Pets Falling Prey To Wild Animals

Monday, December 17th 2007, 6:15 am

By: News On 6

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) _ As the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond continues to expand, animal welfare workers say pets are falling prey to coyotes and bobcats. Animal Welfare Supervisor Jim Fish says they've been seeing a growing number of small dogs and cats disappearing. He says the city's residential growth is creating a lack of habitat for wild animals like coyotes and bobcats.

As those animals become accustomed to humans, he says the lose their natural instinct to avoid people.

Nancy Nichols believes her two cats were nabbed by predators. The cats disappeared in separate incidents this year near her Edmond home, which sits next to a green belt along Coffee Creek.

Fish says residents can protect their pets by keeping them indoors and not leaving food stored outside.