As cities and suburbs grow, they often replace or shrink natural habitats—like forests, hills, and mountains—where coyotes used to live. This forces coyotes to move into residential neighborhoods in search of food and shelter.
Coyotes are opportunistic feeders. In towns, they find:
These are much easier to find than chasing rabbits in the wild—so they stay in towns where food is abundant and easier to catch.
Coyotes are natural predators of small mammals like rabbits and rodents. Small pets resemble these prey animals, especially when they move quickly or are left alone. In some cases, coyotes may even lure dogs out by pretending to play, then attack with a pack.
Coyotes often roam at night or early morning when people aren't watching. If pets are outside during these hours—especially in unfenced yards—they become easy targets.