Coyotes stir pet concerns

Just as if he had a watch, Bay Kitty, a 15-year-old gray-and-white tabby, would return to the Newport Beach home of Glenn and Paula Gelman at 7 a.m. and again 7 p.m. to receive his twice-daily insulin shots.

The Gelmans knew their beloved diabetic cat was no more when he failed to return one evening a few weeks ago for his regular injection.

“We were positive he was in trouble — we thought maybe he had fallen into a diabetic coma,” Glenn Gelman said.

The next week, the Gelmans’ other cat, a 12-year-old big gray tom named Stripes, disappeared, leaving only a pile of fur across the street from their Sea View home.

A neighbor said she heard Stripes battling a coyote the night before just outside her window.

The Gelmans now believe coyotes killed both of their cats within the span of two weeks. Newport Beach Animal Control officials say it’s prime hunting season for local coyotes, who often have pups to feed in the spring months.

“They were just precious, like members of our family,” Paula Gelman said. “We knew that Bay Kitty was on limited time, but what a horrible way to go.”

The 1,000-acre Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve and a bevy of well-watered lawns and swimming pools make Newport Beach an excellent habitat for coyotes, said Eric Metz, a senior animal control officer in Newport Beach.

Newly developed areas around Newport Coast and around Upper Newport Bay in particular are prime coyote real estate, he said.

Local pets often fall prey to the quick-witted, furry predators.

“Cats are pretty easy for coyotes to hunt and lot easier for them to catch than a rabbit, and they’re a lot bigger than a rabbit,” Metz said. “Coyotes are smart — they’re going to go after the cat because it’s easier and more food.”

Newport Beach Animal Control advises pet owners to keep close watch on their pets, especially just after sunrise and just before sunset — optimum hunting times for coyotes, Metz said.

Coyotes have been known to jump up to 6-foot-tall fences to attack cats or small dogs, he said.

Pet owners also can keep coyotes away by avoiding leaving food outside for their pets, Metz said.

Newport Animal Control officers often field complaints of coyote attacks on pets, but there is little they can do to catch the animals, which are smart enough to stay away from traps, Metz said.

A large possum-like trap set for local coyotes has snared only two young pups in his 28 years as an animal control officer, Metz said.

“The only other solution is to shoot them, but we can’t really safely do that in residential areas,” Metz said.