[tomwed]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

Does the trash out in bags bother you?

The most important thing everyone could do is not put out the garbage the night before. This comes up in every report I read. For that reason alone, I'm surprised scavengers are not a bigger problem than the are.

Coyotes
How can I prevent problems with coyotes?
Never feed coyotes either intentionally or unintentionally. Do not place food outside that will attract wild animals. Clean up pet food, fallen fruit and seed around bird feeders – coyotes will be drawn to and eat all of these potential food sources, since they are opportunistic feeders. Coyotes that associate places where people live as an easy place to find food will gradually lose their natural fear of humans.
Secure garbage cans and compost in animal-proof containers.

Doesn't overnight garbage surprise anyone else? If the raccoons of South Jersey find out about this garbage buffet down here, boy are we in trouble.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by tomwed

The most important thing everyone could do is not put out the garbage the night before. This comes up in every report I read. For that reason alone, I'm surprised scavengers are not a bigger problem than the are.

Four legged or two legged?

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by tomwed

The most important thing everyone could do is not put out the garbage the night before. This comes up in every report I read. For that reason alone, I'm surprised scavengers are not a bigger problem than the are.

So true. I am amazed at the number of folks that put their garbage out by 8:PM the night before pickup in my neighborhood. I would say about 90%. I know this only because I walk my pup at that time and of course she has to stop and smell EVERY bag. Many times I have seen feral cats rummaging through the bags. The garbage is picked up quite early in my village, so maybe that's why everyone puts it out at night.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by angiefox10

My point is that these threads do nothing but scare people.

To my knowledge we only know of one dog that was taken by a coyote, and that dog either didn't have a lead or if it did, it was a retractable lead.

Let me give you something to think about.

These threads are put out here to get people behind killing the coyotes and it's being done with fear!

The Villages and the Ocala National Forest are 10 miles apart from each other. You will have to kill all the coyotes in the forest to rid us of coyotes! We are also aware that we have rats in The Villages. Coyotes kill rats!!!

Because of these threads people are now scared and are putting out poison to kill these animals. When your pet gets out they will eat the poisons that are being put out to kill the other animals.

I've lived here for 4 years... For those four years I've seen both the coyotes and the rats! Foxes, bears, bobcats, gaters, snakes, etc have been spotted in The Villages.

Don't let your cats out at night! Keep your dogs on a short lead

And by all means... Don't let people who live in fear, influence you to live in fear. I've actually seen posts of people carrying guns to kill them if they see them. What could go wrong with that????

We moved here because we LOVE the wild life... All of it. Enjoy!

Check the other Villages news web-site. They have pictures and stories of three animals taken off of lanais or a pooch taken from its front yard. And there was a lady lawyer on here who said that two cats were taken from her house in Bonita.

Putting poison out is not a good response as you are right that other animals can get at it.

Put yourself in the person of the pet owner who has lost his or her pet.

Some of the people who have lost a pet also do not publicize it but just share it with friends which is the case of a different cat snatching in the Lynnhaven area. I know someone who picked up the torn up body of that dead cat. She saw claw marks on it.

So, that is six animals that have been taken from Villagers' property in the past six months or so.

Carrying a gun does seem like overkill though. Better a whistle or a coyote shaker or some other item to scare off wildlife. I do carry four golf balls too when walking my dog late at night. This response I found mentioned in an article about coyote hazing.

[Lovey2]

Originally Posted by angiefox10

My point is that these threads do nothing but scare people.

To my knowledge we only know of one dog that was taken by a coyote, and that dog either didn't have a lead or if it did, it was a retractable lead.

Let me give you something to think about.

These threads are put out here to get people behind killing the coyotes and it's being done with fear!

The Villages and the Ocala National Forest are 10 miles apart from each other. You will have to kill all the coyotes in the forest to rid us of coyotes! We are also aware that we have rats in The Villages. Coyotes kill rats!!!

Because of these threads people are now scared and are putting out poison to kill these animals. When your pet gets out they will eat the poisons that are being put out to kill the other animals.

I've lived here for 4 years... For those four years I've seen both the coyotes and the rats! Foxes, bears, bobcats, gaters, snakes, etc have been spotted in The Villages.

Don't let your cats out at night! Keep your dogs on a short lead

And by all means... Don't let people who live in fear, influence you to live in fear. I've actually seen posts of people carrying guns to kill them if they see them. What could go wrong with that????

We moved here because we LOVE the wild life... All of it. Enjoy!

Excellent post! I've taken steps to protect my (indoor) cats. Can't believe people are putting out poison...SMH.

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Check the other Villages news web-site. They have pictures and stories of three animals taken off of lanais or a pooch taken from its front yard. And there was a lady lawyer on here who said that two cats were taken from her house in Bonita.

Putting poison out is not a good response as you are right that other animals can get at it.

Put yourself in the person of the pet owner who has lost his or her pet.

Some of the people who have lost a pet also do not publicize it but just share it with friends which is the case of a different cat snatching in the Lynnhaven area. I know someone who picked up the torn up body of that dead cat. She saw claw marks on it.

So, that is six animals that have been taken from Villagers' property in the past six months or so.

Carrying a gun does seem like overkill though. Better a whistle or a coyote shaker or some other item to scare off wildlife. I do carry four golf balls too when walking my dog late at night. This response I found mentioned in an article about coyote hazing.

Angie was referring to dogs when she mentioned the one lost pet. Yes, there have been some cats that have gone missing, possibly by a wild animal....but it is totally preventable. Cats can NOT be outside cats here in Central Florida. Protect them and you do not have to worry! The wild animals are not going anywhere. They are here. We have to protect all of our pets. It's our job. I don't care how unhappy your cat is because it was used to roaming up north....if you care at all about the cat, then take all precautions to keep it indoors...or give it to someone that will.

[GeoGeo]

My two cents worth is: I love seeing the various wildlife....bobcats and coyotes. I don't like the idea that people want to go on a killing spree to remove these animals from our area. People need to be aware were are existing in their space and need to take precautions to protect their pets....not leaving food outside or feeding them, keeping your pets inside, etc. I had also heard that our pets are more at risk from a predator bird than from a coyote or bobcat. I hope the few pet owners that left their pets on the lanai don't ruin it for the folks that like to see the various wildlife.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by gerryann

Many times I have seen feral cats rummaging through the bags. The garbage is picked up quite early in my village, so maybe that's why everyone puts it out at night.

Video: Meet the Coywolf | Watch Nature Online | PBS Video


The feral cats attract the coyotes. What a nuisance it would be to get up extra early to put out the trash but if that's what would help, so be it. My hunch is the scavengers are not that desperate. They live around golf courses and there must be plenty to eat.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by tomwed

Video: Meet the Coywolf | Watch Nature Online | PBS Video


The feral cats attract the coyotes. What a nuisance it would be to get up extra early to put out the trash but if that's what would help, so be it. My hunch is the scavengers are not that desperate. They live around golf courses and there must be plenty to eat.

Perhaps we should put bowls of Purina Coyote Chow out in the preserves so they stay there. Of course that might attract more of them from elsewhere as well as make them dependent on humans to feed them. Of course, we could always go with my earlier idea to import a bunch of roadrunners---beep-beep

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by GeoGeo

My two cents worth is: I love seeing the various wildlife....bobcats and coyotes. I don't like the idea that people want to go on a killing spree to remove these animals from our area. People need to be aware were are existing in their space and need to take precautions to protect their pets....not leaving food outside or feeding them, keeping your pets inside, etc. I had also heard that our pets are more at risk from a predator bird than from a coyote or bobcat. I hope the few pet owners that left their pets on the lanai don't ruin it for the folks that like to see the various wildlife.

All true, except for the "predator birds"--unless they are pterodactyls there is little to fear from the sky (except drones)

[Chi-Town]

Believe me, outside cats no safer up north than here or anywhere.

From a Petco article:

Indoors vs. Outdoors: A Comparison*

Indoor cats have an average life span of 12 - 20 years when compared to 1 - 5 years for a cat kept outdoors.*

Indoor cats require extra attention and playtime from their owners to receive adequate exercise and to satisfy their "natural instincts." Outdoor cats get more exercise and express their "natural instincts." However, they are more exposed to diseases and parasites such as feline leukemia, toxoplasmosis, ringworm, ticks and fleas. Additionally, outdoor cats may get into life threatening fights with other animals.*

Indoor cats encounter far few life-threatening risks than outdoor cats. Indoor cats do face the danger of poisonous houseplants and household chemical. Outdoor cats face much higher risks of injury or death due to starvation, poisoning, struck by vehicles; they can even be stolen or abused by strangers.*

Indoor cats do require a litter box that has to be cleaned daily. Outdoor cats trespass on neighbors' properties, damage flowerbeds, get into garbage and may kill birds and small animals.*

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Believe me, outside cats no safer up north than here or anywhere.

From a Petco article:

Indoors vs. Outdoors: A Comparison*

Indoor cats have an average life span of 12 - 20 years when compared to 1 - 5 years for a cat kept outdoors.*

Indoor cats require extra attention and playtime from their owners to receive adequate exercise and to satisfy their "natural instincts." Outdoor cats get more exercise and express their "natural instincts." However, they are more exposed to diseases and parasites such as feline leukemia, toxoplasmosis, ringworm, ticks and fleas. Additionally, outdoor cats may get into life threatening fights with other animals.*

Indoor cats encounter far few life-threatening risks than outdoor cats. Indoor cats do face the danger of poisonous houseplants and household chemical. Outdoor cats face much higher risks of injury or death due to starvation, poisoning, struck by vehicles; they can even be stolen or abused by strangers.*

Indoor cats do require a litter box that has to be cleaned daily. Outdoor cats trespass on neighbors' properties, damage flowerbeds, get into garbage and may kill birds and small animals.*

My 16 year old cat was an "outdoor cat" all her life, she never really wandered off our property. Five weeks ago she disappeared without a trace, probably due to one of the things you mentioned. At least she beat the odds. Personally, I think she was looking over my shoulder at TOTV and decided not to move to TV out of fear of coyotes

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

My 16 year old cat was an "outdoor cat" all her life, she never really wandered off our property. Five weeks ago she disappeared without a trace, probably due to one of the things you mentioned. At least she beat the odds. Personally, I think she was looking over my shoulder at TOTV and decided not to move to TV out of fear of coyotes

This was not in The Villages?

Sorry to hear. Maybe she'll still come home.

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

My 16 year old cat was an "outdoor cat" all her life, she never really wandered off our property. Five weeks ago she disappeared without a trace, probably due to one of the things you mentioned. At least she beat the odds. Personally, I think she was looking over my shoulder at TOTV and decided not to move to TV out of fear of coyotes

Sorry to hear about your cat, but don't give up hope. I know of similar circumstances where the cat comes home or is found. BTW, a 16 year old cat is about 80 in human years. Still young in Villages years.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by gerryann

This was not in The Villages?

Sorry to hear. Maybe she'll still come home.

Still in NY. Hope is fading. She had collar, ID tags with address and phone number.
I think either she:
1) tangled with a red fox
2) was found by someone who really, really wanted an all black cat for Halloween
3) Or was sick in some way not evident, which cats hide well, and wandered off to pass away, which cats will do also.

1 & 3 are most likely--she never went more than 150 feet from the house, and the dogs would have handled an intruder