Protecting Your Pet

It is important to keep your pet safe.  Even in a fenced yard your pet can be at risk of harm from predators.  Unless you have your pet in a fully enclosed crate or fully enclosed kennel (roof included) your pet can be reached by a predator. 

Here in California, pets can be at risk to attacks by Coyotes or mountain lions.  The California Department of Fish and Game has created a brochure outlining steps to minimize coyote contact with humans and pets, Keep Me Wild.  www.keepmewild.com.

They provide the following:

Put garbage in tightly sealed containers that cannot be easily turned over.

Remove sources of water

Bring pets in at night

Do not leave pet food outside

Bring in bird feeders at night.  They attract rodents and rabbits who are coyote food.

Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.

If you live in a coyote area, you may want to consider the following, also:

Never feed or attempt to tame a coyote

Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended

Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house

Trim ground level shrubbery

Coyotes will be most active in spring when feeding and protecting their young.

The Keep Me Wild website provides the following in regard to Mountain lions:

More than half of California is mountain lion habitat. Mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. They are solitary and elusive, and their nature is to avoid humans.

Mountain lions prefer deer but, if allowed, they also eat pets and livestock. In extremely rare cases, even people have fallen prey to mountain lions.

Living in Mountain Lion Country

• Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
• Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage from DFG offices.
• Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
• Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
• Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats, and other vulnerable animals.
• Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
• Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

Jerry Jacobs