Alert: Coyote Possibly Attacked, Killed Cat in Campbell Neighborhood

Campbell animal control officers reportedly cleared away the remains of a cat today that they speculate was killed by a coyote overnight in the area of Bucknam and Shadle avenues, near Hacienda Avenue and South San Tomas Aquino Road.

A local family found the remains this morning on their front lawn -- remains that were so eviscerated that the property owners could not even identify the dead animal.

"Only about a third of it was left with entrails and fur scattered around," said the resident, who added his family heard no sounds of an attack last night.

The Campbell man said that perhaps the coyote came from the nearby Smith Creek, and wants to spread the word that predators may be roaming closer to homes than residents know.

In May in Los Gatos, police warned the public to be on the lookout for coyotes after reports of the wild dogs attacking two small animals in Los Gatos' Almond Grove District. 

[Previous: Locals Warned of Coyotes After 2 Reported Pet Attacks in Los Gatos Area.]

Residents were advised to keep small cats and dogs indoors at night and outside food. 

While coyote sightings are not unusual for this time of year, anyone who sees the wild dog should not approach it, police said.

In today's Campbell incident, the city animal officers were the ones who informed the family that the dead animal was, in fact, a cat, likely killed by a coyote. As the kitty's head was missing, no tests can be done for rabies, according to the family.

The city has not yet issued a safety statement, but Patch will post if it does.

More information on living with wildlife can be found through the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley at www.wcsv.org.