Cat Mauled by Suspected Coyote in HP

A resident of the 4400 block of Fairfax Avenue let their cat out, only to have it mauled by what the owners suspect was a coyote. All that was found of the cat was its paws in a neighbor’s backyard.

The folks at Highland Park Crime Watch advise pet owners to accompany their animals if they go outdoors. Other helpful tips include:

  • Make sure your food and garbage is tightly secured in  trash barrels.
  • Make sure bird feeders cannot be reached by squirrels or rodents, which are natural prey for coyotes.
  • Do not feed your pet outside
  • Most coyotes are fearful of humans. If a coyote gets too close, make loud noises or throw rocks to scare it away.

Coincidentally, Rick Koeninger, an officer with Highland Park DPS, operates a wildlife sanctuary. For more information on urban coyotes, visit dfwwildlife.org. For other animal control issues, call 214-521-5000.

By Joanna England Dec. 13, 2010 | 10:21 am | 11 Comments | Comments RSS
11 comments to "Cat Mauled by Suspected Coyote in HP"
  1. Simon Sez @ December 13, 2010 at 4:14 pm
    A raccoon could have killed the cat too.

  2. tinkerbell @ December 13, 2010 at 5:01 pm
    There was a coyote crossing Walnut Hill at Thackery on Saturday night. Yikes!

  3. former scot #24 @ December 13, 2010 at 7:12 pm
    my bet is on a fox.

  4. Gringo Bling @ December 14, 2010 at 9:14 am
    Why is there a picture of coyotes in Littleton, CO on here?

  5. Joanna England @ December 14, 2010 at 10:01 am
    Gringo Bling: As of yet, I haven’t seen any photos of the urban coyotes that have taken up residence in Highland Park and University Park. The photo of the coyotes in Littleton, Colo., is illustrative of the same situation we experience here.

  6. 1635 @ December 14, 2010 at 10:32 am
    It would be a fun challenge to see who can get the first photo of a Coyote in the Park Cities.

  7. 1635 @ December 14, 2010 at 10:39 am
    I think the link should be “.org” instead of “.com”

  8. kap @ December 15, 2010 at 10:29 am
    There are two coyotes that hunt together at night in our neighborhood. Sightings by several people. Sightings include: Preston & University, U.P. Presby, Wentwood.

  9. kap @ December 15, 2010 at 10:30 am
    make that H.P. Pres!

  10. Kelly Crawford @ December 17, 2010 at 9:09 pm
    It was my cat “Sam” that was mauled. The men in the neighborhood are as certain as possible and each one said it was the look of coyotes–hardly anything left of Sam. We have had raccoons around for years in our backyard. Not likely they ate Sam. Sam was big and smart. A farm cat originally. My orthodontist, Dr. Terry Adams, was walking his huge dog two weeks ago and was stalked by two coyotes near Preston Center. They were not scared by him or his very large and loud dog. They split and flanked him and his dog. He yelled and threw a steel coffee cup at one of them and that one ran off. The other still stalked. This is not a joke. My daughter’s friend lost a cat the same way as Sam only a few days later on Golf Street. Please be warned. No youth or pets should be out in the wee hours. These animals must be very hungry to be so bold.

  11. Allison Smith @ December 17, 2010 at 11:38 pm
    I also saw the remains of this cat, It was not the work of a raccoon. I knew Sam and he was about the size of a fox so I don’t think a fox could have eaten a cat that big by himself either. Sam had been completely ravaged except for pieces of tail and feet. I believe that this may have been the work of more than just one Coyote that night. Coyotes have also been seen roaming on Beverly Drive late at night just a few weeks ago before the attack.. There are also sightings in the DCC Golf Course and Turtle Creek areas. They are running out of food in there and coming out late at night and venturing further and further into the Pack Cities area to hunt. This is a new threat to residents living anywhere on the perimeter of DCC or Turtle Creek please Be Careful!!! Late, late night and early morning joggers need to be warned as well These Coyotes are hungry and they may also see you as a potentiol meal

    Please See Dr Terry Adams story in the previous post

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