Coyote Kills Pasadena Woman’s Cat

A coyote attacked and killed a Pasadena woman’s cat in the Chelsea Beach area of Pasadena Friday night, according to The Maryland Gazette.

Lori Reaney told The Maryland Gazette that it was “terrifying” watching two coyotes attack and maul Tiger, her 13-year-old cat. Tiger died as a result of the attack, and Reaney said she fears more coyotes are in the area.

While some may be surprised to hear there are coyotes in Pasadena, Harry Spiker, Game Mammal Section Leader for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources told Patch, he was not at all surprised.

“We know we have coyotes statewide. They are present in all 23 counties, so hearing that there are some in Anne Arundel County doesn’t come as a surprise,” Spiker said.

Spiker said that in Anne Arundel County specifically coyotes are at pretty low density. Their numbers are a lot higher in Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties. But nonetheless, coyotes definitely have a presence in Maryland, and Pasadena is no exception.

“They have been present in Maryland since the early 1970s, and essentially they have migrated in from Midwest,” Spiker said. “However, every state in the continental US now has coyotes. Maryland and Delaware were the last two states to get them.”

Reaney told The Maryland Gazette that watching the coyotes attack her car was “horrible,” and she said it didn’t seem like the coyotes were afraid of people.

Spiker said he had heard about a coyote attacking a cat in Anne Arundel County, and said that while it has happened in other places, it is still “very rare” that one would go after a house pet.

“We usually don’t hear much from them,” Spiker said. “They don’t cause much of a problem usually, but they are predators that specialize in small animals specifically squirrels, mice and shrew. To avoid an attack, I would say don’t put any pet food outside—it will attract them and keep them coming back.”

To view Reaney's complete story please visit the article on The Maryland Gazette.

Have you seen any coyotes in the area? Are you worried about your pets?