Cat-Coyote Interactions

Grubbs, SE and Krausman, P.R. Observations of Coyote–Cat Interactions. Journal of Wildlife Management 73(5):683–685; 2009

Coyotes pose a threat to domestic pets in some urban areas. In Tucson, AZ, the Humane Society has a "Safe Cats" campaign to encourage owners to keep cats indoors. These investigators, from the University of Arizona and the University of Montana, examined the interactions between coyotes and cats for four months in the Tucson area. They captured, radio-collared, and tracked eight coyotes. In tracking the coyotes for 790 hours over the four month period, 36 coyote-cat interactions were observed, with 19 involving the killing of a cat. The majority of interactions occurred in residential areas between sunset and sunrise during the pup rearing season. Most involved only one or two coyotes. The authors conclude that pet owners should keep their cats indoors for their protection from urban coyotes. [MK]
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Related articles:
Atwood C, Weeks HP, Gehring TM. Spatial ecology of coyotes along a suburban-to-rural gradient. Journal of Wildlife Management 68(4): 1000–1009; 2004.
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