March 7, 2009
How much of a problem are coyotes to cats that go outdoors in the Santa Fe NM, or Taos area?
doglove asked:
I am considering moving to the Santa Fe, Taos area from Seattle and have seen many properties online with ‘coyote fences’. I had a cat caught by a coyote in CT years ago and my cats do go outside. Is it a big problem in NM to let your pets out? My dog is only 25 lbs. also and I would not want to move to a place where they can’t go outside.
I am considering moving to the Santa Fe, Taos area from Seattle and have seen many properties online with ‘coyote fences’. I had a cat caught by a coyote in CT years ago and my cats do go outside. Is it a big problem in NM to let your pets out? My dog is only 25 lbs. also and I would not want to move to a place where they can’t go outside.
Filed under Cats by Administrator
Comments on How much of a problem are coyotes to cats that go outdoors in the Santa Fe NM, or Taos area? »
Coyotes are becoming habituated to many urban environments. Anytime you let your pet outside without supervision, the risk increases. It would be impossible to make any judgments as to whether one area is of a higher risk than another. The ability to get food is a major factor in whether a coyote will prey on a pet or not.
I live in Ohio and a coyote killed my cat two years ago. Coyotes are not native to Ohio and the population is rather small, so I would imagine that their native environments would be extremely risky. I would recommend not to risk it if you have the option - even if there is a coyote fence it probably won’t keep the cats inside the fence (unless it’s solid and 7 feet tall).
Coyotes and foxes love cat meat. My cat was attacked this summer and required a three week stay in the house.
Any area frequented by these animals is risky to cats and small dogs. We live in the country and it is considered an acceptable risk to let our cats roam freely. No one around here has an “inside” cat.