Written by In Today’s Seattle Times there is an important warning about the local coyote population. Coyotes are kind of cute, in their wild-doggy sort of way, but many pet owners do not realize the threat these wild animals pose to their cats in particular. Cats that have been raised with dogs are actually in the most danger, as they have generally become accustomed to the behaviors of domestic dogs and are taken completely by surprise when a meandering coyote suddenly charges and lunges at them on your street after dark.
Renton’s coyote population is rising, and many of my residents have noted that Renton sounds like the Arizona prairies on some evenings after dark. Howooooooo……
You can spot areas in Renton with high coyote populations simply by looking at the telephone poles….the more signs you see for lost kitty’s, the more coyotes there are. Raccoons also are a threat to cats, but they are less likely to attack them, and when they do they will leave the body for the very sad family to find. Coyotes, on the other hand, take the body back to their den, and leave their grieving owner posting reward signs for their lost kittys….too sad.
Renton animal control has come across dens with the remains of up to 50 kitty-cats, sometimes with collars and tags in the mix!
What can you do?
First, please do not hurt or harass the coyotes. This may get you in legal danger and physical danger.
Here is a list of steps from today’s Seattle Times…
To keep coyotes away
.. Keep pet food and water inside.
.. Keep cats inside.
.. Keep wild bird seed elevated and in feeders designed for birds, and clean up spilled seed from the ground; coyotes can either be drawn directly to the seed, or to rodents drawn to the seed.
.. Keep fruit trees fenced or pick up fruit that falls to the ground.
.. Minimize vegetation near children’s play areas to avoid attracting rodents and small mammals that will in turn attract coyotes. Keep clusters of shrubs, trees and other cover and food plants away from buildings and children’s play areas.
Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
And here is the Complete Article…..
Saturday, October 28, 2006 – Page updated at 12:18 AM
Pets vanish as Seattle’s coyote sightings increase
By Tan Vinh
Seattle Times staff reporter
Coyotes’ local habitat is shrinking.
At first, the stories sounded like playground lore .. coyotes snatching house cats around Beacon Hill neighborhoods in the middle of the night.
But then Tub, Teenie and other felines weren’t coming home at night. More than the usual number of fliers about missing tabby and Siamese cats began showing up on utility poles and community bulletin boards.
By summer, reports of sightings were becoming frequent on community e-mail listserves and at neighborhood crime-watch meetings in this South Seattle community.
In late July, resident Tina Miller said, two coyotes mauled and killed the family’s beloved 3-year-old cat in her backyard. Two weeks later, Miller said, her son saw a coyote trying to snatch a stray cat near her house.
“It was traumatizing,” Miller said. “We had no idea there was such a big problem with coyotes.”
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