What's Your View?

Or, an alternate title, "Why My Cats Don't Go Out Anymore".

I always thought it would be fun if we posted a "view" from the window
we look out. I normally wouldn't do this right now, because there's
nothing uglier than Oklahoma's landscape in January. But I looked up
from the computer and saw something really startling, and stuck my head
out the back door for a pic.

http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/coyote.jpg

That is a coyote. Just casually ambling through the yard. What's even
more disturbing, is there were three of them, two more behind him, but
by the time I got the camera ready again, they took off west over the
hill.
I guess the winter weather has made them hungry and more bold.

Just wanted to share that. It just chills me to think if Boots or Frank
were out there.

Sherry

wrote:
Or, an alternate title, "Why My Cats Don't Go Out Anymore".

I always thought it would be fun if we posted a "view" from the window
we look out. I normally wouldn't do this right now, because there's
nothing uglier than Oklahoma's landscape in January. But I looked up
from the computer and saw something really startling, and stuck my head
out the back door for a pic.

http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/coyote.jpg

That is a coyote. Just casually ambling through the yard. What's even
more disturbing, is there were three of them, two more behind him, but
by the time I got the camera ready again, they took off west over the
hill.
I guess the winter weather has made them hungry and more bold.

Just wanted to share that. It just chills me to think if Boots or Frank
were out there.

Sherry

Yep, that's ole Latrans all right. As a person owned by cats, I find
myself having an atypical dislike for a wild animal who is just trying
to get by like the rest of us. Anyway, your area prolly doesn't have
enough tree cover to make cats safe from coyotes. We have lots of
coyotes but cat loss to coyotes here is not common, although TOO
common, because we have lots of trees and brush. Dogs are in more
danger here in Connecticut. When Bear and I have seen a coyote on our
walk, the coyote did not seem at ALL interested in a hundred-pound dog
and a large man but I wouldn't have liked to have Bear out there alone.


Our cats are indoor-only because Mickey had four of them before we
lived together and she never let them out. I inherited WooToo from my
mom when she passed away and WooToo doesn't go outside because then she
would not have the services of her staff for minutes at a time. Also,
it might be cold. Or hot or windy. There probably wouldn't be a nice
chair, etc.

Will in New Haven

wrote:

Just wanted to share that. It just chills me to think if Boots or Frank
were out there.

Wow. That is scary. I might snap a picture when it's lighter outside,
but I think you've all seen the enclosure by now.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

wrote in message
oups.com...
Or, an alternate title, "Why My Cats Don't Go Out Anymore".

I always thought it would be fun if we posted a "view" from the window
we look out. I normally wouldn't do this right now, because there's
nothing uglier than Oklahoma's landscape in January. But I looked up
from the computer and saw something really startling, and stuck my head
out the back door for a pic.

http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/coyote.jpg

That is a coyote. Just casually ambling through the yard. What's even
more disturbing, is there were three of them, two more behind him, but
by the time I got the camera ready again, they took off west over the
hill.
I guess the winter weather has made them hungry and more bold.

Just wanted to share that. It just chills me to think if Boots or Frank
were out there.

My understanding is that coyotes are cowards and scavengers. Fond of small
rodents or rabbits or other game that doesn't fight back. Will eat garbage,
leftovers of other animals kills, etc.

But I wouldn't bet my cat on that it the coyote is hungry.

Jo

Jo Firey wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Or, an alternate title, "Why My Cats Don't Go Out Anymore".

I always thought it would be fun if we posted a "view" from the window
we look out. I normally wouldn't do this right now, because there's
nothing uglier than Oklahoma's landscape in January. But I looked up
from the computer and saw something really startling, and stuck my head
out the back door for a pic.

http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/coyote.jpg

That is a coyote. Just casually ambling through the yard. What's even
more disturbing, is there were three of them, two more behind him, but
by the time I got the camera ready again, they took off west over the
hill.
I guess the winter weather has made them hungry and more bold.

Just wanted to share that. It just chills me to think if Boots or Frank
were out there.

My understanding is that coyotes are cowards and scavengers. Fond of small
rodents or rabbits or other game that doesn't fight back. Will eat garbage,
leftovers of other animals kills, etc.

They do eat anything available, but that includes taking some deer. Any
animal that will take on a deer is dangerous to a cat. Well, a really
BIG predator, such as the grey wolf, might ignore a cat in favor of
something more filling but coyotes eat cats. They just have a hard time
getting to them if there are trees and brush.


But I wouldn't bet my cat on that it the coyote is hungry.

That would be prudent.

Will in New Haven



Jo

Will in New Haven wrote:

Yep, that's ole Latrans all right. As a person owned by cats, I find
myself having an atypical dislike for a wild animal who is just trying
to get by like the rest of us.

Oh, me too, Will. I love to watch wildlife, I don't even mind the yard
full of raccoons at night. They're even comical, they look like little
teenage hoodlums. But I'd really rather the coyotes hung out somewhere
else. I read once exactly how a coyote kills prey, a real graphic
description, and I just can't bear to think about losing a cat to one.
These cats will probably ask to outside when spring gets here. I always
let them out in the yard anytime I'm going to be out there too. But in
the winter, they're just like WooToo. If Out doesn't have central heat,
forget it.

Sherry

wrote:


Will in New Haven wrote:

Yep, that's ole Latrans all right. As a person owned by cats, I find
myself having an atypical dislike for a wild animal who is just trying
to get by like the rest of us.

Oh, me too, Will. I love to watch wildlife, I don't even mind the yard
full of raccoons at night. They're even comical, they look like little
teenage hoodlums. But I'd really rather the coyotes hung out somewhere
else. I read once exactly how a coyote kills prey, a real graphic
description, and I just can't bear to think about losing a cat to one.
These cats will probably ask to outside when spring gets here. I always
let them out in the yard anytime I'm going to be out there too. But in
the winter, they're just like WooToo. If Out doesn't have central heat,
forget it.

You're lucky about that! And maybe in the spring, the coyotes won't be
quite so lean and hungry, and will find prey elsewhere.

shudder You're right to be worried about it!

Joyce

wrote:
Will in New Haven wrote:

Yep, that's ole Latrans all right. As a person owned by cats, I find
myself having an atypical dislike for a wild animal who is just trying
to get by like the rest of us.

Oh, me too, Will. I love to watch wildlife, I don't even mind the yard
full of raccoons at night. They're even comical, they look like little
teenage hoodlums. But I'd really rather the coyotes hung out somewhere
else. I read once exactly how a coyote kills prey, a real graphic
description,

If I described how Feather(RB) killed mousies, you might not like it
either. Predation is rarely pretty. One thing, though, is that there is
no malice in it. Cats don't posture that mice are evil infidels. Lions
don't hate zebra. You can see a different, and far more frightening,
facial expression on a lion fighting another lion than on a lion taking
down some "groceries." For that matter, Feather was much fiercer in his
demeanor toward other cats, although he didn't actually fight them,
than he was toward mice. Lions killing buffalo, which often kill lions,
or driving hyena off a kill (or vice versa) have the "fighting face"
and not the "grocery face."

and I just can't bear to think about losing a cat to one.
These cats will probably ask to outside when spring gets here. I always
let them out in the yard anytime I'm going to be out there too. But in
the winter, they're just like WooToo. If Out doesn't have central heat,
forget it.

Wootoo says,

No central heat, no servants, no always-full food and water bowls, no
Animal Planet on all day, no bottom dresser drawer pulled out and lined
with fluffy, no carpet, no bed, good heavens, NO COMPUTER CHAIR.

Will in New Haven

--


Sherry

Will in New Haven wrote:

Predation is rarely pretty. One thing, though, is that there is
no malice in it. Cats don't posture that mice are evil infidels. Lions
don't hate zebra. You can see a different, and far more frightening,
facial expression on a lion fighting another lion than on a lion taking
down some "groceries." For that matter, Feather was much fiercer in his
demeanor toward other cats, although he didn't actually fight them,
than he was toward mice. Lions killing buffalo, which often kill lions,
or driving hyena off a kill (or vice versa) have the "fighting face"
and not the "grocery face."

LOL - "grocery face", I like that.

I'm sure I look more evil having a fight with an indifferent and/or rude
tele-service person than I do biting into a piece of chicken. (OK, I
didn't *kill* the chicken - details, details.)

Joyce

wrote:
Will in New Haven wrote:

Predation is rarely pretty. One thing, though, is that there is
no malice in it. Cats don't posture that mice are evil infidels.
Lions don't hate zebra. You can see a different, and far more
frightening, facial expression on a lion fighting another lion than
on a lion taking down some "groceries." For that matter, Feather was
much fiercer in his demeanor toward other cats, although he didn't
actually fight them, than he was toward mice. Lions killing buffalo,
which often kill lions, or driving hyena off a kill (or vice versa)
have the "fighting face" and not the "grocery face."

LOL - "grocery face", I like that.

I'm sure I look more evil having a fight with an indifferent and/or
rude tele-service person than I do biting into a piece of chicken.
(OK, I didn't *kill* the chicken - details, details.)


Just as a matter of interest (I am not a vegetarian) if you had to kill the
chicken/sheep/cow yourself, would you still eat meat? Please all answer
honestly.

Tweed