I hope that all your feral cats stay safe.
It's difficult to decide how to view coyotes when you love both cats and wildlife. I admire coyotes and accept that they are predator and cats prey, just as cats are predator and nuthatches are prey. We have coyotes in the ravine around us and I love to listen to them at night. However, I make sure my cats are inside at night after their evening stroll because I don't want them to become a meal. I've also done what I can to save birds, moles, etc. from becoming a meal to cats. I know it's only natural, but I can't not step in and stop it.
This sounds rather gross, and for that I apologise, but I'm curious about something I was told by a friend years ago. Is it true that if a coyote takes a cat, it leaves the tail behind?
Edited to add that a coyote made its way into an elevator in downtown Seattle a few years ago. It was quite young and disoriented. Fortunately, the human it joined in the elevator was used to wildlife and helped in its rescue and relocation.
And edited again to add this new story of a coyote in New York's Central Park:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4834518.stm