Do Coyotes Eat Cats

Coyotes typically hunt small mammals such as mice voles and rabbits.

Do coyotes eat cats. Of particular concern to owners of lost or outdoor access cats is how frequently coyotes eat cats. Urban coyotes did show signs of feasting on natural food items like rabbits squirrels gophers and native fruits. Urban coyotes have a fierce and formidable reputation as midnight predators that stalk and kill our beloved pets especially small dogs and outdoor cats. They will take their prey somewhere out of sight they deem safe to eat it sometimes quite a distance with prey that is not heavy.

One study in tucson ariz found that cats were the most common part of a coyotes meal accounting for 42 percent of their diet. House cats may be considered easier prey because they are usually less vicious and savvy. Alexa009 aug 31 2011. Coyotes will catch a surplus of food and store it for later.

Coyotes typically hunt for small critters such as rabbits mice and voles but if given the opportunity they will happily make a meal out of a cat or small dog. On one occasion i observed a coyote in yellowstone carrying the legs of a pronghorn fawn back to the den area. Dogs especially smaller breeds are also at risk although attacks on them are rarer. Coyotes will eat feral and domestic cats.

Coyotes like this one have turned to cats as a major food source up to 42 percent of their diet in tucson ariz a study found. Most of these cats the researchers suggest were feralbut not all of them. Sorry about your cat and coyotes will indeed eat them if they get a chance. We dont know how often cats are killed by coyotes because the majority of feline deaths go completely undetected.

How often do coyotes kill cats. From the research that ive read and my personal experience doing coyote research in yellowstone it is highly unlikely that a coyote would carry a cat or other large prey item into the den to consume. Based on observations of coyotes in tuscan arizona grubbs and krausman 2009 reported the alarming find that cats constituted 42 of coyote diets. Bad coyote cat encounters dont occur that often but they do happen.

The study has exposed fault lines between cat lovers and bird. A predator the size of a large dog which is basically exactly what a coyote is can easily overpower a cat. Coyotes certainly could kill cats if they wanted to. Coyotes will attack household pets but the numbers are difficult to pin down because its hard to prove a coyote attack occurred based on injuries alone.