The country atmosphere in T.O. includes coyotes.

I watched the news at 6 p.m. recently on Channel 2, and there was a reporter in T.O. telling that a woman was complaining about coyotes here.

Many people moved out here away from the big city of L.A. for our country atmosphere.

We moved here in 1960; this was a lovely town, and we still love it here. We had animals all the time in our backyard, such as raccoons, skunks, gopher snakes and even a badger.

We saw coyotes running down our streets early in the mornings because homes were being built in the hills and taking away their habitat.

We also saw packs of dogs running down our streets as people who didn’t want them were dumping them here, and the same situation existed with cats. We adopted four stray cats and one dog to give them a home.

Tiger, our cat, was a huntress, and she was so proud of her prey.

She would bring us mice, rats baby rabbits and birds, and she would put them on our patio and wait for our praise. I wasn’t too happy, as I love rabbits and birds.

She and other cats and coyotes are scavengers, so they keep the mice, rats, snakes, gophers, squirrels and rabbits in balance.

We always had field mice in our house and garage looking for food.

This is a city now with a country atmosphere, and that’s why people love it here. No, there aren’t any coyotes in L.A., as the cars would kill them.

The coyotes were here before us, and we took away their dens and food. We kill the mice, rats, gophers and snakes because they’re pests to us, but to coyotes, it’s their food.

You’re away from the big, big city and smog living in a beautiful city with a country atmosphere.

I know, as we love it here, and we accept what’s here, and we also should take the responsibility of keeping our pets safe.
Kristal Watters
Thousand Oaks