Just saw a coyote running down my street in Durham. Really. No kidding.

[Fred C.]

Well, I'm in the woods of N.J. Plenty of coyot. One is not a problem. Two or more,bring the roty in the house.

[whitby boy]

I live in Whitby Ontario a suburb of Toronto.

a year ago we had a cat adopt us. A neighbor said that he saw somebody drop it off and take off at nighttime like it was abandoned. The cat frequented our house for over a week meowing at our doorstep. I told my wife not to let it in but after a week of that constantly meowing, she opened the door and let it in.

it was a female cat. Of all the houses in the neighborhood I don't know why it chose our house. Maybe we were the only one stupid enough to let it in.

the kids really took to the cat and named Princess. then of course we had to get her fixed but not before she got herself pregnant!

princess had two sons, a small litter by cat standards, the boys were born August of last year. They are now full grown but not quite a year-old. the boys were practically inseparable. They continue to play and sleep together and we simply couldn't separate them.

when they got to be full size, at night time they would not stop meowing until we let them out, and in the morning they would not stop meowing until we let them in.they would now at four o'clock in the morning, and they would meow constantly at night time to get out so finally we decided to open a small window for them so they could come and go as they please.

this seemed to solve the sleeping issue although when they came back in the morning they would still meow to tell us that they were home.

on or about the sixth day of July 2009, at about 10 p.m. I heard the coyotes howling in the distance. It was the night of the full moon but not quite dark yet. All the dogs in the neighborhood also went crazy when they heard the coyotes howling.

at about 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. I heard what appeared to be a cat fight. it wasn't the first time we heard cats fighting at night. usually they fight because their territorial but this time sounded worse.

I don't sleep very well in the first place only get a few hours a night so I was really tired to be woken up in those couple of hours that usually get some sleep but this time the cats were yelling so loud, I decided to go outside to investigate. with just a pair of shorts on and no flashlight it was difficult to see anything although the moon was full.

it was a very quiet night other than the cats screaming. one neighbor opened and closed his electric garage doors to make some noise to stop them from yelling because, granted at that time of night it's very annoying to be woken up.

I walked up and down the street, I could hear the catfight loud and clear but I could not see them.

our subdivision borders a graveyard and also some green space but to get to it would mean that I would have had to walk all around the subdivision to get into the graveyard and I thought that wouldn't help much being as I had nothing to defend myself with or even a flashlight.

the noise finally stopped. I really figured that it was just our cat being territorial.

he would never stay out for more than one night at a time, so yesterday the kids wanted to put up lost posters around the neighborhood.

today I got a call from a woman who was in tears on the phone. she lives close by, said she also heard the catfight and also the coyotes. she said she investigated in the morning and that she found... two white paws.

I told her on the phone that I didn't think our cat had white paws which gave her a bit of encouragement because she was obviously taking it even worse than I was.

but after the phone call I reviewed some pictures. Our cat was almost pure gray but definitely lighter in the paws. I could see how she could see them as being white.

at 99% certain that it was our cat. maybe when the brother comes home in the morning he is not meowing to tell us that she is home but just meowing looking for his brother.

I feel so terrible that I couldn't help him. I wish I was more awake, that I could've got there faster, maybe have a flashlight with me but of course none of the flashlights work when you need them.

I have not even told my wife about the phone call, and even before the phone call we have only told the kids that he probably got adopted by another family the same as we adopted our mother cat.

what's worst is I also just lost my father of the 26th of last month. I'm trying to do my best to get over that, and now I hear this about that poor cat. I made a memorial for dad now I guess this is the memorial for the cat.

the kids named him (King) Mufasa.

here's are some pics.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677392

Mufasa is the gray one on the left.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677507

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677551

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677648

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677688

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247677962

[lovebrentwood]

So sorry to hear such a sad story. At least your cat had a great life.

(And I saw a coyote a few years ago a couple blocks from downtown Durham on the Durham Freeway, so I know they're around here. My husband saw one running out of the woods across from Sam's Club on Capital.)

[no kudzu]

I don't think it's too neat that our neighborhoods are seeing alot of foxes and a few coyotes. In our hood alone 5 kitties have been eaten up. folks e mail every time they see one but nobody seems to get too upset saying stuff like "just being a fox" but they are nocturnal and should not be seen during the day walking down the street. Several day light attacks in Chapel Hill recently. What can we do? will calling animal control do any good as of course they won't be around when control folks get here. Can you trap only for fox without getting domestic pets? I'm worried about fox attack and when I walk my little dog at night carry a metal cane and whistle. I know they (ones which have been captured) all turn out rabid.

[no kudzu]

I have to add that I too am sorry for your loss. Every time I long for an outside gardening buddy I think about my beloved pumpkin who we lost to a fox a few years ago. I miss having an outside cat so much and even tho my 2 indoor kitties are alot of fun I am sorely tempted to adopt an outside cat. Then I see stories like yours. We just have to suck it up and not let our cats go outside. I've had 4 indoor cats who were not declawed (another thread/forum alltogether) and never had a problem with ruined furniture.