Missing Cats Blamed on Coyotes in Medina

According to the Medina Police Department, several reports of missing cats could be the result of a coyote living in town.

The police department issued the following information on living with coyotes:

1.      Do not feed coyotes!

2.      Walk pets on a leash.

3.      Supervise small pets and children and keep cats inside, especially from dusk to dawn.

4.      Secure garbage, compost and pet foods.  Make sure lids are tight, feed pets inside, pick up fallen fruit and prevent bird feeders from attracting rodents. Coyotesare attracted to bird seed as well as the rodents that come to bird feeders.

5.      If you are confronted with a coyote, pickup small children and pets immediately, then act aggressively by waving your arms, throwing stones, and shouting.  Let them know you are not prey.

6.      Talk to your neigbors and ask them to remove any attractants. Share these tips.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has a website about coyotes, including information on the types of fences that can keep the wild animals out. 

The WDFW reports that coyotes are naturally timid creatures, and that humans can scare them away by making a loud sudden noise or spraying them with water. However, coyotes and other wild animals can get aggressive when protecting their young, the agency said.

The first known coyote attacks on humans in Washington state occurred in Bellevue in 2006, according to WDFW.