Speaking of reminders: Bereaved cat owner suspects coyote

Another reminder to owners who allow their pets outside: Coyotes can be anywhere. And they might see your pet as a snack. That’s what Siobhan thinks happened to her cat:

I live right off of Barton, on 23rd Ave. SW [map] and I went into my backyard this morning to find what was left of my cat. Her body was gone, which is what leads me to believe it was a coyote, that and 2 weeks ago on 22nd Ave. S.W. one darted across the road in front of my car. My neighbors down the road have seen them in the street and have also lost a cat.

A few days ago, Laura Sue e-mailed us about something similar – someone’s cat (microchipped, so the owner has since been notified) dead and partly eaten in her backyard near Duwamish Head. Not to be hysterical about this, but pet owners should be aware of the risks. P.S. Here’s the link we often include with coyote mentions – state info about coyotes, from the “Living With Wildlife” series.

22 Replies to "Speaking of reminders: Bereaved cat owner suspects coyote"

  • tr May 16, 2010 (10:00 pm)

    I’m sorry about the tragic loss of your cat – that is very sad.

  • WS Mom May 16, 2010 (10:30 pm)

    Aren’t racoons also urban predators?
    My sympathies for the loss of a loved pet.

  • JimJ May 16, 2010 (10:36 pm)

    This really isn’t that tough of a concept. If you don’t want your cat getting eaten, don’t let it outside.

  • Michelle May 16, 2010 (10:56 pm)

    This is so sad, but an excellent reminder. Thank you WSB. My cat longingly looks out the door every day, but I know it’s better to keep him inside where he is safe, and I keep him entertained with sparkle balls and strings!!!

  • westwoodmom May 16, 2010 (11:13 pm)

    Coyotes very their diets by what’s available, and if the cat is out, well, it is prey. They used to do the same with the bunnies I had in my yard on Whidbey. On a happy note, remember that they also eat rodents! http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/behavior/Spring2004/holmberg/Holmberg2.html

  • lenguamor May 17, 2010 (12:31 am)

    The average life span of an indoor cat is 12-14 years; the average life span of an outdoor cat is 4 years.
    .
    Those are FACTS.
    .
    We accept the responsibility of stewardship along with the benefits of love and companionship when we adopt our furry friends. Act accordingly.

  • Born To Be Mild May 17, 2010 (1:46 am)

    If you value your cat you keep in indoors and have regular checkups at the vet. That’s the basic formula for a long life. Or, you can look at a cat as disposable and give ’em an occasional pat on the head. Then when your cat dies or disapears, you shouldn’t be sad, just go shopping for a new cat! You didn’t care about the cat when it was alive, no reason to care about a dead one.

  • WSB May 17, 2010 (2:16 am)

    Yes, cats are safer indoors. Nonetheless some choose to let them outdoors. No more ‘blame the victim’ posts. This person cared enough to tell her story so others might learn from it.

  • Gretchen May 17, 2010 (6:18 am)

    I live against Me Kwa Mooks Park & off of Genesee. There’s a coyote that is out during the day (!) here. My cat is a indoor/outdoor cat. The best I can do without making my cat indoor all the time is keep the cat inside as much as possible during sunrise/sunset & always at night.

  • Aim May 17, 2010 (8:40 am)

    How horrifically traumatic that must have been. I’m very, very sorry.
    .
    While I am also a staunch proponent of “keep them inside,” this really isn’t the place to attack someone who has just lost their pet. I’m pretty sure she’s already beating herself up enough without having a bunch of strangers calling her stupid.
    .
    WSB: Do some of the comments above not fall under your “do not blame the victim” rule? They’re certainly not going to help someone who’s already grieving and probably feeling exceptional guilt.
    .
    Siobhan, I am truly sorry for your loss. That’s a terrible way to have to lose your furbaby.

  • Amanda May 17, 2010 (8:57 am)

    I also live there, and have an outdoor cat. He’s been really freaked out lately, and I bet it’s because of the coyote. We used to have raccoons in the trees, squirrels running around and yes, rats. But not any longer. I’m going to call the city today and talk about having it trapped.

  • JumboJim May 17, 2010 (9:13 am)

    Maybe the function of this blog post could be to prevent others from making the same mistake. I doubt the person who notified the blog did so for sympathy. One doesn’t normally go to the blogosphere for that. Their sad tale can do more good for cats acros West Seattle if their owners get the word to *keep them indoors*.
    The cat is the victim here. If you choose to let your cat out, this is what may happen. Its your choice.

    • WSB May 17, 2010 (9:28 am)

      This isn’t “the blogosphere” (I don’t believe any such thing exists, actually) – it’s a community news service. And no, the entire note did not have the tone of “seeking sympathy” BUT we also expect that people who take the time to contact us to share cautionary tales with the community will not be lambasted, either. That is our choice for how we run this site – there are “anything goes” sites all over the place, including regrettably some much-larger news organizations. In the meantime, one earlier comment has been deleted – TR

  • me on 28th Ave SW May 17, 2010 (11:48 am)

    Siobhan-So sorry for your loss, thank you for taking the time to remind and warn the rest of us.

    Laura Sue-Thank you for taking the time to check for a microchip on the cat found in your yard. That was very kind of you and I’m sure the owners appreciated the effort.

  • Born To Be Mild May 17, 2010 (1:15 pm)

    @WSB: I apologise for blaming the victim. Now, without blaming the victim there are two schools of thought about cat ownership. One approach is that cats are free and require little care. This is the way to go if your budget is tight. The other school says buy purebred and give them the best care money can buy. This gets expensive when you are visiting the vet monthly to get those last couple of years out of an elderly animal. One strategy is more expensive, the other means forget the cat, you’re getting a new kitten!

  • Cass Nevada May 17, 2010 (1:31 pm)

    we decided a decade ago to keep our cats indoors, after having outdoor cats all my life.

    We decided to keep them indoors because we’re very interested in making a bird refuge of our yard.

    To be honest, I believe my two cats are the happiest and healthiest cats I’ve ever shared my life with. And I’ve had a lot of cats.

    Their health is excellent, we rarely if ever need a vet visit, they’re happy, we’re happy, the birds are happy and when I read about the terrible and sad loss of the cat in this post, my heart goes out to these peeps. How heartbreaking.
    Keep ’em indoors, keep ’em happy. The outdoors is for wildlife, for the most part.

  • toodles May 17, 2010 (2:43 pm)

    I am sadden for your loss.

  • A WS Mom May 17, 2010 (5:57 pm)

    I am sadden by your loss! Thanks for re-reminding me to be more careful with my own pets safety.

  • SpeakLoud May 17, 2010 (6:32 pm)

    I work on 22nd-we have had at least 6 coyote sittings in the last 3 weeks. I called animal control and they advised me they wouldn;t come out for a racoon running around-a coyote is after all wildlife!

  • ulogoni May 17, 2010 (8:17 pm)

    Amanda, why don’t you do the responsible thing and keep your cat inside instead of calling someone out to kill the native wildlife? Cats that are let outside face all sorts of mortality factors aside from predation. I see road-killed cats all the time. And I do take note! Often, wherever safe, we pull over to move road-kill out of the road so the local scavengers don’t risk their lives, in turn. Domestic cats do enough damage to native wildlife, particularly songbird populations. It’s ridiculous that people can’t take such a simple action and keep kitty indoors. To seek the death of local coyotes for this reason is shameful.

  • Catherine May 17, 2010 (10:25 pm)

    We have had three cats, all outdoors; they lived to be 12, 14 and 9. They were well cared for and loved. To say that outdoor cat owners are irresponsible and see cats as disposable is a short-sighted thing to say. Saying that there are only two roads to raising a cat is a false delimma. There are people with outdoor cats who care for and love their cats just as there was people with indoor cats who don’t.

    Sorry for your loss, Siobhan, and thanks for the heads up.

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