Tonight someone forwarded this Craig's List post to me. The poster is from Lincoln:
I am completely heartbroken & shaken...i dont understand why everyone's cats around here are just disappearing overnight. We all live around Joiner Park in Lincoln in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
In May we lost our son's sweet cat, so when we went searching for him for months ( & tried everything you can even think of, believe me) -- we adopted 2 white-gray blue eyes twin sister kittens.They are 8-9 mos old now, but Within two weeks, someone has let a cat out & the first dissapeared 2 weeks ago this past wednesday. The second disappeared last night!
We are overwrought with grief!!
we have three little kids who don't know where their kitties are. I have been told about Coyotes & Owls, ( never had coyotes come this close, owls, yes) so i have taken great care to never let them out especially at night, but somehow, they got out. I'll never get over that pain, trust me, so please, no flaming. Anyone have any information?
SEVERAL of my neighbors cats have gone missing since May. This totals around 8 cats, 3 mine. We have looked all over the park & beyond & there's never a slight trace.
What the hell is taking out beloved cats!?? All the missing cats were from homes on the streets of Schellbach dr, 6th street, & R street & countryside. Is there anything i can do??
What is my opinion of what is happening to these cats?
Probably coyotes.....
Just a few years ago the area of Lincoln where the poster lives was rural and may have been a cow pasture. Rural land with wildlife to along with domestic livestock. Among the wildlife are coyotes, bobcats, maybe even a mountain lion.
Then come the houses and the people. And their small pets. The cows and other livestock were moved to another home by the ranchers. But the wildlife didn't have anyone to load them into a truck and move them. Their dens and homes were bulldozed over with roads, houses, yards, pools and swingsets taking their place.
In move the residents who think they are in suburbia. Well, not quite. It no longer looks like a cow pasture and maybe some of the past residents no longer live there. But the wildlife is still living there. Yes, a bit displaced, but definitely there. Over time they loose their fear of humans and it's not unusual to see a coyote during the daytime.
So, then why are people so surprised that their pets disappear? It may look like suburbia but for the wildlife this is still their home. They don't know where else to go. And, not to be graphic, but the food source is good. Domestic pets make easy prey.
We counsel people on being aware of where they live and provide the appropriate protection for their small pets but many still think it's "safe" to let their cats outside without being in a confined area.
That's not to say I don't believe that all cats must be indoor only. Quite the contrary - most of my cats are indoor/outdoor or completely outdoor. I also have indoor-only cats. I'm aware of the dangers of where I live and provide for my cats accordingly. In our case, our entire 10 acre property is fenced in non-climb. Makes it very tough for a coyote to get onto the property. Not impossible but hard.
Suburban pet owners can provide for their pets similarly. If at possible, your cats should be indoor only. If you have cats that need to be outdoors then either fence your back yard in such a way that they can't get out and predators can't get in. If fencing the entire yard is not practical then create a fenced habitat for them to be outside.
There are a lot of options and ideas for fencing. Here are a couple:
http://cats.about.com/od/outdoorenclosures/
http://www.cdpets.com/index.html
There is also some good articles in the library on our website - http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm
I realize we can't provide a 100% safe life for our pets. Just like our kids, we can't protect them from everything. Yes, tragedies do happen and a child gets hit by a car while riding their bike in a safe area. Such is the same for our pets. We protect them reasonably and leave the rest up to fate.
So, please provide reasonable protection for your pets by not letting them go into an obviously dangerous situation. This Craig's List poster indicates that they have been trying to keep their cats indoors so they are definitely on the right track - just need to be more diligent about it.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost their beloved pets. I feel your pain and, indeed, have been in your situation. It's very easy to feel secure that your neighborhood is safe for your pets outside.
Lastly, on the chance that these kitties were picked up by someone who thought they were homeless a microchip is the best protection you can provide. Did you all see the news article this week about the cat that was returned to his owners after 13 years?!
