Humane Society finds dismembered cats, warns pet owners
Larimer Humane Society is warning owners to rein in their cats after finding dismembered cats in Loveland since spring.
The nonprofit, which also provides animal protection and control services to area municipalities, has received 11 reports of dismembered cats in Loveland since April.
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The animals were found west of North Taft Avenue within Loveland's city limits. Taft Avenue becomes Shields Street in Fort Collins.
Larimer Humane Society believes coyotes and other predators are to blame. Domestic cats make up more than 40 percent of a coyote's diet, according to Larimer Humane Society.
The remains prompted a Larimer Humane Society Animal Protection and Control investigation in early April to rule out human involvement. Loveland Police Department assisted with the investigation, which determined wild predators were to blame.
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Animal Protection and Control is encouraging owners to keep their cats indoors or on a leash when outdoors because of the uptick in cat deaths. Fort Collins and Loveland require cats to be on leash when outdoors.
"This law is there to address nuisance concerns like cats pooping in neighbor kid's sandbox and killing wild birds," Animal Protection and Control Captain Bill Porter said in a Wednesday release. "However, it is often overlooked that the law is there to protect cats from cars, dogs and what we are seeing now — wild animal predation."
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