More Coyote Sightings in Northern Neighborhoods
Decatur Metro | May 15, 2011Kate writes in…
I am writing hoping that you will advise folks of recent coyote sitings in the area and the need for folks to keep a close eye on their cats. I live on Garden Lane and according to my neighbors, coyotes have been sited in the open lot on Garden, on Vidal, and on Lamont. This is especially important because a neighbor’s cat was viciously killed on Vidal- leaving the cat in 5 pieces- and the likely perpetrator was a coyote.
We see a lot of cats on Garden out and about given the nice weather and it is SO important to emphasize to Decatur Metro readers that they need to keep their cats inside. I am worried for the sweet cats that are constant visitors to my house and garden! Folks need to keep them inside, given these sitings.
Latest from Decaturish
I talked to one of the naturalists at Fernbank Science Center about coyotes and pets, and got an interesting answer. First of all, from a forensic standpoint, wounds caused by coyotes and dogs are indistinguishable. Second, when a coyote kills, it eats its prey. Killing a medium-sized carnivore like a cat is a dangerous undertaking, so they don’t risk the injury and then skip the caloric payoff. Well-fed domestic dogs, on the other hand, might act out an instinctive script and kill a smaller critter, but then not bother eating it – – after all, there’s kibble at home. Finally, according to this guy, analysis of the hair found in urban coyote feces almost always reveals that they’re eating rodents. In the past, I’ve assumed the cats pictured on telephone poles in my neighborhood have been eaten by coyotes. Now I’m not so sure.
That totally makes sense — wild animals kill what they eat. Keep those kitties inside anyway… there are a thousand good reasons, and not a single compelling reason NOT to!
… or rather, “eat what they kill.”
Chomp chomp chomp…all those kitties that grew trusting dogs won’t last long. The coyotes swing through intown neighborhoods and are only around long enough to pick off the low hanging fruit…then they move on.
An interview with a wildlife expert from February would dispute that:
http://www.decaturnewsonline.com/news/article_8177a9d4-1146-11df-81c8-001cc4c002e0.html
I was out walking my small dog late last Thursday night and we heard hair-raising cries of what sounded like dogs (coyotes?) coming from the direction of the cemetery-ish (south of Glenlake Park). It last several seconds, and it was pretty chilling.
If it’s a dog OR a coyote killing a cat, keep the cats inside anyway!! Come on guys, the point is to keep a close eye on your kitties.
I’ll second what JC says. Another good reason to keep cats indoors is to protect songbirds. It’s thought that several species of birds in Hawai’i have gone extinct because of cat predation.