Oh MY! Look What Was Spotted Where I Work!

**Glacier** · 03-22-2006, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom

Oh no!

I know this sounds like an odd way to deal with this, but is it possible to start leaving food for him/her further out somewhere? That way he/she would be well fed and wouldn't need to stalk the cats, and if fed further away, would keep him/her away from your site altogether?

Of course, then who's going to pay for the food, and if you start feeding one, you know more are going to show up possibly making the problem worse...... Anyway animal control can come in and remove him/her to a more "appropriate" setting?

I wouldn't suggest feeding a coyote. Coyotes are very common where I live. They are fascinating animals in their own right,but they are predators to smaller animals. Coyotes habituate extremely quickly to humans and often rapidly loose their fear of people if they are fed. They are highly adaptive, extremely smart creatures. For example, there was a lady up here a couple winters ago who was leaving food (meat) out for a coyote. She thought he looked skinny and believed she was helping him. After a few weeks, the coyote got used to her, expected food to be available in her yard for him. One day she didn't set the food out at the usual time; the coyote took her small dog instead.

The fastest way to get rid of a coyote is to scare the daylights out of him--make as much noise as possible, bright lights ect. Make your ferals' food hard to get to for a bigger animal.

He looks pretty healthy. He may have just been passing through. Coyotes can cover a lot of ground and have huge territories.

I hope your ferals stay safe.

**K & L** · 03-22-2006, 03:41 PM

Let's just hope he finds a better location, and cats are not harmed.

**Maya & Inka's mommy** · 03-22-2006, 03:56 PM

I've never seen a coyote before

!! Wow, I thought they only live in the desert..... ! I hope they can catch him and bring he back to his habitat, before he gets hurt by traffic or so....

**K & L** · 03-22-2006, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Maya & Inka's mommy

I've never seen a coyote before

!! Wow, I thought they only live in the desert..... ! I hope they can catch him and bring he back to his habitat, before he gets hurt by traffic or so....

They do, but since AZ is rapidly growing the coyotes are being run out of their habitats and into civilization. There are groups that will relocate them, but you have to see them on a regular basis in order to catch them.

**Lizzie** · 03-22-2006, 04:10 PM

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

**K & L** · 03-22-2006, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by Lizzie

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

I know, it's all part of the food chain but when it's my ferals I don't like it!

I'm not sure about the tails, but I've heard they will leave bits of the legs behind. I just want the coyotes in their desert environment, and my ferals where they are.

**rg_girlca** · 03-22-2006, 10:39 PM

Oh Lisa, I pray that this is just a one time showing and that coyote goes about his business somewhere else.

Prayers that all your ferals stay safe.

**kimlovescats** · 03-22-2006, 10:49 PM

Believe it or not, we are having coyotes move in towards our town as well! Tennessee coyotes!

It's just like Gary said ... we are moving our towns out too far and chopping down all of the treed areas ... deer have been moving into neighborhoods for a long time, now the coyotes!

**jazzcat** · 03-22-2006, 11:57 PM

We have at least three coyotes in the small patch of woods behind our house. They were out howling or whatever that noise is called a lot during Jan. and Feb. so Richard looked it up on the net and found out those are mating months for them. I feel sorry for all the neighbor cats that are outdoors. I've tried warning everyone but they don't listen. Back in the fall a coyote ran across the street in front of our car about a half a mile from our house. If I hadn't seen it I'd never known that was what was making all that noise the past few months. I also read in the newspaper that they are being run out of their territory for development and now small pets are disappearing from their back yards.

Hope your ferals will be okay. So far I've still seen all the cats around but I know one neighbor's little 5 pound dog is missing. No clue what happened to him, hope it wasn't a coyote.

**Catsnclay** · 03-23-2006, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Maya & Inka's mommy

I've never seen a coyote before

!! Wow, I thought they only live in the desert..... ! I hope they can catch him and bring he back to his habitat, before he gets hurt by traffic or so....

As a side not to Lisa's response to you, we DO live in the desert! We have actually invaded their space! There is a Mountian Preserve really close to Lisa's work, and I'm sure that is where he came from.

We just came off of 145 days with-OUT rain......so things are very dry and no vegatation for the wild, so they come closer and closer to us looking for food.

Feeding them is NOT a good idea, the best thing to do is call Fish & Game Department, they will capture them and relocate them deeper into the desert.

**Barbara** · 03-23-2006, 02:55 PM

Glacier's advice sounded good to me.

I know coyotes follow humans (like our European red foxes) because as we have invaded their area they now find it easier to feed on garbage, dumpsters, pets whatever

I also must admit that he/she is so beautiful- I hope this coyote is only wandering and will never be seen again.

Hope all the kitties stay safe.