Letter: Coyote problem needs to be addressed

EDITOR,
I want to express my family’s gratitude for the response we’ve gotten since my letter about cat-eating coyotes. Aside from one who judged my cat-care smarts and abilities without knowing a thing about me or my living arrangements — 44 years without a cat casualty and my vet’s choice for “best pet owner ever” — the cat-guardian community in Felton has been fantastic.
(There is a valid, scientific foundation for the fact that domesticated cats live longer and happier lives in well-controlled indoor-outdoor situation. In fact, there are some creative ideas at www.catcluez.org )
Before we knew what happened, we thought we heard our cat under the house. Our friend Cyril immediately ripped up two decks for us. Eric Hammer came over with some volunteer workers to crawl under our house. I’d never met Anna, but she crawled under my house in the mud for free. Thanks to them and the neighbors, who helped us look and searched their own properties repeatedly on our behalf.
Some of us are patrolling the neighborhoods — armed only with flashlights, of course — in the wee hours of night and dawn in what we believe is the impacted area: the neighborhoods between Fall Creek and Henry Cowell parks.
We are hearing of more cat disappearances as we talk to people. The parks bear responsibility for humane control of coyote populations situated in or near residential areas. Obviously, the bunnies and squirrels in the park, which are used to being hunted, are not enough for this year’s bumper coyote crop, and housecats are easy snacks. A typical coyote doesn’t even eat the whole animal. It’s gross.
These predatory pests must be eradicated from our neighborhoods. Lest we think this isn’t serious, accounts of human attacks can be found at www.varmintal.com/attac.htm. These are not “very cool animals,” as a prominent county official unhelpfully informed me. This problem needs to be addressed. Yes, we cat owners can be more responsible, but ultimately this is an issue of community safety.
Tove Beatty, Felton