WATCH: Coyotes On the Prowl in Canyon Acres

A Laguna Beach Patch reader sent us two videos of coyotes on the prowl early Tuesday morning in the area of Canyon Acres Drive.

Their hunt paid off—but unfortunately, it was at the expense of a neighbor's cat.

"About 2:30 a.m., a couple of coyotes trotted onto our property, marched up the stairs, and within 15 seconds killed our next-door neighbor's cat," says the reader.

"The first video shows the motion sensor lights getting turned on by a coyote heading toward some stairs, followed by a second. At about the 50-second mark, you can hear the cat hissing, then a horrific howl as they kill it.

"The second video shows a coyote coming back down the stairs with the cat in his mouth. He stops, drops the cat, listens for a few seconds, then turns and picks up the cat and walks off the property.

"Several more came and I watched as they played tug-o-war with it. Pretty bold coyotes. My motion sensor lighting and my yelling and banging the door did little to deter them. They'd been hooting and howling all over the Canyon Acres neighborhood about an hour earlier.

"Problem now is, when they've successfully fed themselves off of easy prey like pets, they get 'imprinted' and come back for more. All the more reason to warn people to be more responsible with their pets."

A warning sign was posted on a telephone pole by a Canyon Acres neighbor, alerting people of the incident.

The city has a list of tips regarding coyote issues, which we're posting here:

      DO:

• Feed pets indoors or promptly remove dishes when pets have completed their meals.
• Store bags of food indoors
• Clear brush and dense weeds from around property (This deprives coyotes and its normal prey from shelter)
• Place trash in barrels equipped with tight, clamping lids to prevent dumping. (Use tie-down cords if necessary)
• Keep your cat indoors, especially at night

      DON'T:

• Feed or provide water for coyotes or other wildlife
• Put trashcans out the night before scheduled pick-up
• Use plastic bags as garbage containers; coyotes can rip them open
• Allow cats, rabbits, small dogs or other small pets to run loose at any time; they are easy and favored prey

Have you ever experienced an incident with a coyote in Laguna Beach? Tell us in the Comments section below ...