Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Coyote problem in West Seattle
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October 10, 2010 at 5:37 pm #596644
goddessMemberI’ve lived on a quiet street in Gatewood for over 13 years and never dreamed that the unthinkable could happen, finding my beloved cat of 15 years, Mario, half eaten by a coyote. Now reading the WSB I see the many posts warning of the increasing number of coyotes in our area. I understand that we’ve impacted wildlife by developing their habitat, but who are their predators now? With no wolves or mountain lions around to prevent their growing numbers, what is going to prevent these creatures from becoming even bolder and going from searching out our feline friends to small children? Humans have already been attacked and killed- the 19 year old singer in Nova Scotia for example. Shouldn’t Animal Control be doing something about this? My heart is broken and I hope that eventually the image of Mario’s mangled body will fade, but until then it’s hard to comprehend how this can happen in our lovely area. I’m writing this to bring about awareness of this growing concern, please respect it as that and don’t send comments on how my cat should have been inside- he was an indoor/ outdoor cat for 15 years and enjoyed 13 years here on 37th. If anyone has been through a similar ordeal losing your pet in this way, I would like to share thoughts.
October 10, 2010 at 5:42 pm #705415
CappyMemberI am sad about your loss. And agree we are facing a greater risk from the coyotes in our neighborhood.
October 10, 2010 at 7:11 pm #705416
CarsonParticipantThe coyotes have been here longer than we have, so the solution is not easy. Remember, as long as they have food (like cats) we will have coyotes. If you remove or eliminate their sources of food, they will move on. If you have ever tried to trap mice, etc, you know its a losing battle until you take away the incentive (food) at the same time you trap them
October 10, 2010 at 7:55 pm #705417
tanyar23ParticipantI’m sorry for the loss of your cat. We have 3 dogs and a cat and it would deeply sadden us to lose any of them. That being said, the cat does remain indoors and she’s the longest lived cat I’ve ever had in my life. And having two children, living in an urban area, I do not let them out by themselves to roam either. And I suspect that the real predators for those kids are not coyotes.
Also, I do have respect for nature as well as the loss of your pet. However, my gut reaction if animals could post on a blog would be, “Human Problem in West Seattle”.
October 10, 2010 at 10:28 pm #705418
waterworldParticipantI’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve had cats in my life ever since I was a child, and I too lost one to a coyote, although that was many years ago and in another state. I have lost cats to other dangers of the outside world as well, such as cars and even horses. Any kind of premature death is heartbreaking, and having to see evidence of your pet’s suffering can only make it worse. I have to say, though, honestly, that I don’t share your feeling that going after the coyotes is a fair reaction.
My husband and I adopted two adorable kittens (is there any other kind?) earlier this year, and we made the decision in advance that they would be indoor-only. I’ve built a small outdoor enclosure for them, but other than that, they stay in. It’s a real adjustment, and not an easy one. But I know from my own experience that they will live longer, healthier lives.
I don’t fault you at all for making the choice you made with your kitty; I do see it as a choice, though, and one that will always have risks. I also don’t see the coyotes as a “problem”; they’re a part of the ecosystem. Coyotes are adaptable animals, and they live in almost any kind of urban habitat. I prefer adjusting my life and my cats’ lives to avoid the coyotes and other outdoor threats.
October 11, 2010 at 3:39 am #705419
JiggersMemberDon’t let your pets run around unattended. argghh! Now what, we shoot all the coyotes and then pound are chest because of gross human negligence? :(
October 11, 2010 at 4:16 am #705420
JoBParticipantOctober 11, 2010 at 5:22 am #705421
AlParticipantSo sorry about your cat, that had to have been very difficult for you. Addressing your question about what to do, have you contacted animal control or any other city agencies with your questions? I would assume that they would have some input for you (hopefully) or you could give them your input. Coyotes are notoriously smart and adaptable to their environments. If wild animals become a problem some cities have instituted birth control methods, like for deer in an east coast area if I remember right. That way they aren’t outright shot but their numbers are in control…just brainstorming here…
October 11, 2010 at 4:01 pm #705422
JiggersMemberJob.. Look, how many times has someone posted and started A thread here about how they lost their litle kitten or doggy to A coyote here in Seattle? More times than I can remember. I’m tired of the incompetence of pet owners here. Ok. Sorry you lost your pet. Is that what you want to hear? Now I’m A bad guy for not being sensative right. Gang up on jiggers time..:)
October 11, 2010 at 4:08 pm #705423
TDeParticipantTo goddess… I am very sorry for your trauma and loss. It must be very painful to lose your beloved pet of so many years and my heart goes out to you.
I agree that it’s time to brainstorm this issue, rather than just ignoring it. I’ve lived in West Seattle for almost 30 years and have never seen so many coyotes.. especially bold coyotes. I saw one not far from Salty’s last week that was larger than any I’ve ever seen in the area and it displayed no fear at all of me or my car. The coyotes aren’t here because of lack of food in the wild. They are here because the food source here is easy and although they don’t generally attack humans, it has happened before. If a child or adult in Seattle does get hurt, then all the coyotes here will be in danger and I don’t think it’s a good idea to let things get to that point. I’m all for a little creative thinking.
Coyotes are fascinating and wonderful creatures, but they are hardwired to be predators and their numbers in the area will increase as long as they have nothing to fear and an easy food source. I know that trapping and relocating for example, will never totally eliminate the problem but maintaining a high level of fear of humans with wildlife might not be a bad idea. Those little bears that wander into our area are not human killers either, but maintaining a level of respect for how dangerous humans can be is good for us and for the bears. I think the same should apply to coyotes.
October 11, 2010 at 4:42 pm #705424
JiggersMemberI will fight against the trapping of coyotes just because of human arrogance. Just like bears don’t get a fair shake when some incompetent human decides to go hiking in the woods and gets mauled by an unsuspecting bear who’s just cruising, minding its own business. Then, they all want to go and kill the bear for revenge, and, they don’t even know if they have the right bear. Now, if a oyote attacks a child and tries to go that route, ok, then A plan has to be drawn up to take some of the population out but, you will never stop coyotes from moving in and around us. I’d be more inclined to rid of racoons though.
October 11, 2010 at 5:07 pm #705425
CappyMemberCompassion for all humans and nature is what we should seeking. No one has said to kill the coyotes. In these changing times we should develop a co-existence strategy
Once we chose, as a community to populate this area a problem was created. There have been pets here for over 100 years, but the coyote presence has only become noticeable in the past couple of years. Ask any West Seattle old timer.
This is now coyote problem. We have taken over the territory, and have wiped out the natural predators for the coyotes. And for anyone to think that once the cats and small dogs are gone the problem would go away is very naive. Coyotes will work their way up the food source and will develop new methods of attaining what they want. They have already killed at least one human in Canada recently, and have attacked small children in the east. This issue will likely get some compassion / attention once a child is hurt or killed in out community. Note that coyotes tend to roam in pairs and can run as fast as 43 mph. Once they are set on something, getting out of their way is very difficult. These are very fit and potentially aggressive animals.
There are humane ways of controlling their territories, which cause them to live with limitations. No one is saying to kill them, maybe trapping and relocating is an alternative. But we as a community must express the will to make change happen. We should support programs that allow us to live in our community and co-exist with nature.
By the way, a full grown man was attacked by a bear on the east side last week in a residential area. Times are changing, maybe our strategy to co-exist with nature needs to as well.
October 11, 2010 at 6:31 pm #705426
JoBParticipantCappy..
is the problem with coyotes really greater now
or are we noticing it more because we see posts like this one?
i would be interested in learning the details of both the canadian incident and the bear incident on the eastside.
All predators kill what is most easily available…. rats, mice, small opossums, small raccoons and any number of other creatures are so much easier to catch and kill than children.
too many people treat the wild creature who have adapted to sharing our urban green spaces like they live in a zoo. That is a huge mistake.
Education is the answer. It’s how so many communities that back up against America’s wilderness areas manage to co-exist with their wildlife neighbors.
jiggers…
i wasn’t ganging up on you..
just reminding you that the OP just lost a family member… blaming her won’t help.
I am sure she knows her cat would have been safer indoors.. but was equally sure that was not an option for this cat.
We all make choices every day about assuming risk… sometimes those choices work out well for us.. but not always:(
October 11, 2010 at 6:45 pm #705427
datamuseParticipantI am sorry to read about your loss. It’s hard to lose a pet, especially to something like this.
Coyotes have been in this area for a long time. But, as with the crows, their population increased dramatically with urbanization and its accompanying increase in food sources. Coyotes are scavengers and there’s plenty to scavenge from trash cans, dumpsters, pet food left outside, and so on. (The same things that attract and increase crows. And raccoons, for that matter.)
What constitutes a problem, though? That attack in Nova Scotia was notable because of its incredible rarity; in fact, it’s the only attack by a coyote on a human that I’ve ever heard of. What defines a coyote problem? Numbers? Attacks on household pets? Raiding the garbage? Or?
I don’t know. To my mind, coyotes will be a problem if their numbers grow so great that they outstrip their usual food sources. Then we might indeed see more aggression from them.
Have we reached that point? I don’t know. The plural of anecdote is not data; it would take more to convince me than posts on a blog, sad as accounts of them killing pets are.
October 11, 2010 at 10:35 pm #705428
WSBKeymasterOK. First thing is, the facts.
The guy who was attacked is a Bellevue City Council member. But he was attacked at his Lake Wenatchee cabin – NOT IN AN EASTSIDE RESIDENTIAL AREA.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013086837_bearmaul07m.html
(Map to Lake Wenatchee, which is in the middle of the Wenatchee National Forest: http://is.gd/fXJBT )
Off to look up the coyote story from Canada …
Also please note that 99% of the coyote sightings we publish on the home page are accompanied by the “coexisting with coyotes” link from the state. TONS of info. Please read it if you never have. I’ll add it here shortly too.
(added)
The killing blamed on coyotes was a year ago on a trail in Nova Scotia.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/27/ns-coyote-attack.html
(added)
This is an even handier list of “coexisting with coyotes” tips than the one I usually link.
October 12, 2010 at 2:30 am #705429
JiggersMemberHow’s the bear doing? I heard they went out and killed a bear for revenge.
October 12, 2010 at 2:37 am #705430
JoBParticipantquoted from the Seattle Times article referenced above concerning the bear attack…
“The bear had a regular circuit on Lakeshore Drive, where it foraged in unsecured garbage cans for food, officials said. Chelminiak walked right into its path.”
This is a case of people creating dangerous circumstances and then blaming the bear…
There is a real need for education :(
October 12, 2010 at 4:02 pm #705431
B-squaredParticipantThe coyote story from Canada involves coyotes who are thought to have interbred with wolves. we don’t have those here yet.
And regarding the constant scapegoating of coyotes, i am reminded that seldom do people actually see a coyote with their pet. The pet vanishes, it’s coyotes fault. pet remains are found, it’s coyotes fault. Dogs will rip apart a carcass just as much as a coyote or raccoon, or crows for that matter. any animal hit by a car and not removed by a human immediately will be removed by nature. i feel very sorry for folks who lose their pets by any means, but please stop a minute before leaping to conclusions.
October 12, 2010 at 4:32 pm #705432
datamuseParticipantThat is a good point, B-squared. I’ve lived in West Seattle for over 10 years, and in that time have spotted coyotes in person maybe three times. But I run two or three times a week, and it’s unusual for me NOT to see a raccoon, a possum, or a loose dog during my run.
Those advocating getting rid of them might consider that, like other urban areas, Seattle has its fair share of rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals for which coyotes are natural predators.
Good point regarding the bear, JoB. Some friends out in Fall City had a problem with a bear that was raiding their bird feeder, so they stopped filling it. (Got some great photos of the bear, though. She eventually moved on, which is especially good because she had cubs.)
October 12, 2010 at 8:45 pm #705433
B-squaredParticipantGoddess, i am very sorry for your loss despite how my earlier post came across. i have two cats and would be devastated if i lost either of them in any manner. i just am bothered by all fingers pointing to coyotes when cats go missing when there are so many other fates possible (and probable).
October 12, 2010 at 9:32 pm #705434
JiggersMemberLike racoons can kill cats as well you know. They have sharper teeth and claws than cats do.
October 12, 2010 at 10:05 pm #705435
JoBParticipantOctober 13, 2010 at 4:57 pm #705436
hoffanimalParticipantI think it is more of a human problem than a coyote problem. I am sorry for the loss of your pet and would be devastated if my dog was killed by a coyote, but animal control is not the solution. We have to be aware of and adapt to our surroundings. Imposing our will, just because we can, has already landed us in a heap of trouble.
October 14, 2010 at 2:41 pm #705437
hammerheadParticipantHere Here Jiggers. I agree with everything you said. My outdoor ferals coexist with the raccoons and possums.
I am sorry the lady lost her cat and that any human gets attack by a bear, especially the one that was protecting her cubs. Now the cubs are god knows where. Wouldn’t you human moms go to any lengths to protect your kids?
Interesting thing, feral cats tend to better with coyotes around than, friendly cats. I have noticed that in my rescue.
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