Bobcats.
 

I talked to a fellow Lynnhaven dogwalker named John with Buddy yesterday (Sunday) who said that the Saluda Street snatching of the cat off the lanai was probably a bobcat. However, he had seen two coyotes wandering in the same area around 2 AM when he was out with Buddy. Buddy needs to pee a lot because of a medical condition. John was able to discourage the coyotes by waving a walking stick, or something like that.

I still carry a dog whistle and four golf balls on my walks around Lynnhaven but fortunately have not seen any wildlife at night except rabbits, a possum, and feral cats.

I have never seen a bobcat in the Villages but am sure they are out there.

DFW Wildlife Coalition

A link about bobcats. A whistle and shouting should drive them away. And golf balls are very accessible here in the Villages and easy to throw.

We have patio furniture and outdoor rugs on our lanai and are out there often. I think coyotes are getting bolder now because no one bothers them, and that may be the reason they are now tearing through screens to invade lanais and coming out in the daytime. I hope The Villages takes action before they harm someone's little grandchild - they will attack anything small if they lose their fear of people. When we lived in San Diego, the newspaper reported that a pair of coyotes had viciously attacked and badly bitten a little girl whose mother foolishly put out dog food for coyotes, thinking she could tame them. Instead, they began to see her child as easy prey and the mother had to beat them off her child when they attacked.

Thanks again to everyone for your sympathies. Please let other pet owners know that their pets are no longer safe on lanais.

Welcome back to the forum. I hope you continue to check in once in a while. We really are a nice bunch :)
I have family in San Diego and you're right about the coyotes out there. My son has lost cats out there. His father in law (who is a veterinarian) has lost many. They just live with them, and take their chances with their animals. Personally, I couldn't do that....I would be very paranoid and extremely careful. We just have to take all precautions and stay aware of our surroundings...it's just the way it is now that we have displaced so many wild life species.
Thanks for the warning.

Is there a reason you felt the need to give of all this information?
Just curious.
I can't imagine going on a forum and giving this much personal information about my husband and myself to people I do not know.

Those were my thoughts.

Having come from NoCal, where coyotes are extremely aggressive due to lack of food and water, I have a healthy respect for them. Howver, it seems that when food is plentiful, they do their best to avoid humans. That they would attack an animal where the human scent is strong, such as a lanai is surprising given the abundance of wildlife (rabbits and squirrels, etc.) is surprising. Not beyond the realm of possibility but definitely surprising. I would guess a bobcat to be a more likely culprit. They're pretty fearless.

BTW, for those who don't know it, it is very easy for a spooked cat to run right through a screen. Have seen it happen in TV. Once with the owner right there (vac was turned and the cat bolted right through the lanai screen). So, please don't think your cat is safe out there even if no wild animals have been spotted in your neighborhood.

I can't imagine how badly I would feel if I lost two cats from my lanai. I think I'd be looking for a new house far away from any open space. My sympathies.

Do you know for a fact that it was a coyote? Is there evidence? Did you witness it? Being a lawyer you should know that you can't go on assumptions. I had a tiny dachshund go through our lanai screen. Sorry for your loss. Please don't put anymore cats out there on the lanai.

golfing eagles:

Indeed, the home of the last of the red hot mama's Sophie Tucker. The home of Secretary of State William H. Seward. Seward who purchased Alaska. Seward the leading proponent of the Republican Party under Abraham Lincoln. The home of Harriet Tubman founder of the under ground railroad moving hundreds of slaves north to safety and whom died and was buried there in 1913. Shall I go on there is much more:D

Tal: I have seen a number of bobcats one not too long ago on Del mar as I passed the gate their to go to MVP in Spanish Springs it was running from behind those townhouses. I have seen coyotes on a number of the golf courses.

My neighbors reported sightings of bobcats and coyotes through our neighborhood which is very close to Lynnhaven


I am surprised that people are surprised about the wild life here and its conflicting with The villages population because it is happening all over .

IWe had bobcats all around us in SW Florida and one living in an empty lot beside our house. Some live in the woods with the many homeless there. Our cats were always in the pool cage morning until dark. The only thing that bothered them was a little squirrel that kept nattering at them. Bobcats never bothered our pets inside the cage and all the neighbors were well acquainted with the bobcats presence. We lived in harmony but when a coyote was around, it was different as they were more vicious.. We could never live in harmony with them. Now panthers are another matter, luckily there are few of them and they stay away from humans if possible.

Hi Bonny: Posters hounded, dare I say demanded that the OP return to this thread and explain herself. Look back at the earlier posts and you will see for yourself.

So the OP whose veracity was trampled upon does so. And because there is no other way to establish her character she identifies occupation name and address for both her husband and herself....this is who I am I have nothing to hide....................

In my view she did so because she values her word and her reputation.

Gosh its not like she cut down some environmentally protected trees or something

Don't forget Ted Case's home, inventor of the talkies. And I live on South street right in the middle of all of thme

I agree. I did the same credential list exactly once to "win" an argument and got my head handed to me---never again. But I completely understand why she did it.

Imo, it's never a good idea to post that much personal information, irrespective of rationale.