Poor coyotes, they just can't catch a break. People try to exterminate them (good luck with that), they get blamed for every missing cat, blamed for every missing dog, blamed for torn-open trash bags, and, by some, probably blamed for global warming.
Now while it is indeed true that they'll kill and eat the occasional cat, cats are actually the chosen prey of the great horned owl. Kitty vanishes? Odds are it's a great horned owl, not a coyote. Same-o same-o with little dogs too.
Coyotes actually prefer to eat rats, mice, voles, rabbits, insects, anything that's little and can't bite back. Heck, they'll even eat watermelons.
Like it or not, they're here to stay. Just enjoy 'em...part of Nature's Grand Plan and all that. They are actually pretty cool critters.
Oh, and rabies? Much more of a problem with raccoons and bats.
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