Twice this week I have seen a coyote in the Juanita neighborhood between Northeast 124 and 128th streets. Likely this is the same coyote but there could be many more. This beautiful animal walked right past us last night on its trek back to the greenbelt hillside. It seemed unfazed as it trotted past my dog Joey and I. Luckily Joe is better than 100 pounds and not meal size.

Tonight I found a flier for a missing cat lost in the neighborhood. Hopefully this cat will come home but perhaps not. Please keep your pets inside. Cats are hard on the native bird species and efficient wildlife killers. Believe it or not they also taste good to a coyote. I love cats and have been known to share my house with them. I have also seen one of my beloved cats being carted off to the brush in the mouth of a coyote.

Don’t hate the coyote. If you love your pet then keep them inside. And watch for this beautiful wild creature in it’s natural habitat, Juanita.

Mike Jeffers, Kirkland