Police Snatch Piper 'The Wonder Cat' from the Jaws of Coyote

Talk about nine lives.

Kelsey Whitmer’s tabby was the only kitten in his litter to survive a dog attack, which also claimed his mother about 11 years ago.

Last weekend, Piper -- nicknamed “The Wonder Cat” -- got loose and would have ended up as a coyote’s meal if not for a sharp-eyed Newport Beach policeman.

Officer Dallas Lopez saw the feline hanging out of the mouth of a coyote that trotted out in front of his patrol car early Sunday. Lopez initially wasn’t sure what he had seen, but when he put on his spotlight to get a better look, the coyote dropped its intended breakfast and scampered away.

Piper was in bad shape, but still alive.

“It’s absolutely crazy the way the story worked out,” Whitmer told City News Service. “I have him right here now. He’s laying on my bed. My husband got the boot for the next couple of days. He has to sleep on the couch.”

Piper is bandaged up with an eight-inch wound on his back and another one on his stomach, Whitmer said.

“He’s all shaved and so handsome, though,” Whitmer said. “But his jaw is wired and watching him eat ... is painful because it’s so awkward.”

Whitmer, an interior designer, swore she’d “never get one of those ugly cat furniture things,” but after Piper’s rescue, she found herself online ordering one of the unsightly contraptions.

“When he was still in the hospital, I ... bought one of the biggest, most atrocious cat-furniture things because he’s never going outside again, and I want him to enjoy himself as much as possible,” she said. “I know the perils of putting a cat out, but he’s lived such an adventurous life.”

There’s no hard feelings for the coyote, Whitmer said.

“Part of me feels bad for the coyote, as well,” she said, noting how wildlife is encroaching closer to urban areas to forage for food and water.

OTHER PATCH HEADLINES

• Laguna Niguel Man Pleads Guilty in County’s Largest Ponzi Scheme
• Police Seek Sicko Who Dumped Chlorine in Rescue Tank for 17 Sea Lions
• Police Seek Additional Victims of Teacher/Coach Accused of Molestation
• Video: Wedding Singer’s Rapping Grandma Dies at 101
• Did State’s Largest Bank Bilk You?
• Toddler Drowns in Trabuco Pool
• Capo Teacher, Longtime Little League Coach Is a Child Molester, Police Say
• Crews Battle Big Waves, Flooding in Capistrano Beach
• ‘Django Unchained’ Actress Ordered Apologize to Arresting Officers She Accused of Racism

City News Service

Photo Credit: Kelsey Whitmer

Get Patched in! Sign up for free news alerts for your town.

ALISO VIEJO | FOUNTAIN VALLEY | LAGUNA BEACH | LAGUNA NIGUEL-DANA POINT |LAKE FOREST | LOS ALAMITOS-SEAL BEACH | MISSION VIEJO| NEWPORT BEACH-CORONA DEL MAR | RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA | SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO | SAN CLEMENTE