love and food.

From what I have heard, coyotes are one of natures very most cunning hunters. After I lost my cat to one of these cunning creatures I talked to a very knowledgeable coyote hunter and he explained the coyotes hunting style. They attack their prey quickly and decisively with their jaws clinching their prey's throat. This produces a quick kill and at the same time prevents the captured animal from making a sound. Almost instantly the coyote will run away from the scene with prey in their jaw. This stealth attack may only take a couple of seconds. They take their prey back to the den to feed young ones and other family members.

In my case the only signs of any struggle that I found was a few tuffs of hair from my cat.

My understanding is that coyotes eat their prey complete: bones, fur and all. This is why you will find coyote scat laced with hair, and rarely find any bones remaining after a kill.

I apologize for the graphic descriptions here. The coyotes hunting characteristics are simply the way of nature. Hopefully, the more we understand about the way of the coyote, the better we can care for our pets.

I live in suburban Seattle and have recently had coyotes in my yard in the daytime. I knew coyotes were in the area and keep my cat inside after dark. However, this week on 2 occasions, coyotes have been out at 10:30 in the morning, in my yard and the neighbor's. Any ideas on how we can keep them away? I'm not getting anywhere with our local city and dept of wildlife. Thanks,

--Nancy G. Seattle

OUR REPLY
From the stories that I have heard coyotes stalk their prey during the nighttime hours, However I have seen coyotes during the day and heard one story where a gentleman came home for lunch, let his cat out of the house for a bit, and never saw the cat again. Coyotes are master survivors. They are cunning and do what they have to do.

I suspect that there is not a thing that you can do to keep the coyotes away from your house. They appear to be extremely difficult to control--too smart to be trapped in a cage, too proliferate to depopulate.

In my humble opinion the best we can do is care for our pets the best we can--keep them indoors and keep food and strong odors (garbage, etc) from the outdoors to attack the coyotes. Small pets outdoors are subject to the same dangers as deer are to hunters. City and wildlife officials walk a difficult line between taking care of nuisances and honoring environmental right to life.

In my opinion, we all share this earth. We need to do the best we can with all of the rest of nature. It is a difficult and complicated task. Lucky, sound asleep!

I live in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Three days ago I saw an animal that looked exactly like the picture you have at the begriming of your site. I saw it very well. He was standing in the middle of the road and I had to almost stop before he moved. Have they come this far now?

--M, North Carolina

OUR REPLY
I understand that coyotes can be found in just about anyplace in this country. I made note of a statistic that was posted on the internet that the coyote population has doubled in the last 100 years.

With the availability of plentiful food from human trash and small pets, coyotes have a good environment for flourishing.

It is interesting that you saw the coyote in the middle of the road. I have noted that they seem to like hard pavement and dirt road for their travels. As smart as they are about tracking and catching prey, they are very unwise when it comes to standing on a road and watching out for autos. I traveled on a stretch of road in New Mexico a while back and found coyote road-kill about every 1/4 mile for a long stretch of the road.

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NOTE: The photos on this page are from the cats that have shared our lives. From top to bottom: BoBo, Muffin, Smokey, Sandy, Lucky. Not pictured are Blacky, Ling-Ling, and Missy (shown on the front page).

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