06/20/2026
Domestic cats aren’t part of the natural diet of coyotes. Modern coyotes thrived without them for over 10,000 years and, in natural ecosystems, coyotes do exceptionally well on a diet of squirrels, rabbits, rats, raccoons, opossums and occasionally fawns. Coyotes also scavenge carrion and eat fruit!
Coyotes help to prevent disease and control populations of native animals that can be damaging to ecosystems. Their natural diet is good for them, good for us, and good for North American ecology.
However, coyotes are also opportunists and will eat any easy food that is left outside for them. Domestic cats, which have been bred for thousands of years to be less fearful than wild animals and didn’t evolve in North America, are very easy prey for a hungry coyote.
So, if you feel like your local coyotes need easier prey than what they can find in the wild, you can help support them by letting your cat go outside. It’s a great way to ensure that coyotes are well-fed. Letting multiple cats go outside, or having a “colony” of outdoor cats, is an even better way to feed coyotes. They will learn that your house is a great place to go for free food and will keep coming back as long as you continue supplying it to them.
Feeding cats to your local coyotes will come at the expense of other wildlife, of course. Your cat will kill countless songbirds before your neighborhood coyotes find it. It could be very lucky and might live several years. But if you want to make sure that coyotes have something to eat, leave your door open for your cat! 🐈