Can cats fight off coyotes? Yes, sometimes.

People ask whether domestic cats can survive a coyote attack or what is the percentage of domestic cats who manage to escape from a coyote attack. The video on this page is instructional in so far as it tells us that not all cats are vulnerable to a coyote attack because they are able to defend themselves, not against one coyote but three. So the answer to the question in the title is yes, sometimes. I’ll depend on the cat’s character and the motivation and state of mind of the coyote.

Domestic cat sees off three coyotes
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

Domestic cat sees off three coyotes. Annotated screenshot from YouTube video.

It is obviously very unusual to see this sort of behaviour but it does show how the ‘weapons’ of a domestic cat; the claws and teeth, can be treated with respect by coyotes. They seem cautious in the video. It looks extraordinary. There have been a few cases recently of domestic cats successfully seeing off coyotes in direct, nighttime encounters recorded on security video cameras.

The domestic cat can be a match for a coyote under certain circumstances. That said many cats, predominantly feral I’d suggest, are killed by coyotes in America. It is a constant source of concern. It is why many households decided to keep their cats inside full-time in America. Almost single handedly, the coyote is a reason why cat owners confine their cats.

In North America, coyote distribution has expanded over the past century to where they are found more or less across the entire area of Canada and America. They are very capable, resourceful survivors in the urban or near-urban environment. Outside cats are a ‘prey item’ for them. Predators preying on domestic cats is something you never see in the UK and rarely in Europe.

Useful links
Anxiety - reduce it
FULL Maine Coon guide - lots of pages
Children and cats - important

SOME MORE PAGES ON COYOTE ATTACKS ON CATS:

Ginger tabby defends himself from coyote attack and escapes to safety

Ginger tabby cat fights with coyote on porch and climbs to escape (video)

A security camera caught a flat out fight between a red tabby domestic cat and a coyote on what appears ...
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There is a greyish colour to this bobcat

Do coyotes attack bobcats? Yes, according to 3 sources.

Yes, according to 3 reliably sources. Bobcats share many habitats with other carnivores including coyotes and pumas (mountain lions). According ...
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Cat chases coyote in parking lot

Upturning the laws of nature: cat chases coyote

Note: videos on this site are typically made by people other than me and held on YouTube servers or the ...
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Coyote photographed by a camera trap in California, USA

Coyotes change the cat owning habits of Americans

USA: Watch out, coyotes are about catching domestic and feral cats. This is an excellent picture of coyote with a ...
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Great picture of coyote chasing a cat in Sacramento USA

Great picture of coyote chasing domestic cat

SACRAMENTO, USA - C Street and 25th Street: Allyson Seconds - a good name because she acted within seconds - ...
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For illustrative purposes: Forensic veterinarian Margaret Doyle and Constable Dennis Smithson view an X -ray of a deceased cat. Photo: Jeff McIntosh.

When coyotes kill cats the cadavers give the impression that a psychopath has killed them

A thorough investigation by a veterinary pathologist, Nick Nation, in Edmonton, Canada, into the killing of a total of 53 ...
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Coyote attacks cat statue in N. Carolina

Coyote rips the ear off a cat statue in central North Carolina

A Wake Forest family erected a statue of a domestic cat outside their garage under the surveillance of a video ...
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Coyotes

Domestic cats make up 20% of the coyote diet in Los Angeles

A perceived increase in the coyote population in Los Angeles, USA, has some residents concerned for themselves and their pets ...
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Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

Michael Broad

Hi, I'm a 74-year-old retired solicitor (attorney in the US). Before qualifying I worked in many jobs including professional photography. I love nature, cats and all animals. I am concerned about their welfare. If you want to read more click here.

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