I have a strange question. We leave our garage door open about 6 inches at night so our outside cat can get in and out. Sam's food is out in the garage and he generally sleeps on my car. Something has been coming in and eating everything - even when we leave a lot. Sam was beaten up pretty well about 2 weeks ago and doesn't stay in the garage much now. On Sunday when we were walking the dog, we saw a fox (although I think it was a coyote - too tall for a fox). Do you think that a fox or coyote would come into our garage at night to get something to eat?

BTW - we now leave the garage door closed at night. There is a cat door, which Sam will go out, but he slept on our front porch last night in a chair. I believe it may be too warm for him in there right now.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Could be coyotes, raccoons, skunk, neighboring cat or dog, squirrel, woodchuck, etc...

I am not so sure a coyote would brave it into your garage. We have coyotes around our place and they have never entered our yard. But we have a dog outside. He's old and not very ambitious but he would growl at coyotes. The bunnies and coons don't bother him.

At one time I lived in a tiny little town in Texas on a dairy farm. We had coyotes come up and eat the dog food from the bowl that was inside an alcove on the front porch.

I don't have much experience with coyotes, but agree with SnowQueen that it could be racoons, possums, other cats, skunks, or voles just as easily.

My parents have two outside cats that sleep in the garage. They have to close the garage door at night or they get skunks and raccoons eating the cat food. Believe it or not, my mother does not appreciate it when her car smells like skunk.

I grew up on a farm and have seen hungry coyotes come up and take food. I would say one that was desperate would enter a garage. Of course, it could be any kind of critter. It could even be another cat.

Skittles - how close are you to skunkboy? We all know his cat bites. maybe it is overnighting in your neck of the woods!!!

Funny. I have seen Sam lay there during the day and watch another cat walk in and eat his food. He is extremely laid back. We haven't seen any (or smelled any) skunks in the area since we moved there about 16 months ago. It could be a raccoon - they can be mean and it may have attacked Sam. It's something that he is afraid of - and the bite marks on his tail show why. I would love to make him an indoor cat, but he likes it outside, he has HUGE claws (my inside cats don't), and he meows constantly.

My vote would be that it's a raccoon.

I grew up in a rural area with quite a few of them, and they can be very brazen and mean. One did a number on our dog one night (small dog, big and hungry raccoon)...

We always had to be extra careful to be up on our dogs' shots (it's quite the reminder when you have a raccoon hanging from your screen door )

It could quite possibly be a possum. Possums LOVE cat/dog food & they're a lot meaner than they look. They hiss, growl, and have some serious teeth. Your cat should be able to handle a possum, though. Now coons are *mean*.. I've seen coons put a hurtin' on even the best coon dogs.. usually very shortly before they get mauled to death.

Could be one of many things.

I have coyotes in a wetland accros from my home. They are very shy and rarely are seen but often heard.

My guess would first be a racoon, then a skunk or opossum.

My bet is on a raccoon as well. Since your cat was attacked and still alive, it probably wasn't a coyote.

We have had real problems with all types of varmits. Especially raccoons, possums and skunks. I have had to put up all cat and dog food at night because it got so bad with animals eating all the food. I agree with Traveler, it was probably a raccoon, not a coyote. I think your cat would have some serious injuries if it was a coyote.

I vote for a raccoon or possum also. A coyote would probably eat your cat rather than it's food.

If your cat was only beat up, chances are, it is another cat. Cats generally steer clear of racoons, skunks, and other animals bigger than them. A large fox or coyote would probably have killed him.

As for the disappearing food, that could be skunk, raccoons, a desparate fox or another cat. I don't think the coyote could get through the small opening.

Maybe it's the new breed of Psycho raccoons!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_sc/rampaging_raccoons

Great - now we have gangs of raccoons. What next?

BTW - we have been closing our garage door at night and Sam, our cat, has been going in and out the cat door. So far, nothing else has come in to eat his food. We honestly don't know what it was, although Sam is still quite skittish.