Feral Cats Avoid Urban Coyotes, Are Surprisingly Healthy
Study suggests urban coyotes may ‘protect’ certain wildlife from cats
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cats that live outdoors in the city do their darnedest to steer clear of urban coyotes, a new study says.
The cats cause less damage to wildlife in urban green spaces, such as city parks and nature preserves, because of that dodging, the study suggests. And they live longer and are healthier than previously thought.
“Free-roaming cats are basically partitioning their use of the urban landscape. They’re not using the natural areas in cities very much because of the coyote presence there,” said the study’s lead author, Stan Gehrt, associate professor of environment and natural resources at The Ohio State University.