Coyotes/Cats

[ERNIEB]

My Mom and Dad told me of seeing an Owl swoop down and pick up a full grown cat that was walking across their front yard. I had a half dozen guineas roaming around, and roosting in a mesquite tree at night. One night I saw an owl in the same tree, now I have four left.
Coyotes are opportunists, they will usually go for the easy meal. Unless one just stumbled right into a cat, I doubt if it would chase one very far. I've seen plenty of dumb dogs chasing jack rabbits, never seen a coyote chase one. I would bet that the owl is your culprit. If it was a coyote, I agree with Thomas NH, you'll never find the remains.
ErnieB

 

[PaulB]

Unfortunately I know about this first hand. We have coyotes, lots of them, and their favorite eating spot is behind my farthest pasture. Every spring I find the skeletons of many rabbits out there in the same area. Two years ago one of my cats didn't come home, and in the spring I found her skull amongst the rabbit bones. I know for sure that in my area at least coyotes will kill in one area, then go to a central eating space. Your only hope of finding remains would be if you find this area.

 

[pdxman]

About 2am this morning, woke up to the sound of a coyote pack going crazy not far from the house (200-300 yds or so). Therefore, my guess is that since so many are now in our area, that they are the culprit. All other animals we have are securely penned and the only cat we have left has never wanted to go outside anyway. The owl idea still has me wondering though.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I vote for the owl theory. Live in southern Indiana where coyotes are very rare. We have had 4 cats (3 half & 1 full grown)and our neighbor 1 cat (full grown siamese) vanish in past 2 months. Have heard owls around here but didn't think they would attack a full grown cat until I read this thread. Still hard to believe....ever pick up a full grown siamese who didn't want to be picked up? You had better CYA! *G*

 

[pdxman]

Thanks. I am also thinking the owl theory may be true. I've watched our cat get 'playfully' chased by the dogs and always get away by going up the nearest tree (lots). Thats what she perhaps have done with a coyote in chase. An owl though, she wouldn't have seen or heard it coming. Searched th web last night on owls and found a place site that also had owl sounds to distinguish the different types. This leads me to believe we have a great horned owl in the area that I hear every so often. Info on these also shows they can kill swiftly with their claws and impact of hit. Plus, can fly off with 2-3 times their weight. Possums, skunks, house-cats, other small mammals are part of their prey.

 

[glennmac]

OK, this thread is the last straw.

This board has already scared me so much that I am afraid to use my bucket, brushhog, chains, ropes, ROPS, seatbelt, low idle speeds, brakes, trailer, ladders, and god-given oil. And now I'm too terrified to let my beloved 15 lb. lhasa apso out the door.

No one's going to hurt my baby. If I see anything that looks or sounds remotely like a coyote or owl, I'm giving up Freud and Schweitzer, I'm buying and AK-47, and I'll really start clearing land.

Seriously, I grieve for you all who have lost your cats. We are cat lovers, too.

Glenn

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

pdxman,

FYI, The owls of the Pacific Norwest West of the Cascades are:
(Information from "Birds of Seattle and Puget Sound by Chris Fisher, GREAT BOOK)

Common:
Barn Owl (crow sized, 16 in)
Western Screech Owl(Robin sized, 8-9 in)
Barred Owl (larger than a crow, 17-24 in
Great Horned Owl(large hawk sized 18-25 in)

Less Commom:

Spotted Owl (18 inch has been know to save entire old growth forests)
Northern Pygmy Owl(7inch)
Long Eared Owl(15 inch

The Great Horned Owl has a poor sense of smell and hence is the primary predator of skunks.

We have an outside cat that after about three years developed the habit of disappearing 1-2 weeks at a time. Always in good shape when she returns. We think she has an adopted family somewere. I have always felt you don't own cats they own you. Hope this is the case with your cat.

 

[bsauter]

I live north of Indianapolis in the country and we have LOTS of Coyotes up here. We have a pack in the area that we here going crazy every couple of nights. One of our neighbors has lost a couple cats about 5 years ago. Our other neighbor close by has three little dogs that go in and out freely at all hours and they have never had a problem with them though at times it sounds like they are fighting with the coyotes. We sometimes worry about our miniture horse but not the others.

Related to that my dogs, a husky shepard pound rescue and little Jack Russell terrier, caught an adult Great Horned Owl three years ago. He was, I'm sure already stunned or injured when the dogs found him under a pine tree in the middle of the day. I looked out the kitchen window and saw them charging and backing off of this thing with a huge wingspan and just about c$%pped my drawers! Huge talons on those things!!! I called an aqaintence that is a wildlife rehabber and he came out and captured it. It was a beautiful bird.

Just this summer we had a juvinile Great Horned Owl that the terrier found in one of our paddocks. He was definately injured and I ended up catching him myself and taking him to a vet that DNR recommended and he died a couple days later. We have several red-tailed hawks that are fun to watch in the area. They seem to keep an eye on the terrier but have never done anything. They would be in for a huge fight as that dog will take on anything. We also have two vultures living in an abandoned farmhouse a 1/2 mile away and see them a lot. And a flock of 9 wild turkeys! Very rare around here! They hang out a mile away.

We never had a problem with our cats. Both are dead now from natural causes in the past year. One was even 19 years old! Kidneys got her in the end and not the coyotes. We are waiting for a stray or two to show up and protect the barns again.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978