Conference misery::feline

    
    We lost one of our cats to a cayote in E. Hampstead area a few months
    back. I will not ever let my cats be outdoors unsupervised. That is 
    if they absolutely have to be outdoors and there is no screen or fence
    protection, then they will be trained to go out on a leash. 
    
    I have always questioned the issue of having cats confined to indoors. 
    We have three indoor cats now and I can't say that they feel confined. 
    They love sitting by the window. But they also have a lot to do in the 
    house and seem to be very happy.  
    
    Shaw

    At first I thought that my cat had been killed by a cayote, but
    evidence suggested that our neighbors dog did the killing.  However, we
    do have a large pack of cayotes in the Groton/Shirley area and I
    believe that the two dogs next door got their tast for killing by
    running with the pack.  (A person caught sight of the pack in the
    moonlight and thought they saw two black dogs in amongst them.)
    
    

    We humans have built a dangerous world which kitties and other animals
    are ill-prepared to deal with.  Add to that instincts of wild animals
    like coyotes whose dwindling natural habitat causes them to adjust
    their eating behavior to include non-traditional menu items such as
    kitties.
    
    I tend to have a soap box about this, but the point is for me that
    kitties more and more cannot cope with the outside world.  There's
    disease, predatory animals, cars, ignorant and inhumane people, a
    veritable host of dangers for our furry sweethearts.  In addition,
    many communities are passing animal restriction ordinances, which
    I believe in time will illegalize unsupervised/unrestrained outside
    pets, like it or not.
    
    The bottom line, IMHO, is to keep my kitties as indoors only, where
    I believe they will have a safer, healthier life.  They don't seem
    to be having any problems with this and I rest easy without worrying.
    For my wife and I, our kitties are our family and we would never
    knowingly do anything that would put our sweeties in jeopardy.
    
    Now, back to your regular programming.
    
    Carl

    
    I agree wholeheartedly.  It's one thing to survive in the "wild", where
    cats have pretty good instinctual skills, but it's quite another to
    survive in a city or suburbia.  Judging by the number of road kills I
    see (including, sadly, a fair number of cats), even feral critters
    haven't adapted well to the automobile.  And the "wild" is a much more
    ruthless environment than we often romanticize it to be.
    
    The idea that (domestic) cats "belong" outside is starting to feel more
    than a bit like the idea that female cats are "owed" the "joy" of
    motherhood.
    
    len.
      

	Well, my cats belong outside, they have the option to stay in or go
	out at any time.

	Cats have been bred over the recent past to be our pets, the day that
	they have all their instincts of living outside bred out of 
	them, so they have to stop going outside, is the day that they are
	no longer cats...........and the day I will stop having them.
	      
	Heather

    I live in Hopkinton, MA and in our town cats have been disappearing
    for the past 2-3 years, and it has been attributed to the coyotes in
    the area. In fact, the animal control officer told me that he has seen
    a coyote in my yard at various times. I keep my cats indoors anyway
    and from what I as told by the A.C.O. is that the coyotes stay away
    from humans. 
    
    (I know a neighbor has lost chickens to the coyote.)
    
    Pat

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    				  1
    
    
    
    I was told my a person who runs a local no-kill cat shelter that the
    number of cats euthanized in the U.S. last year dropped dramatically
    from the previous years.  She said that she didn't know why, but
    she thought that perhaps it was due (she hoped) to the fact that more
    people are being responsible by spaying and neutering their cats.
    I hope that is the case, but in these hard economic times, I wonder how
    many people can afford the vet bills and end up abandoning cats
    because they can't afford them.  I would also think that the number of cats
    turned into shelters would rise during hard times and that the number
    of cats euthanized would go up dramatically rather than go down.
    
    I wonder if there is a correlation between the significant decrease
    in cats being euthanized and the number of stray cats being eaten
    by coyotes?  Again, I don't mean to depict the coyote as the villain.
    What is needed is for everyone who owns a cat to make sure that the
    cat is spayed and neutered and spread the word.  This certainly would
    cut down on the number of strays that would otherwise be eaten or
    euthanized.
    
    We all have contacts with many people.  If we know of anyone who owns a 
    cat that is not spayed or neutered, then we can help by 'educating' that 
    person in a tactful way.
      
    
    eleanor
    
    
    

    At the Pat Brody Shelter (no-kill) we have definitely seen an HUGE 
    increase in the number of calls we receive for cats in need. Many of 
    these are for stray cats...but also many of them are from "jerks" who find 
    every reason under the sun why they can't keep their cats.  We
    hear them all....alergies, moving, my cat had kittens by mistake (ha!),
    I got a dog instead, I only like them when their kittens....etc!!!!!
    
    We also saw (and are still seeing) a increase in the number of
    Mom/kittens that have been abandoned.   It isn't even kitten season...
    and I believe we have close to 40 very tiny kittens at the shelter.
    This is very unusual for this time of year.   SO....in all honesty
    I see an increase in the number of "homeless" cats and do not believe
    many people have smarten up about spay/neutering their pets.
    
    Sandy...

    Hi all.....just popping in to catch up...
    
    We have several families of coyotes where I live now, where I'll be
    moving to, where I board and where I take lessons.  (Westboro, Grafton, 
    Douglas, MA).   The place where we have the most trouble w/ strays is
    at the lesson barn....it's never ending.  The coyotes are new
    to the area so it will be interesting to see how many of the truely
    feral cats survive this winter.
    
    As awful as it may seem, I almost wouldn't mind if some disappeared
    because most of the ones left are truely feral and very difficult
    to catch (almost impossible!).  We only seem them in the heart of a big
    freeze when they can't get food elsewhere.  
    
    Michele
    
    p.s.
    
    We just got the 2 dropped off aussie puppies spayed this week.  :^)

    Here in Arizona, at least in my rural neighborhood, a kitty couldn't
    survive even one night out with the large amount of coyotes around.
    Packs roam the streets and cut through our yards and even dogs are not
    safe unless they are in a 5 to 6 foot walled/fenced in yard.
    
    About a week ago, I came home from work to find a coyote looking into
    my living room window.  I stood about 20 feet from it and calmy asked
    if he/she were looking at my kitties.  At this point, it simply walked
    down the driveway and stood behind a bush (yeh, like I didn't know it
    was there!).
    
    At any rate, it's something I have learned to live with and other than
    the ungodly howling and scratching at our front gate during the middle
    of the night, I quite enjoy having them around.  They are quite
    beautiful and wild looking and can be fun to watch.  It's fun having a
    bit of this mysterious, wild creature visiting my world.
    
    Jeanne
    
    P.S.  My kitties are absolutely indoor only and won't even open the
    living room windows since they go almost to the ground.  The idea of
    having only a screen between the coyote and my kitties is very
    unsettling.
      

        To add some perspective to the EASTERN Coyote situation....
    
      I've read numerous articles on the current situation with Coyotes in
    the Eastern U.S., and while it is somewhat distressing to see cats,
    small sogs and other small animals becoming prey, it's also
    understandable if put into the perspective of "survival" in the wild.
    
      The Eastern Coyote is not AT ALL like the one common to the west.
    Western Coyotes typically are rather small, rarely tipping the scales
    at over 55 pounds, and most average in the 40's. They are usually a bit
    more on the brownish-tinged-grey color, and have adapted very well to
    the prairies and desert scrub in many western states. The Eastern
    strain looks a LOT more like the Timber Wolf, and there have been many
    specimens (road kills usually) that have tipped the scalse at 75
    pounds, with a few actually getting up to the high 80's!! With the
    wolf-like look, it was thought that these may actually have been a wolf
    that had migrated from Canada and adapted, but genetic testings proved
    that these are acutally NOT wolves, but are genetically Coyotes. Some
    geneticists believe that the easten migration of the western Coyote may
    have put them into contact with Minnesota and Canadian Wolves, and
    interbreeding took place causing the size and coloring change...
    
       These are thought to actually be a new strain of animal, even
    thought eh ancestry genetically is Coyote, and they ACT differently in
    thier contact wiht populated areas. Coyotes have been seen in some
    strange environments...walking down the median strip on I-85 in
    Hartford...Living in a junkyard in abandoned cars....Living in a
    person's front yard, not more than 30 feet from an occupied house!!(The
    Junkyard and front-yard livers were discovered only when the car was to
    be removed and piles of bones were found, and the homeowner dug up the
    spreading Yew tree that the animal had been living under and also
    discovered numerous bones.) Neither of these animals had ever been
    sighted while they were living there, but evidence indicated that they
    had been there for over 3 years from the quantity of bones.
    
      To this creature, cats, squirrels, small dogs, domestic birds such as
    chickens, ducks, geese....rabbits, raccoons, woodchucks....ALL are
    nothing more than easy meals to thse animals. 
    
      There has been a lot of hysteria about Coyotes supposedly decimating
    deer populations, which have caused hunters to become agitated over the
    competition....but I've not seen any State Game official who has ever
    given any credence to this idea. In fact, most wildlife experts refute
    this theory unequivocally, stating that Coyotes WILL eat a killed
    animal, and may also take a sick or injured deer, but is not about to 
    encounter a healthy deer...they simply are not able to handle them.
    Coyotes do NOT roam in "packs" like wolves, and the most a grouping
    would be would be a mother with her growing pups. Coyotes will
    disconnect with pups at about 1 year, so if a "pack" of 4 is spotted,
    it's likely a female who gave birth to 3 pups.
    
      This animal is also superbly adaptable to the environment that it
    lives in...and has a unique form of population control that has been
    studied by wildlife biologists. In years of plenty, large litters---up
    to 6 pups---are common. In times of famine, NO breeding is done, and no
    pups are born. IN areas where poisoning has been done---by the U.S.
    Government in the west---the Coyote has responded by producing large,
    frequent litters of animals to replace those killed...
    
    
        All-in-all, this is a rahter fascinating creature.....but it is
    advisable to watch where your pets are and protect them...
    
    
    John Mc

    
    I read somewhere that an Eastern Coyote was seen walking across the
    Bourne Bridge to get across the Cape Cod Canal.
    
    len.
    

    
    
    				   1
    
    
    Jeanne and John,
    
    	Thanks for sharing information about the coyote.  I recently saw
    a Public Broadcasting program about coyotes and learned alot.  They
    are beautiful and intelligent animals.
    
    	We humans are to blame for mismanaging the coyotes habitat.  OUr
    backyards are their backyards.  I did feel badly to see a coyote (in
    the film) drinking out of a ritzy pool in So. California.  The narrator
    of the film said that development in So. California had made it
    difficult for the coyote to get enough water, never mind enough food,
    in order to survive.  I don't mean to pick on Californians.  We are
    all responsible, if at least for being ignorant.  I myself was ignorant
    of the fact that there is a coyote problem on the East Coast.  I never
    would have guessed that coyotes here in Massachusetts are eating stray
    cats, never mind household pets.  So we are not doing 'so hot' here as 
    far as environmental / wildlife issues.
    
    	So, first of all, we need to protect our pets.  We are responsible.
    Secondly, we are all responsible for the management or mis-management
    of our physical environment and wildlife nation-wide (and world-wide).
    So let us, each one, be pro-active in our own communites to effect
    change as we can...THE POWER OF ONE.
    
    Eleanor

Here in Colorado Springs, I see coyotes about once a year, mostly at night,
but I have seen them in the early morning hours as well.  I was warned
fairly soon after moving here that coyotes munch on cats, but the cats I
have owned have always been indoor kitties.  Seeing coyotes is a neat
experience, as are seeing deer and the hawks that call my neighborhood home.
This is one of the things that makes living here so great.

Patrick and the boys (Chester, Farley and Jeremiah)

      Re .13
    
      I don't think that the Coyotes in the east are necessarily a result
    of mismanagement of wildlife (although man has a pretty poor track
    record in that regard as well..) as much as it is a testimonial to the
    Coyote's craftiness and adaptability. The Coyote's incursion itno the
    east is a fairly new phenomenon...maybe the past 20 years is about all
    the time they've been here in any measurable numbers. Coyotes have
    learned to LIVE WITH man, unlike the Wolf, big cats, bears etc.
    Incursion of man into Wolf habitat, for instance usually results in the
    native Wolf population to either crash or move away... In the
    southeast, the Red WOlf was able to survive (until man killed them all)
    because they had sufficient wilderness habitat in the swamps so they
    didn't have to get too close. Same in Yellowstone for the Timber
    WOlf... However, the Coyote VOLUNTARILY moved into man's domain, and
    adapted to living a stealthy existence---although now and then with the
    astonishing incidents like crossing the Cape Cod bridges and/or walking
    down an interstate median strip. Coyotes have a tendency to think that
    humans are pretty fair food producers, what with domestic birds and
    small animals that they so diligently prepare for the Coyotes to dine
    one...so they moved to the readily available food supply. 
    
      I have no doubt that the species can decently co-exist with man if
    some precautions are observed...and I've always been a frim believer of
    "responsible pet ownership", so my cats and dogs are not allowed to
    take liberties by roaming all over the landscape. Today's versions of
    domestic felines are NOT wild animals, no matter what some folks would
    like to believe. The current cat is a household pet, and the average
    feralized version has an average lifespan of around a year WITHOUT the
    added danger of becoming a Coyote's version of a Big Mac. After reading
    of the estimated decimation of songbirds by domestic cats---in the
    multiple millions---I tend to think that the Audubon Society would have
    an affinity for Coyotes if it helps to keep cats from roaming free.
    A recent T.V. special on this subject illustrated in vivid detail how
    domestic cats that had gone wild has totally destroyed native bird and
    small mammal populations on many south sea islands, and a British
    ornithologist gave some startling statistics on bird killings in
    England and Ireland...MILLIONS killed, some to the point of
    extinction..
    
      JMc

When I was a young boy my grandparents had "barn cats" basically
several near feral cats fed and watered and allowed to house in the
barn and outbuildings to keep the rodent population down (Grandad
was a milk farmer initially, but that had stopped before I was born,
however the cats were still being cared for as the outbuildings
still had MANY rodents). These cats had litters pretty much yearly
(I know wanton reproduction of cats is NOT good, but these
working creatures were cared for, though not as well as we might
our pets). Almost every summer/fall/winter some of the young cats would
be lost and found pretty mauled. Grandad said it was foxes, and
we often even found tracks if there was mud or snow. Given what I have
seen of foxes they probably wouldn't be a threat to an adult or group of adult
cats, but younger (or more unwary) cats. I know foxes are getting more common,
used to see them occaisionaly even in the heart of Waltham MA, and
see them regularly at my home in North Andover MA. Given this, my boys
lack of fear of dogs, and a nearby state highway, my guys will stay indoor
animals. It sort of hurts my feelings, but to find one of my guys mauled
by a fox or hit by a car worries me more.

Thanks,
Keith

>    A recent T.V. special on this subject illustrated in vivid detail how
>    domestic cats that had gone wild has totally destroyed native bird and
>    small mammal populations on many south sea islands, and a British
>    ornithologist gave some startling statistics on bird killings in
>    England and Ireland...MILLIONS killed, some to the point of
>    extinction..
 
	We go out shooting birds they're such pests, and since the introduction
 	of set-aside, and thus less pesticides and more habitat, they're 
	breeding like crazy, along with the rabbit and foxes.

	Heather
	

      Re .16
    
      Keith,
    
     Foxes are a danger also, as they do get pretty bold when in close
    contact with human habitat.  I was born and raised on a farm in
    Minnesota, and we too had a steady population of barn cats. When I
    think back of how we took care of them...or didn't..I look at my "kids"
    and wonder how they ever survived. 
    
      One of the great dangers with the newborns was the male cat... Males
    will often seek out and kill newborn kittens...and we used to always be
    on the lookout to chase away strange males. The Mom-cat always had a
    wary eye out for these males as well, and I've seen a little female
    trounce a big old Tom twice her size and send him running with puffs of
    fur flying...
    
      JM

    I saw a programme about town foxes here in Britain not so long ago. One
    of the foxes was after the cat food left out in one house and the
    indignant cat proved himself well able to see the thief off. The
    commentator said that a cat will usually come off best, although I
    expect there are exceptions.
    
    Another programme I saw about cheetahs mentioned the fact that adult
    cheetahs will kill any male cubs they find as they are considered
    competition. 

    
    
    re: .18
    
    	The male feral cat is a threat to newborn kittens, especially
    'strange' male ferals.  The male is very territorial.  The female
    ferals will 'band' together to protect each others litters.
    
    	I learned this bit of information from a public broadcasting
    program on ferals, which , I believe, was partially filmed in
    Britain.....beautiful farm country.  My personal reaction was that
    I was sad about the fact that the male cat will kill the kittens.
    But, having a 'background' in Biology, I do understand Darwin's
    laws, and the ferals are truly behaving as one would expect an
    animal to behave in the wild.  Establishing territory is paramount,
    and survival of the fittest also applies here.  The strongest males
    survive and ensure survival of their offspring by killing off a
    competitor's offspring.  This all sounds too gruesome for me because
    I am such a 'softy'.  I would prefer another approach....perhaps the
    'trap/sterilize/release' programs that feral sponsorship groups 
    implement.
    
    Eleanor

    I saw that too.  Wasn't it "Caressing the Tiger"?  (Or was that a
    different one...)  I think it was by National Geographic, and yes it
    was shot in England.
    
    Leslie

    
    Leslie,
    
    	I believe that was the name of the special broadcast.  I don't know
    if it was filmed by National Geographic, but I am going to check this
    out, as I would like to purchase the video.  
    
    Eleanor

    
    I think the English program was called "Tiger on the Tiles"; I taped it
    when it ran on the Discovery channel.  There are also PBS and National
    Geographic videos about domestic cats.  I'll get details for tomorrow.
    
    BTW, it is true in general that male cats will kill the offspring of
    other cats.  I know this to be true of lions.  In addition to
    eliminating "competition", it results in the female cat coming into
    season again sooner, so the intruding male can sire his own family.
    
    len.
    

    Was the programme about a study carried out by Oxford University
    students? I always thought that was a wonderful programme, although
    very sad in parts (when a litter died of cat flu).
    At one point, a mother cat was hit by a car and the students
    immediately abandoned their "scientific study" stance and took her to the
    vet. When the cat had been patched up, they resumed their study.
    I thought it was a lovely thing to do (sentimental me!). Science seems
    so cold and clinical at times that it was nice to see some humanity
    from our future scientists. 

    
    I am sure the video you are talking about is 'Caressing the Tiger' by
    National Geographic.
    
    My husband bought it for me for my Xmas last year and it is very good.
    
    It covers a wide range of cat behaviour, the middle shows a farm in
    England where the male cat goes into the barn when the female is out
    hunting and kills about six of the kittens in only a few seconds.
    
    I did not realise they did this until I watched this video and found it
    a bit disturbing.
    
    It is a very informative video and well worth a watch.
    
    Kirsty  (Ayr, Scotland)
                           

    Why is my brain thinking there were like three parts to that? I think I
    remember Carressing the Tiger, Tiger on the Tiles, and Tiger on my
    couch or somehting like that.
    
    Ok, go ahead now. Tell me the rest of my brains have finally leaked
    out my ears! ;-) They say the memory goes first, right? I can't
    remember! ;-)
    
    In any case, I've watch these/this program with great interest,
    although I must admit when there was any of the GORY natural stuff, my
    finger was on the button of the remote! I know it happens, I understand
    it happens, but I hate to watch it! My remote gets a good workout at
    times like that! 8-)
    
    Yonee

    There was certainly a program over here in the UK called
    Tiger on the Tiles.  I believe it was recorded by the BBC Natural
    History group in Bristol.  
    
    I did record it, so should be able to check if folks want.
    
    If Carressing the Tiger is sold under the National Geographic label,
    as mentioned by a previous reader, then these aren't the same films.
    Don't remember seeing this one and I'm sure I would have with a scene
    such as the one described (nature can be so hard sometimes).
    
    Judy
    
    

    
    Tiger on the Tiles by the BBC and Caressing the Tiger by National
    Geographic are distinct videos.  The other one I was thinking of is
    Cats, part of the Nature series by PBS.
    
    There are also a whole slew of videos about the big cats, e.g., The
    Lions of Etosha, Cheetahs in Lion Country, Tiger Tiger, Saving the
    Tiger, Big Cat Little Cat, ...  I think I have at least a dozen videos
    on cats of one form or another.
    
    len.
    

    
    	Another story has appeared about coyotes.  This one, Boston Globe,
    11/28/93.  The ariticle mentions that coyotes are established in Rhode
    Island and there has been an increase in the number of complaints due
    to coyote kills.  The article went on to say that cats are a favorite
    food....coyotes will move into a suburban area, and the cat population
    disappears.
    
    	So, if you suspect coyotes in your area, be on guard.  Protect
    your kitties.
    
    Eleanor