Sending pm re human attack. Rare, but does happen.

I like your trying to raise awareness of the coyote problem here in the Villages and in other areas of the country.

I do worry about the large birds while I am at Doggie Doo Run Run but to my knowledge a bird had never taken off with a small dog in the 13 years or so DDRR has been open.

They do get the occasional snakes, voles, moles, gophers, etc.

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!

Well said.

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.

Four legged or two legged?:1rotfl:

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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:1rotfl:

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

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

This was not in The Villages?

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

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.

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

I am sorry your kitty is missing. I bought a trap online for abt $35. Can be gotten at box stores. 32x12x12.

For an intruder??? I don't think the courts would allow that:1rotfl:

They are here to stay.
 

Although they don't prey on humans, there have been occasions when they attack humans, so don't be complacent if you encounter one.

The fact is that no urban area where coyotes have intruded has ever been able to eliminate them. There have been coyotes in the woods adjacent Tampa International Airport for decades. They have recently been videotaped in residential areas of St. Petersburg during daylight hours. The Villages will not be an exception.

Act accordingly, as outlined above, in order to protect your pets.

:D Thanks for the laugh. Coyotes have been spotted here in LaBelle. My neighbor told me one strolled across our yard a few months ago early morning. We have them in Michigan as well. As pet owners it's our responsibility to safe guard them.

We have them in Central NY as well---I hear them but haven't seen any. We have a few bobcats, but the main predators are foxes.

Ya'll know that howl that coyotes make?? That is me when I log back on and see this thread still going strong.. Come on people , we need to chill on the coyote and concentrate on the killer rats that will overrun The Villages once the coyotes are all gone.. And if you are putting out poison to kill the coyotes , please know you are killing birds, squirrels, owls, etc and hopefully NOT some unsuspecting wandering lost dog or cat.

I do not know anybody who would put out poison. Angie apparently does.

I came on to post a quote from someone in another group about the poison. Jaggy is correct! If you kill the coyotes you will then have to worry about the rats! And the Poison will kill the rest of our wildlife.

Hunter Hampton wrote " If you put out poison, to kill coyotes, rats, mice or anything else.... you have also just killed a Bald Eagle, an Owl, a Hawk.... and any other animal, including pets who might see that poisoned animal and eat it. It's called a secondary kill...... "

For crying out loud. What did you think you were doing moving to Florida, next to a national forest??? We have nature here! For most of us, it's why we moved here. Shame on you trying to kill it!

As to the missing pets and the torn lanai.... Yes, I've seen those posts. Yes I believe those pets are missing and something broke through that lanai. We don't know anything else about what happened to those pets or what broke into the lanai.

I know I have heard that people in my hood are putting out tainted meat to kill the coyotes. Do you think the coyotes are the only animal that is eating it? Don't you suppose the cats and dogs as well as everything else would get into it?

These posts are causing more problems than they are helping! Use your head people..... It's the circle of life. The coyotes and snakes eat the rats!

Pardon the pun... but ....

Pick your poison!

And yes... I have two small dogs. I keep them on a short leash.

Yes, but once the coyotes are gone, the kitties on the lanais will be safe and can go hunt the rats:1rotfl:

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.*

Re: litter boxes that need to be cleaned daily....not any more....now they have an automatic box called a cat genie...works like a charm!