coyote/bobcat question

[perennial]

I don't know what we have, but about every 3 weeks, a beast comes by and deficates at our back deck steps. The other night i was awoken with horrific
sounds - at first i thought it was my cat who was out, but it wasn't. It sounded kind of like cats mating and screechy and like a baby in horrific pain all at once.

I of course jumped out of bed since deck is only 6 feet from me, threw on the flood lights on all sides of the house, yanked up the blinds so i see what it was - hubby slept through all this.

I saw it pass right to the bottom of my deck steps (where it deficated again this time), all is could see was fir and the top of an ear was rounded.

Is it coyote or bobcat - both are in this area. Also black bear are in this area too.

Then my cat came in - i think she used up atleast 7 of her 9 lives! I know they shouldn't go out at night and i know they probably get eaten, but this one is a hunter and is a horror to have in at night (keeps me up) - since then, she has stayed in more at night.

I thought living rural/country this is to be expected, but after mentioning to someone local they suggested i call the animal control to see if a trap needs to be set (not sure if i ought to call or not), and is there anything i can put
in the area to claim it as mine again once they have established as their territory?

After living in a suburb, there is truly nothing boring about the country/rural area - always something going on.

[chris30523]

Could be a racoon.I don't think a bob cat would deficate out in the open like that.Maybe a fox.

[MELOC]

i would guess a coyote. i doubt a bobcat would habitually come that close.

[insanity]

How about a motion sensor light? Should scare it off.
Hum wonder what it would think if you marked the area with um,yourself.
Seriously the neighbors dog used to do that just about every night at the bottom step of our deck.I started urinating there just to see what he would do.Well he must not have liked cause he stopped.

I dought animal control would do anything about it.As long as its only coming by at night,it will not alarm them.

[moonwolf]

check close the scat. You might tell something by what it digested. how big is the 'defecatant' in size? would it take up the palm of your hand? bigger or smaller? Is it blackish and has lots of seeds like oats in it? Is there hair that might give away that it eats rabbits? could be anything from a fox to a racoon to a possum?

[perennial]

Unfortunately before i could really check the scat, we had torrential rains for 3 days so there wasn't much left.

Our house has loads of lights outside, (not sensor), but i'm about 6 feet away from the deck light switch.

I figure i'm going to also mark my calendar and see if it comes next month the same week. I can pinpoint within days when it came last month.

thanks for the tips/advice

[Qwispea]

Mother-in-law???





..just kidding!

[MELOC]

oh those darn noisy screeching raccoons and possums...

[Gideon's War]

We had coons on our front porch whenI used to feed the cats at night that sounded real screachy and loud. I've stopped feeding them and kept them at bay using the SSS method.

[Micahn]

Sounds like to me you need yourself a good dog. Not one of them little ones I am talking about a real dog that could watch over it's home and keep all of the other critters away.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Dogs are good, but something tangled with one of my Pyrenees the other night. He is 150 pounds and was okay but had a gash on his hind leg, head, foreleg and neck. I don't think he would have survived a head on collision with a cougar, but I'm betting he surprised a coyote. I'm sure the coyote doesn't look half as good!

[tinknal]

Are you feeding the cat on the deck? I'm guessing coon.

[Mountaineer]

Yeah neither. Somethings after your cat or catfood I'd bet.

[perennial]

Thanks so much for your responses. My MIL is the best person in the world - she has shown me what true family is - and also inspired me to cook and bake. We really miss being away from them since we moved.

Anyway, no, i don't feed cats on deck at all. I think it smells my cats and wants them.

A dog, well the kids would love one, i'm not sure i'm ready for one since i know i'd end up caring for it on top of all else. It's on my mind though. We have fencing to do though before we think about more animals - i'm hoping for that project next spring or sooner when we have the funds.

the noise i heard wasn't just loud it was bone chilling - the kind that makes you launch out of bed from a dead sleep - it was like an animal experiencing a very bad death/getting eaten or something, but there were no others there or evidence. I know it was only one there.

Maybe i'll have hubby urinate there before that time next month when i expect them.

[moonwolf]

Originally Posted by perennial

the noise i heard wasn't just loud it was bone chilling - the kind that makes you launch out of bed from a dead sleep - it was like an animal experiencing a very bad death/getting eaten or something, but there were no others there or evidence. I know it was only one there.

.

if it's at night, some owls make screeching and confusing sounds, and you'd rarely think to look up for them in a nearby tree or something.maybe one has learned to chase down mice near your house or something?

[mandyh]

Originally Posted by perennial

I don't know what we have, but about every 3 weeks, a beast comes by and deficates at our back deck steps. The other night i was awoken with horrific
sounds - at first i thought it was my cat who was out, but it wasn't. It sounded kind of like cats mating and screechy and like a baby in horrific pain all at once.

Probably a bobcat. They sound like a baby crying. Is your cat fixed. A bobcat will mate with a domestic cat if there are no female bobcats in the area. They will also eat them for a midnight snack. I guess it just depends on how their feeling.
One way or the other, it's their because of your cat. It either feels it's territory is threatened or he has romantic feelings.
I would call the DNR, see if they have any recomendations.

[ThreeJane]

Originally Posted by LisaInN.Idaho

Dogs are good, but something tangled with one of my Pyrenees the other night. He is 150 pounds and was okay but had a gash on his hind leg, head, foreleg and neck. I don't think he would have survived a head on collision with a cougar, but I'm betting he surprised a coyote. I'm sure the coyote doesn't look half as good!

Oh boogers! Was it Guinness?

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by perennial

Then my cat came in - i think she used up atleast 7 of her 9 lives! I know they shouldn't go out at night and i know they probably get eaten, but this one is a hunter and is a horror to have in at night (keeps me up) - since then, she has stayed in more at night.

LOL you say that like it's a bad thing. I would be lost if my little black and why boy didn't wake me up at 4 am with a bop to my head every morning to feed him. If only he would put that ---- claw away!

It sounds feline to me. I have never heard a coyote make a sound like you mention. If you aren't feeding your cat there, I don't know what it is doing except maybe checking out the smell. Cats can make incredible noises when they are getting all territorial and defensive/aggresive.

I'd sure think about keeping my kitty in lest it get "snacked" up.

donsgal

[perennial]

yeh, i'm keeping them in at night. Whatever cat doesn't make it to our bed first to sleep ends up being the noisy one. It's getting better slowly. I wouldn't mind one wake up at 4:00, but some nights it's been 3-4 times - they pull on something so loud i have to check if they are ruining our old carpet or just clawing their claw scratcher thing, the hunter cat has now found the ends to the blinds and loves tossing those around at night. Usually, now if i pick her up and put her on a chair give her a few pets she'll settle down again. The fat cat has been sleeping on my bed again so she is quite and when she wakes up, i just get up, pick her up and put her back on the bed and she's quiet as a peep.

I think they are starting to learn they can't go out at night. I'll have to keep you informed if the "beast" comes next month.

thanks again

[MoonShine]

I'd say it's a wild cat. They make unbelievable sounds...I've heard wild cats that sounded like children crying and some that sounded just like a screaming woman being dragged through the woods. I've never heard a coyote or a coon make any noise like that.