Coyotes--Where do they eat their kill?--Sad Update :(

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

I hate that for you so much.

 

[Rexdeus]

Hello Peaches. My wife and I lost our 18 year old cat less than an hour ago as she was sitting in the doorway, while we were less than 10 feet away at our house in So Cal. The coyote was so brazen it ran up the porch which we heard. As we were going to get a flashlight to see what was out on the side of the house we heard the cat screech and then nothing. We went out to search, but heard only the sound of the animal(s) running down the hill behind our house. I know your post is old, however when I searched for others going through what we just did, I had to reach out and share my sympathies. We got Nalya at the pet adoption agency in Montana so long ago...only to lose her within earshot on a warm summer night...May our two cats meet in warm place where catnip grows wild and coyotes are unknown...Sheila and Wayne.

 

[shmccarthy]

Coyotes will quite often kill for fun. Domestic dogs often kill for fun, but so will the coyote. Just like wolves, the coyote will find something, and get so excited over "the kill" they will kill it without regards to food. I know someone who had 13 of their sheep killed by coyotes, only one was eaten. The rest were killed because the pack was so worked up and excited they kill everything they can. I was also reading about a woman who went to live in Alaska. She planned on living in a very densely packed wolf area so she could study their killing habits. She originally thought that wolves strictly killed only the old or weak and killed only what they could eat. Her findings were far from that. She observes that the wolves would kill herd animals, as many as they possibly could at once. Not just old or weak either, just whatever they could outsmart and out maneuver. Their pack behavior is extremely organized. They killed a number of elk, only consuming one. The rest they killed, and left there. They were so worked up and excited, they went into almost a "feeding frenzy" much like sharks, and killed because they were so excited. Coyotes behave very similar. Although they aren't as large as their wolf cousins, they will most definitely kill large quantities of animals for "sport" and not intend on consuming them. I just wanted to put that information our there.

Now I am not sure that the coyotes killed the cat, they may have but if it were a pack, I would imagine they would have consumed instead of just killing him. From what you described, it sounds like a raccoon or a possum. It's very common for them to pull out and eat entrails, especially possums, that's one of their favorites. The coyotes howling could have been coincidence, it could not have been. I just feel like if the pack killed your cat, they would've eaten it. But regardless, the coyotes are a problem and you may want to look into trying to rid of them. I am sorry about your cat, and I hope you get everything figured out.

 

[clm1]

Hello Peaches.  My wife and I lost our 18 year old cat less than an hour ago as she was sitting in the doorway, while we were less than 10 feet away at our house in So Cal.  The coyote was so brazen it ran up the porch which we heard.  As we were going to get a flashlight to see what was out on the side of the house we heard the cat screech and then nothing.  We went out to search, but heard only the sound of the animal(s) running down the hill behind our house.  I know your post is old, however when I searched for others going through what we just did, I had to reach out and share my sympathies.  We got Nalya at the pet adoption agency in Montana so long ago...only to lose her within earshot on a warm summer night...May our two cats meet in warm place where catnip grows wild and coyotes are unknown...Sheila and Wayne.

 

[clm1]

Hello Wayne, Sheila, Peaches, et al~ All of your posts are over 3 years old so you may not see this, but by replying maybe I can deal w my sadness. Each of you...I am very sorry for the loss of your dear cats. I know full well that there is small consolation in knowing that you gave them a wonderful life because having it snuffed out so quickly is near impossible to bear. Four days ago I lost my dear, sweet, smushy Rusty. Impossible to figure how, at first, because he moves about the speed of a snail and when outside, never ventured much further than the porch or under the house. One time I saw him coming from the direction of an old barn not far from the back porch and I was stunned. I say all this because the likelihood of him going anywhere is about zero. Mostly, he stayed in my bed sleeping all day until early evening, then outside for more laying around. I had adopted him from a kill shelter and enjoyed his being able to be outside. I believe it's perfectly natural for a cat to be outside and since my area is rural, and they are well-fed and stay near the house, I haven't worried. Never in a million years would I intentionally have exposed him or the others to harm. Small consolation now as I feel sorry as all get out that he came to harm. It could have either been coyotes or a raccoon. I usually leave food a good distance from the house but not having see many coons or opossums lately, I had slacked. Just in these last 4-5 days, there has been a nursing momma coon on my front porch....I'm now putting food out again but if she was desperately hungry and needed to nurse her babies, she might have killed Rusty. He wouldn't have thought twice about her coming up to him as the cats are well used to seeing the coons around. Nevertheless, my sweet sweet boy is home and it's my fault and my heart is broken at the loss of him. All of us that love our animals know it feels as if our heart is truly breaking. This time of the morning, he'd usually be sitting beside me giving me chirpy conversation along w some love pinches/bites on my shoulder and w a look of complete joy on his face. I hope I let him know enough how much I loved him

REST IN PEACE MY DEAR SWEET BOY!!!!

 

[nikkimichelle06]

Our sweet Sparky was killed last night by coyotes. He was less than a year old, and sadly, our two year old son's best friend We tried to make him an indoor cat when we got him from the shelter, but he longed to be outside...free. He would hunt mice, moles, birds, and often we would see him leaping in the air after a butterfly or cricket. He was happy... But last night, we couldn't get him inside when we called (which has happened several times in the past, but we always wake up to his purring face at the door in the morning). But about 15 minutes later, I heard the coyotes start yipping while we were lying in bed. It was the first time I heard them all year. I knew immediately that our sweet Sparky was gone, but hoped and prayed he would be at the door this morning. He didn't show.

 

[speckledhen]

Our sweet Sparky was killed last night by coyotes. He was less than a year old, and sadly, our two year old son's best friend We tried to make him an indoor cat when we got him from the shelter, but he longed to be outside...free. He would hunt mice, moles, birds, and often we would see him leaping in the air after a butterfly or cricket. He was happy... But last night, we couldn't get him inside when we called (which has happened several times in the past, but we always wake up to his purring face at the door in the morning). But about 15 minutes later, I heard the coyotes start yipping while we were lying in bed. It was the first time I heard them all year. I knew immediately that our sweet Sparky was gone, but hoped and prayed he would be at the door this morning. He didn't show.

So sorry for your loss. He was beautiful. We have a cat now who wandered up two years ago and stayed. He is like yours, not content to stay in the house (we have no litter box and he's never used the bathroom in the house), always hunting and stalking. Coyotes have been close and stayed around for periods of weeks, yipping close to the house, but for all that time and even before we got him at about a year and a half old, he has avoided the coyotes, foxes, raccoons and roaming dogs around our mountain property. I dread having to go through what all the folks on this thread have. My husband, who swore he hated cats, adores Finn and vice versa. I hope Finn can stay as wily and lucky as he has been all his life so far. Again, I'm very sorry about your cat.

Welcome to BYC-wish it was on a happier note!

 

[maisyvdb]

I'm in Mesa AZ in the city and a coyote dismembered my cat in the neighbors yard last night. I'm dying. I can't imagine her surprise and fear and pain.
My heart goes out to you because you were so physically close to your baby.
The neighbor cleaned everything up and placed my cat in a black garbage bag beside his house. This morning the whole bag was gone he said!
I posted notices on every poke this morning but just found out through a call from the mans neighboe who saw my sign and knows my cat walks across her cinderblick backyard wall.
I came here fir the gruesome answers too. It can't hurt any more than it already does. She was nine years old. Praying fir your family and mine tonight. Maybe they'll all meet on Rainbow Bridge. I miss her sleeping in my chest already

 

[chickluvinfreak]

I'm in Mesa AZ in the city and a coyote dismembered my cat in the neighbors yard last night. I'm dying. I can't imagine her surprise and fear and pain.
My heart goes out to you because you were so physically close to your baby.
The neighbor cleaned everything up and placed my cat in a black garbage bag beside his house. This morning the whole bag was gone he said!
I posted notices on every poke this morning but just found out through a call from the mans neighboe who saw my sign and knows my cat walks across her cinderblick backyard wall.
I came here fir the gruesome answers too. It can't hurt any more than it already does. She was nine years old. Praying fir your family and mine tonight. Maybe they'll all meet on Rainbow Bridge. I miss her sleeping in my chest already

I'm terribly sorry for your loss . I don't think their is a more awful way to lose a pet .

 

[New Hampshire]

About 10 last night I was laying in bed and heard a pack of coyotes howling in the woods really close to my house. Went out this evening to hunt squirrels, and they had killed a deer a few hundred feet from my house. They ate everything minus some of the pelt. Even the bones...