Dave thought he took it mainly in the face-not good but he wasn’t bitten or visibly injured. The only concern were his eyes. He was rubbing them and they were red and teary. We called our sister in law, who is a vet, to help us determine if we needed medical attention. She seemed to think it was okay to watch him and so we shifted gears to focus on the smell. Several articles conferred that tomato juice is not the way to go and the newest homemade concoction includes-baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing detergent.

Here are the ingredients, keep them on hand

-1 quart hydrogen peroxide
-¼ cup of baking soda
-1 tsp of dishwashing detergent preferably Dawn (any will do)
***if you have a large dog you may need to double, triple the recipe

My sister in law sent a link to the very same concoction from Dr. Karen Becker. Read the article for helpful detailed directions on how to administer the bath.

I sprinted off to the nearest pharmacy to buy the critical ingredients, some gloves, and dog shampoo for after. I wished I had received my sister in law’s email first so that I could have bought enough ingredients for 2-3 treatments instead of just one. I got back, quickly made the recipe in a old juice container and Dave headed off to the self cleaning car station (only outside water source) at the apt. complex by himself because one of us had to stay with the kids. Once he left I was able to read the full article outlining the steps to treating your dog (NO WATER first). I quickly called Dave trying to stop him from putting water on the dog but I was too late.

Directions were to apply the solution directly on your dog and lather it in then let it sit until the smell subsides 5-10 minutes. Wash and repeat as necessary. ***But be very careful with the face, especially the eyes because the solution has hydrogen peroxide and could burn the eyes. Dave had enough for only one treatment, washed poor Winston off with practically a power washer and came back. He hadn’t done his face yet (bad idea with power washer) and that was the part that smelled the worst.  I located a small amount of hydrogen peroxide I had, mixed up a smaller batch in a juice box, got some towels and a sponge so we could gently apply the solution on his face, around his eyes.

We snuck Winston into the bathroom, passed a sleeping child, and washed his face and gave him a warm rinse before drying him off. All his hair in the bath stopped up the drain-oh well. He was trying to rub his eyes on me a lot. As soon as we toweled him off we put him on the little porch to dry off. He proceeded to throw up a significant amount. Thank goodness he was on the porch. It literally smelled like he had eaten the skunk. I was worried that he might be really sick and that maybe we should take him into the vet. Back to the search engines.

On all accounts nausea and throwing up seemed common after a skunk spray but the main concern were the eyes. According to a client sheet by Cheryl Yuill, DVM, MSc, CVH, if sprayed in the eyes there’s concern because “it can damage the delicate cornea of the eye and cause temporary blindness.” I called back our sister in law to see if we should go the emergency vet clinic. She thought not but said she would not be the one to tell us not to go. I called the local emergency pet clinic, Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners, to inquire about wait and cost. They were extremely cordial and said no one was waiting and it was $85 which to me seemed pretty reasonable for an after hours emergency clinic. I told the receptionist what happened and said we were concerned about the eyes and that he had thrown up. She checked with a tech and confirmed everything we had already done-bath ingredients-careful with eyes, vomiting normal and said to flush the eyes with water if possible.

While I was writing the article, Dave was off on another pharmacy run of which he has been to three because most close at 10p.m. to get saline solution and gentil, an eye lubricant to help Winston’s eye discomfort. While it was challenging couple of hours (fun Friday night) and a comedy of errors, at least the kids were asleep and we were able to give Winston our full attention. All in all, it’s good to know what to do when you are sprayed by a skunk, however unlikely.

(Originally written August 2012)

The post Skunk Attack, blow by blow personal story and helpful recipe appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

The first favorite book was Kitty Up, by Elizabeth Wojtusik. It’s a story of a cat that jumps out of a window chasing a ball, gets lost and finds his way home through his friend, the family dog. It’s beautifully illustrated. We received the book for free through Dolly Parton’s imagination library program. Through the program, participants receive a free age appropriate book each month until the age of 5. It the program is in your area, it is free to participate and a wonderful way to foster the love of learning especially to low-income families.

Another animal favorite of mine featured in the Dolly Parton program is The Roar of the Snore by Marsha Diane Arnold. It has a wonderful rythmic rhyme and a most charming ending. All the Huffles are waking all the members of their family to stop the “roar of the snore” which is keeping Jack from falling asleep. In the end the guilty party is none other than a small lost kitten sleeping in the barn and the family decides to adopt him.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is a sweet tale of unmeasurable love and learning how to express it. A baby rabbit, “Little Nutbrown Hare” wants to express his grande love for “Big Nutbrown Hare”. As the young rabbit tries to describe his love for Big Nutbrown Hare, he is seemingly limited by his physical restrictions-how far he can stretch his arms and how tall he can reach. Since Big Nutbrown Hare is physical bigger his responses of love always seem greater. Little Nutbrown Hare continues to stretch his imagination and grasp larger ways to express his love.

The character Pete the Cat, by James Dean and Eric Litwin, became a favorite this year when their girls 92 year old grandmother sent Pete the Cat, I love My White Shoes and accompanying stuffed animal for as a birthday present. It’s cute and catchy and a great way to learn colors and basic words. The moral of Pete’s story when confronted with challenges is don’t worry, keep a positive attitude and move forward. It’s illustrated repeatedly in the storyline “Did Peter cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song.”

Everytime my children request Hermie, A Common Caterpillar I question if it’s because they want to see me cry. It’s a beautiful story written by Max Lucado about a caterpillar who appears very ordinary except that he talks to God. God always responds to Hermie’s question “God, why did You make me so common?” with “Don’t worry Hermie,” “I love you,” “And I am not finished with you yet.” It’s a beautiful story about waiting patiently to become who you are intended to be.

Great Gift Book:
One of my favorite books to give new parents is My Very Own Name personalized animal book written by Maia Haag. It introduces the child’s name with animals holding letters like a “Deer” holding a “D.” The kids love the animals but I love the lasting memory of a child’s name bound in a book with animals. You can also personalize it with a message at the beginning.

One of my favorites because it reminds me of daily interactions with my own children is Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama. It illustrates the need for patience and how easily children’s basic needs can escalate to mass frustration. I love it because it teaches the lesson of patience which I know I can always use more of and is not easy to teach young children. It makes me laugh as Baby Llama’s needs for mama escalate from needing a drink to major drama crying and screaming for his mama. I laugh at mama’s reaction “Baby Llama what a tizzy! Sometimes Mama’s very busy. Please stop all this llama drama and be patient for your mama. If that only worked!

What animal books do your children like? Send us a message at contact@straymagnet.com or comment on facebook.

The post Our Favorite Children’s Books Featuring Animals appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

This week’s pick is Cary from the Nashville Humane Association.

Cary Description:
-Domestic Short Hair Cat
-Black
-Spayed Female
-8 lbs.
-6 years old

NSA says “Hi! My name is Cary and I was found as a stray so not much is known about my past. I seem to be a great girl! I love to be petted and enjoy watching the birds out the window. Please come see me!”

For more information or her full listing visit Nashville Humane Association’s website.

View other adoptable cats, adoptable dogs.

Nashville Humane Association
213 Oceola Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 352-1010

Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10AM – 5PM  
Closed Wednesday 
Thursday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
Sunday 12Pm-5PM

The post Past Featured Pet: Cary appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Kitten season starts in the spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in the fall. According to the Pet Community Center, “Each year in Nashville over 10,000 animals are euthanized because of pet overpopulation.” “Spaying and neutering makes a big difference: Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce an incredible 370,000 kittens!” (PETA)

Middle Tennessee has lots of spay and neuter services, financial assistance programs, and low cost clinics.

A full list of those can be found at http://straymagnet.com. Below we we highlight a few mobile options, clinics and financial assistance programs.

Mobile Services:

Rover (Davidson County Residents)

Website: www.nashvillehumane.org
Rover is the Nashville Humane Association’s mobile surgical unit. “ROVER travels four days a week and is staffed by a Veterinarian, Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician (LVMT), Veterinary Assistant and Project Coordinator.” You can’t miss the big yellow bus which offers practically free -$10 spay and neuter services to qualifying individuals.

To qualify: you need to live in Davidson County and bring proof of one of the following: food stamp card, free school lunch program card or WIC documentation, disability letter or V.A. disability letter, last year’s tax return statement, public housing rent receipt or Section 8 letter, or Social Security income documentation.

To set up your appointment:
1-Call 615 352-4030
2
2-complete the patient information packet at http://www.nashvillehumane.org

The Spay Station (Wilson County)

The Spay Station is a New Leash on Life 33-foot mobile veterinary clinic. The Spay Station offers FREE spay and neuter services to those who demonstrate financial need.

To qualify: participate in ANY of the following programs: “food stamps, public housing, disability, WIC, Families First, SSI OR Medicaid.” While the Spay Station primarily serves residents in Watertown and Lebanon anyone (group or individual) may sponsor the spay station ($1,100) for their county. The Spay Station runs solely off of grants, donations and sponsors.

For an appointment or more information, please call 615-444-1196.

Spay & Neuter Programs and Low-Cost Services

Sumner Spay & Neuter Alliance

1033-B Union School Road
Gallatin, TN 37066
(615) 452-2233
Website: www.sumnerspayneuteralliance.org
Email: info@sumnerspayneuteralliance.org

Cost:
Male Cat $30, Female Cat $40, Feral Cat $25
Male dog $45, Female Dog $55

To schedule an appointment; call (615) 452-2233, Monday – Thursday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Beesley Foundation

2215 Keeneland Commercial Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37217
(615) 890-6878
Website: www.beesleyfoundation.org

Cost:
Male Cat $40, Female Cat $45 (add $15 if pregnant or in heat)
Male Dog range $50-$90 depending on weight, Female Dog range $65-$100 depending on weight, exact fees available at http://www.beesleyfoundation.org.

Why prices are low:
1-”We are a non-profit clinic run by Beesley Foundation and supported in part by donations and fundraisers.”
2-”We only provide spay/neuter services and do not have the overhead required for full-service clinics.”

To Sign up for an appointment: Click here to download their application. “Fees for surgery (and required shots) must be paid before an appointment is made. When we receive your application with payment, we will call you to make an appointment.”

Fix for Life Spay & Neuter Clinic

511 W. Baddour Parkway
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 453-2349
Website: newleashonline.org
Email: fixforlife@newleashonline.com

“Fix for Life, an initiative of New Leash on Life, is a spay/neuter clinic that is dedicated to reducing pet overpopulation in Wilson and surrounding counties by providing high volume, high quality, low-cost sterilization services. Spay/Neuter services are offered to shelters, rescue groups as well as the general public and you do not have to qualify financially to use our services.”

Cost:
Male Cat $30, Female Cat $40
Male Dog under 50lbs $40, over 50lbs $50, Female Dog under 50lbs $50, over 50lbs $65
*Prices sometimes decrease when they receive grants, call regularly to inquire.

Call for an appointment (615) 453-2349 Monday thru Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Middle Tennessee Spay and Neuter Clinic

738 B. North Main St.
Shelbyville, TN 37160
(931) 684-5353
Website: www.mtsnc.org

Cost: Cat $30 Dog $45

Who Qualifies: “Anyone on state or federal assistance including TNCare, food stamps, disability, reduced or free lunch etc., anyone who adopts from an animal agency, animals in the care of a rescue, humane or animal control, anyone with barn or feral cats (not owned pet cats) and those on fixed income. A 1-2 person home under $30,000. For each additional person add $6,900.
*Thanks to a grant provided by ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) we are able to offer a discount of $20 off a surgery for big dogs over 50 pounds.”

Financial Assistance Programs:

Pet Community Center

Financial assistance and transport available to Fix for Life Spay-Neuter Clinic.
(615) 512-5001
Website: www.petcommunitycenter.org
Email: info@petcommunitycenter.org

Cost:
Male Cat $30, Female Cat $40, Feral Cat $38 (includes rabies vaccination and ear tip)
Male Dog $45-$55 (based on weight), Female Dog $55-$70 (based on weight)
Full list of prices available at http://www.petcommunitycenter.org.
Book an appointment by completing their questionnaire.
*Financial Aid may be available, contact them for more information.

People for Animals

Financial assistance and discount certificates available.
Franklin, TN
Website: www.peopleforanimals.net
Email: PeopleForAnimals@comcast.net

Process:
 Call (615) 794-8925 to talk to a volunteer who will determine the level of assistance available and the appropriate vet clinic for the surgery. The pet owner then calls the clinic to schedule the surgery.
List of programs and services
List of vets they work with (accept PFA certificates)

Nashville Humane Association

Discount certificates called “Friends of Animals Certificates” are available for purchase to use at participating clinics
. Anyone can purchase!
213 Oceala Ave
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 352-1010
Website: www.nashvillehumane.org

Cost:
Male Cat $51, Female Cat $65
Male dog $64, Female Dog $90


List of participating vets

Cheatham County Animal Awareness Foundation (Cheatham County Residents)

Spay neuter services and financial assistance program for residents of Cheatham County. The Spay Station comes once a month to spay and neuter cats and small dogs and large dogs are performed at a local vet clinic.

Website: www.cheathamcountypaws.org

Call or email for more information:
Call for cats and small dogs (615) 829-8984
Call for dogs over 40 lbs (615) 578-1262
Email: cheathamcountypaws@hotmail.com

Local Trap and Release Programs:

The Pet Community Center also have a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program called Feline Fix. For more information visit www.petcommunitycenter.org
Together with Nashville Paw Foundation they are offering a spring program called Free Feral Cat Mondays. They will fund the sterilizations for 120 cats Fix For Life. The two dates left are May 6 and May 13. To schedule an appointment, visit http://www.petcommunitycenter.org.

Additional Resources:

“Pet Statistics: How Many Pets are in the United States?/ How many animals are in shelters?/ etc.” ASPCA
“Why Spay/Neuter?” on People for Animals
“Kitten Progression: At-a-Glance” on Alley Cat Allies
“Feline Spay + Neuter” by Mark Waldrop, DVM on Nashville Paw
“Spay and Neuter FAQs” from the Sumner Spay & Neuter Alliance

The post It’s Kitten Season; Help Control Overpopulation by Spaying and Neutering Your Pets appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Enter to Win a complementary mini session and a matted print for your senior or terminally ill dog.

OLD DOGS

“My dear old dog, most constant of all friends.” William Croswell Doane’s words have resounded again and again at Adrian Hitt Dogography. Adrian started her dog photography business 6 and a half years ago because of her love for her own sweet pup, Benny. As she photographed families in their homes, she noticed something special: when around their dogs, people would forget their inhibitions and openly share their childlike love for their fur babies. Over the years, so many clients have shared beautiful stories about their current or former pups, and it is always so clear that these four-legged children add so much love to their families. Our dogs fill our hearts with joy in their presence, and the holes they leave behind in their absence let us know they can never be replaced. We know our time with them is short, and having a photo can be such a wonderful way to treasure them for years to come.

NEW PICS: MINI-SESSION MAY 11, 2013 and DRAWING

With that in mind, Adrian Hitt Dogography is thrilled to announce a very special mini-session event taking place on Saturday, May 11th to celebrate the lives of beloved old and ill dogs. Adrian will be spending the day in sessions dedicated to capturing the memory of these cherished family members 10 years and older or those with a terminal illness. And the best part? They’re offering you the opportunity to win one of these special timeslots- a complementary session and gift print! Adrian is looking forward to giving to the dog lovers in our community in this unique and heartfelt way.

Submit your entry by April 30, 2013.

To enter your dog, email olddogs@adrianhitt.com with your dog’s name, age, illness (if applicable) and 3-5 sentences about why your dog is so special to you. Deadline for entries is April 30th. Selected dogs will be contacted the first week of May with session information and location.

More details about this drawing can be found on Adrian’s website at www.adrianhitt.com/olddogs. Please consider passing the information along to friends and family so they can enter too!

Photos and Text Courtesy of Adrian Hitt Dogography

The post ADRIAN HITT Dogography Presents Old Dogs, New Pics appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Each week we will feature animals available for adoption at local shelters. This week’s pick is Roman from Love at First Sight! Puppy and Kitten Adoption Center.

Roman was adopted from LFS very own Dr. Stevens. To see a picture, check out our facebook page.

Brief Description:

Age: 5 Month Old Puppy
Gender: Male
Breed: Mix

LFS has cared for Roman since he was 2 months old! “It’s hard to believe that someone hasn’t adopted me yet.  For the life of me I can’t understand why?.  I mean I’m the total package.  I have the good looks, the awesome charm, and a wonderful personality. I LOVE kids and all other animals.  I would do well with people of all ages.  However, keep in mind I am still a puppy and need to learn my manners.  I know if you give me a chance you won’t regret it.  Come take me home today.”

Roman has been at Murphy Road Hospital, healing from a broken foot. LFS says “He is such a great guy. The Dr. believes he broke his foot when he was a tiny newborn and it healed but healed incorrectly and then he re broke it.  Once the foot is healed he shouldn’t have any further issues.”

I should grow up to weigh between 45 and 65 pound. I have the prettiest chocolate coat which makes me very unique. I love to play with my frisbee, it is definitely my favorite toy so I think that one day I might be really good at fetch! I am sure to be a great dog when I grow up so come in and make me the newest addition to your family!

For more information or their full listing visit Love at First Sight’s website at http://www.lafspetadoption.com.

Love at First Sight! Puppy and Kitten Adoption Center
4423 Murphy Road
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 297-2464
Fax (615) 383-9096
email: lafspetadoption@aol.com

Hours:
Monday-Friday 10AM-4:30PM
Saturday 8:30AM-4:30PM

The post Past Featured Pet: Roman appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

“METRO (DAVIDSON COUNTY) ANIMAL CONTROL: Accepted an invitation to tour the Metro Animal Control facility this past week. Many of you have read the recent articles in the Tennessean regard their intake of 10,000+ animals annually with a euthanasia rate of 76-78% (in comparison, in the same period Sumner County took in 2,500 animals with a euth rate of 63%).

Unlike our Sumner County facility, the Metro AC facility is fully open to the public (as is Williamson, Rutherford and Cheatham County facilities). I found the Metro facility very clean, spacious, odor free with a friendly professional staff that reports to their County Health Department. Like Sumner, they also have about a 1/3 of the total intake from ‘owner surrenders’.

They do not adopt out any Pitt Bull or Pitt mixed breeds (which accounts for about 60-65% of their total intake) … these are euthanized if not reclaimed by their owners. All animals in their adoption center have been fully vetted, S/N’d and pass a temperament test, with most also having been quarantined for a 7 day period. Upon intake ALL are vaccinated, dewormed and treated with Pet Armor flea/tick treatment. It is mandatory that all animals that have been picked up as “running at large” be micro chipped before/if being reclaimed by their owners.

They also accept animals from all counties/areas, not just from Davidson County. Davidson County also has a licensing program … $4 annually. All animal feed containers are cleaned & sterilized daily … kennels were very clean (they have a paid cleaning staff) … emphasis is placed on disease prevention and sanitization. Their annual budget is about $1.8 million, compared to Sumner County’s approx $350-500 thousand. I was impressed with the facility and overall operation … nice!!

And “Yes, they do have a volunteer program“. If are interested in volunteering, e-mail us at SumCoAnim@comcast.net and I will gladly send you an application. All volunteers are trained, undergo a background check and must sign a liability release.”

Darrel also provides Sumner County results which provides an insightful comparison.

SUMNER COUNTY FEB RESULTS:

“In February, 190 animals were taken in, of which 60 (32%) were ‘owner surrendered’ and 130 (68%) were ‘strays’. 15 (8%) were reclaimed by their owners*; 51 (27%) were turned over to rescue organizations; 31 (16%) were adopted and the euthanasia rate was 45% (85 animals). Another ‘good month’ compared to past results.

*Regarding ‘strays’ … the vast majority of stray animals do not have any type of owner identification where the owner can be contacted to reclaim their animals. Even though state law requires dogs to wear ‘rabies tags’ which can be used to identify the owner , most strays do not wear them or have never been inoculated.  Unfortunately, too many people treat their animals as a ‘disposable’ commodity … they never follow up with AC or the other shelters on ‘lost animals’. Most of these are eventually euthanized unless rescued or adopted out.  If a stray animal is picked up and is wearing owner ID, AC’s policy is to ‘provide a free ride home’ on first offenses without a citation.”

Photo By: Darrel Johnston

The post In the News: Sumner County Animals response to Nashville Animal Control’s high euthanasia rate appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

This week’s pick is Ebony from the Nashville Humane Association.

Brief Description:

Domestic Short Hair
Black
Spayed Female
6 months
10 pounds

NHA says “I’m a beautiful & sweet teenage kitten named Ebony. I’m very friendly, full of spunk & loved to be groomed! Looking for a fun girl to hang around with? That’s me – come visit soon.”

Photo Credits: Mike Noble Photography

For more information or their full listing visit Nashville Humane Association’s website at http://www.nashvillehumane.org.

Nashville Humane Association
213 Oceola Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 352-1010

Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10AM – 5PM
Closed Wednesday
Thursday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
Sunday 12Pm-5PM

The post Past Featured Pet: Ebony appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Each week we will feature animals available for adoption at local shelters. This week’s pick is Charlie from Nashville Cat Rescue.

Brief Description:
-Male
-Short Haired Tabby
-2-3 years old
-Neutered
-Up-to date on shots
-House trained
Pet ID: 30-13

“Charlie came to Nashville Cat Rescue in pretty bad shape. We are not really sure what happened to him, but we are glad Charlie found us! Surprisingly, he was negative for FIV and FeLV and in good spirits despite having a horrible wound on his neck. 

Charlie had to go back to the vet six times for treatment before his wound healed. Charlie is now happily waiting for a forever home. He still doesn’t have much hair on his neck (and he might not ever), but he has put on some weight and loves all the attention he can get!”

Currently Charlie is an a foster home awaiting his forever home. If you are interested in meeting Charlie email loveallcats3@hotmail.com.

 He has been neutered, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, and is up to date on his vaccinations.

For more information or their full listing visit Nashville Cat Rescue’s information on Petfinder, http://www.petfinder.com//petdetail/25133764.

About Nashville Cat Rescue:
“Nashville Cat Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing cats and kittens from off the streets and from high-kill shelters and placing them into loving, permanent homes. All cats and kittens that come through our program receive superb veterinary care before they are adopted out to the public. Each Nashville Cat Rescue cat or kitten is tested for FIV/FeLV, spayed or neutered, de-wormed, given flea preventative, and given all necessary vaccinations.”

The post Past Featured Pet: Charlie appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Last January we saw several coyotes in our neighborhood, across the street and even in our yard. Neighbors reported cats and small dogs being killed by coyotes. A year later, they are back! Apparently there are news stories going back several years of residents having close encounters with coyotes and showing concern for the brazen disregard for humans. This is not a new problem but it hasn’t garnered much media attention.

Are they prevalent in Middle Tennessee and what should you do?
According to the USDA Wildlife Services “Almost no animal in America is more adaptable to changing conditions than the coyote. Coyotes live just about anywhere. They are found in deserts, swamps, tundra, grasslands, brush and dense forests, from below sea level to high mountains. They have also learned to live in suburbs and cities” from Los Angeles to New York including Nashville.

A key to their adaptability is their versatile diet. While they prefer smaller animals including sheep, deer, poultry, rodents, rabbits, birds, squirrels, and skunks in urban areas they will eat much of what we put in trash cans from fruits and vegetables, to pet food. Her lies part of the reason that coyotes in urban areas have become more bold and therefore more dangerous. As the Wildlife Services reports “Coyotes adapting to an urban environment can become bolder because they are less likely to be harmed and more likely to associate people with an easy and dependable food source.”

While there aren’t many reported attacks on humans there are frequent attacks on domestic animals particularly small dogs and cats. It’s very important to protect your animals by not leaving them unattended especially at night. If your yard is not fenced and a coyote could gain access then walk your dog on a leash. If you have an outdoor cat, please consider bringing them in at night.

Tips to keeping coyotes away

provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services

“-Do not feed coyotes!
-Eliminate sources of water, particularly in dry climates.
-Bird feeders should be positioned so that coyotes cannot get feed. Coyotes are attracted by bread, table scraps, and even seed. They may also be attracted by the birds and rodents that come to feeders.
-Do not discard edible garbage where coyotes can get to it.
-Secure garbage containers and eliminate garbage odors.
-Feed pets indoors whenever possible. Pick up any leftovers if feeding outdoors. Store pet and livestock feed where it is inaccessible to wildlife.
-Trim and clean, near ground level, any shrubbery that provides hiding cover for coyotes or prey.
-Fencing your yard could deter coyotes. The fence should be at least 6 feet high with the bottom extending at least 6 inches below ground level for best results.
-Don’t leave small children unattended outside if coyotes have been frequenting the area.
-Don’t allow pets to run free. Keep them safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night. Provide secure shelters for poultry, rabbits, and other vulnerable animals.”

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency adds:

“-Do not place trash cans out the night before scheduled pick-up.  Placing cans out in the morning before pick-up will give coyotes less time to scavenge. They will not have cover of darkness.
-Do not leave barbecue grill outside and uncovered. The smell of the grill and the contents of the grills drip pan attracts coyotes.
-Discourage coyotes from frequenting your area.  Harass them by throwing rocks, shouting, and making loud noises when one is seen.“

Other interesting facts

provided by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Physical Characteristics:
“The average weight of a coyote in Tennessee is 20-40 pounds, about the size of a small to medium sized German Shepard.  The coyote has erect, pointed ears, slender muzzle with a black nose and a bushy tail which is carried down as it runs.”

“Their eyesight is six times greater than mans.  Sense of smell is extremely well developed, more than 23 times better than mans.”

Breeding
“Coyotes breed during January through March.  Daytime activity increases during the coyotes breeding season.  After breeding season, coyotes begin a frenzy of feeding activity and begin searching for suitable denning sites.”

There is a local coyote resources in town called Nashville Coyote Resource “NashvilleCoyotes.com” which features helpful information, videos and sighting reports.

Pass along your coyote reports to contact@straymagnet.com or comment on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thestraymagnet.

Two Main Resources:
United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

The post Coyotes in Nashville appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.