Recently, neighbor Linda Niswonger (380 E. Cooke Road) spoke with the Ohio Wildlife Center about foxes attacking cats. Linda wrote to share what she learned after talking with OWC staff:

NEIGHBOR LINDA WRITES: They said, very simply, don’t let cats out.  This is a fox’s natural habitat and there is nothing they (Ohio Wildlife) can do.  While the fox are here, everyone just needs to keep their cats indoors.  I feel for everyone & everything involved but partly why we live here in the ravine is for the wildlife. The fox will not continue to attack a cat if they see humans. I, personally, found that out Saturday.  I will help spread the word in my area.  Thanks for your help.     

ELAYNA GRODY (City Rec and Parks) wrote: I actually researched the topic of cats let out side and found out the following: Pet cats let outside live an average of less that 5 – 7 years while those kept indoors live and average of 10 -12 years (due to getting diseases for other animals, including feral cats, getting hit by cars, getting lost and getting attacked) Pet cats let outside kill a large number of wildlife (estimated at up 1,000 animals per year per cat), especially birds and small mammals, even though they are fed regularly by their owners.  The kill out of instinct not out of hunger. Pet cats may mate with feral cats, which increases the feral population of cats.  There are a lot of feral cats out there.  Some estimates are between 100 and 1,000 feral cats per square mile with more being in urban setting as opposed to rural settings.  One study indicated that as many as 60% of un-neutered/spayed household pet cats become feral within 3 years.  This is due in part to people who get a pet cat, but then move without taking them along or abandon them in some other way, such as kittens of their house pet being left to roam.  It is also prevalent in transient communities such as apartment complexes, colleges/universities, etc. So it is good advice for both the cats and the wildlife to keep your cats indoors!  ) Thanks for spreading the good wisdom!

GREG CUNNINGHAM (Audubon Board Member) wrote: Besides that, the birds are either now or will soon be nesting. Cat killings of adult birds usually doom the whole brood, as single birds rarely keep up with the food and warming needs of a nest full of babies. And once they fledge, they are especially vulnerable to cats. Especially during nesting season, cats should be kept indoors (I think I lost a mother Robin that was already sitting on a nest this week to a cat).

LINDA NISWONGER writes: There are both fox and coyote in our ravine (Adena Brook)!!  The coyotes seems to go after anything smaller than them…even the  fox!! ( We know we have a breeding pair of Fox & they probably have kits who they are protecting at this point.) Cats who get in the way are “food” for all of them! We probably need to be more concerned about the coyote than the fox! Any suggestion you have would be appreciated!  I don’t think any of us wants anything bad to happen to these animals.Thank you!

ELAYNA GRODY writes: You do not need to worry about coyotes.  They are very skittish and will leave the immediate area when approached.  They mostly eat rodents, birds, eggs, etc.  They only occasionally will take a cat.  But they will not even think about humans as food – even small children. As with all wildlife, if you see one that is sick (not moving, moving slow, acting confused), you would want to keep your distance and call the ODNR Wildlife officer or City Health Dept (Dr. Aaron Messer). Coyotes and foxes do us a great service by keeping small mammal populations and even goose populations (they like the eggs) somewhat controlled.