Eagan: Keep Pets Indoors, Coyotes Are About
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We're often reminded to keep an eye on our pets, but after two cats were killed by coyotes recently, Eagan residents are being told to keep their pets inside.
Not too long ago, an Eagan family found the partial remains of their cat behind their home, and another resident found the remains of an unidentified cat in her backyard.
The City of Eagan gets about 50 coyote reports annually, but most are just sightings.
Karen Grimm, an Eagan animal control officer, said that coyotes have been living in Eagan for a while and that they aren't going anywhere soon.
"They are a fact of life," she said. "So when we have sad occurrences like this, we like to use it as an opportunity to remind people that they need to be cautious with their pets."
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Grimm said it's no surprise that coyotes happen to like suburban areas.
"Eagan has a lot of wonderful green space; it's got a great environment, it has everything coyotes need," Grimm said. "We've got lots of rabbits and other wildlife and lots of space for them to live quite happily".
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to deter wild animals from coming into a yard, such as: not leaving pet food out, removing animal remains, being careful with bird feeders, which can attract coyotes, and removing fallen fruits and vegetables.
"People need to understand that you need to keep your cats inside. In this day and age, it is simply not safe for cats to be going outside unattended," Grimm said.
It's also important for dogs, especially smaller breeds, to not be tied up unattended outside, Grimm said.
