Post by Sparky on Aug 8, 2007 8:58:16 GMT -8
www.sgvtribune.com/search/ci_6541325
Safety pipeline
Device aims to protect cats from coyote attacks
By Emanuel Parker Staff Writer
• Photo Gallery: Safe from coyotes
MONROVIA - Monrovia resident Janie Duncan was terrified as she watched coyotes chasing her cat around her back yard on a recent cool evening.
"I thought he was going to be killed before my eyes and I had no way of to stop it from happening," she said.
Then, suddenly to her surprise, Duncan's cat ran up a hill and jumped into a pipe protruding out of a hillside. It crouched there, safe inside the pipe, and waited patiently for the coyotes to leave. Then it jumped out.
Duncan could almost see the flashbulb light up above her head.
Since cats naturally explore and familiarize themselves with their territory, quickly learning where the safe hiding places are, Duncan said a simple solution for hillside cat owners is to place one or more terra cotta or PVC pipes, about 6 inches wide and 4 to 5 feet long, around the yard.
The pipes provide cats with hiding places when hungry coyotes come down from the nearby hills.
"You can hide \ with plants or tuck them in a corner," said Duncan, who has started creating and handing
out the pipes to her cat-owning neighbors.
"I love my cat and know how heartbreaking it is to lose a pet," she said.
Her neighbor, Carrie Kenz, who lives in the 400 block of Prospect Avenue in the same hilly area north of Foothill Boulevard and near Grand Avenue Park, has lost two cats this year. She suspects they fell prey to coyotes, but did not actually witness her pets being attacked.
Kenz said she normally sees coyotes roaming her neighborhood late at night and in the early morning. They're often spotted trotting down streets and searching front lawns, she said.
Ricky Whitman, vice president of community services for the Pasadena Humane Society, said coyotes are wily predators constantly in search of food and view small dogs and cats as prey.
She said Duncan might have hit upon something with her cat-protection invention.
"The pipes are a creative idea," Whitman said said.
But Steve McNall, the society's executive director, said coyotes, like people, cannot be fooled all of the time. Sooner or later, the clever animals could figure out that all they have to do is wait until a cat emerges from its pipe, then pounce on it.
Humane Society Lt. Nemesio Arteaga said it's always safest keep dogs and cats inside at night if you live along the foothills of Pasadena, Monrovia, San Marino, Arcadia and South Pasadena, where the animals are plentiful.
"We received a number of calls last year from South Pasadena about coyotes preying on pets," he said.
Whitman said society officials are not certain exactly how many cats have been killed by coyotes in Monrovia recently. Dogs, cars and bobcats also kill cats, she said.
"We don't keep track of that. Cats are prey to a lot of animals in the area," she added.
But Duncan is convinced her idea is effective. Plus, it's inexpensive. A 10-foot-long PVC pipe cost about $15 at a hardware store, she said, "and it is almost indestructible and should last for years."
"Most of all, you can sleep a little better at night knowing your cat has a safe place to hide," said Duncan.
Safety pipeline
Device aims to protect cats from coyote attacks
By Emanuel Parker Staff Writer
• Photo Gallery: Safe from coyotes
MONROVIA - Monrovia resident Janie Duncan was terrified as she watched coyotes chasing her cat around her back yard on a recent cool evening.
"I thought he was going to be killed before my eyes and I had no way of to stop it from happening," she said.
Then, suddenly to her surprise, Duncan's cat ran up a hill and jumped into a pipe protruding out of a hillside. It crouched there, safe inside the pipe, and waited patiently for the coyotes to leave. Then it jumped out.
Duncan could almost see the flashbulb light up above her head.
Since cats naturally explore and familiarize themselves with their territory, quickly learning where the safe hiding places are, Duncan said a simple solution for hillside cat owners is to place one or more terra cotta or PVC pipes, about 6 inches wide and 4 to 5 feet long, around the yard.
The pipes provide cats with hiding places when hungry coyotes come down from the nearby hills.
"You can hide \ with plants or tuck them in a corner," said Duncan, who has started creating and handing
out the pipes to her cat-owning neighbors.
"I love my cat and know how heartbreaking it is to lose a pet," she said.
Her neighbor, Carrie Kenz, who lives in the 400 block of Prospect Avenue in the same hilly area north of Foothill Boulevard and near Grand Avenue Park, has lost two cats this year. She suspects they fell prey to coyotes, but did not actually witness her pets being attacked.
Kenz said she normally sees coyotes roaming her neighborhood late at night and in the early morning. They're often spotted trotting down streets and searching front lawns, she said.
Ricky Whitman, vice president of community services for the Pasadena Humane Society, said coyotes are wily predators constantly in search of food and view small dogs and cats as prey.
She said Duncan might have hit upon something with her cat-protection invention.
"The pipes are a creative idea," Whitman said said.
But Steve McNall, the society's executive director, said coyotes, like people, cannot be fooled all of the time. Sooner or later, the clever animals could figure out that all they have to do is wait until a cat emerges from its pipe, then pounce on it.
Humane Society Lt. Nemesio Arteaga said it's always safest keep dogs and cats inside at night if you live along the foothills of Pasadena, Monrovia, San Marino, Arcadia and South Pasadena, where the animals are plentiful.
"We received a number of calls last year from South Pasadena about coyotes preying on pets," he said.
Whitman said society officials are not certain exactly how many cats have been killed by coyotes in Monrovia recently. Dogs, cars and bobcats also kill cats, she said.
"We don't keep track of that. Cats are prey to a lot of animals in the area," she added.
But Duncan is convinced her idea is effective. Plus, it's inexpensive. A 10-foot-long PVC pipe cost about $15 at a hardware store, she said, "and it is almost indestructible and should last for years."
"Most of all, you can sleep a little better at night knowing your cat has a safe place to hide," said Duncan.
