This is likely to be controversial but maybe worth airing out in a focused discussion.
I just read yet another post about someone finding their cat had been killed in the night by coyotes. Very tragic very sad. They were unaware of the coyote situation in the area. Naturally the topic of indoor/outdoor cats was brought up (and maybe squelched as being wrong time and wrong post). I thought maybe a separate thread might be of value.
I will start it off with my views (which I'm open to having changed since I'm not a naturalist/ecologist):
I believe many, if not most, are aware of the coyotes. We live next to the foothills which is their natural habitat. Under various climate conditions they will range further for food. They naturally avoid humans but will overcome that for readily available, nearby food source. They have to work hard for food where they live and will get it elsewhere if it is more readily available or easier to obtain. They eat small animals. I think all that is a given and not likely to change in the near (or even distant) future.
Someone posted a week or so ago that they had a friend who lived elsewhere where they had coyotes. They told of their friend buying roasted chickens at the grocery store and leaving them out for the coyotes and that the incidents seemed to abate. They were suggesting that we might try something like that... I'm sure they meant well but it was an eye opening post. (I had visions of truck loads of roasted chickens and fat and sleepy coyotes ... and an influx of mountain lions looking for coyotes).
In short, my view is that letting your cats out (more so at night) is much the same thing.
I think everyone agrees with this but the counter argument is that some cats are outdoor cats (like rescued feral cats) and would be unduly stressed if forced to live indoors. That they will have a better life even given the risk of it ending prematurely. I can understand that. On the other hand maybe this is not the area to have a such a cat? If the cat is part of the family already then your options may be harder. Moving, or making arrangements for another home for you family member might be difficult or out of the question and you're willing to take the risks with your cat. I can understand that as well. What I don't think most people consider is that, if you go that route, you are also impacting the community. More readily available food, more coyotes.
Put bluntly but I did not intend it to be inflammatory.
6 Sep 17 · 35 neighborhoods in General