Why Texas Coyotes Get Bolder in Winter: Keep Your Pets Safe!

When the temperatures drop in West Texas, coyotes and foxes don’t just get hungry, they get bold. Cold nights push them closer to homes, porches, alleys, and backyards as they search for warmth, food, and easy opportunities. Last night was the perfect reminder for me. When I opened my front door, two neighborhood cats were curled up on my welcome mat, soaking up the warmth from that rug. A few hours later, I heard coyotes yelping behind a neighbor’s house. This is the season when wildlife moves in closer than ever.

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A Painful Reminder of Losing Moo Moo

Years ago, we lost our beloved cat Moo Moo right in the middle of a bright spring afternoon. A coyote walked straight into our yard like it owned the place. Moo Moo, who wasn’t afraid of dogs because we had two in the house at the time, thought it was just another friendly visitor. I walked outside and realized too late what was happening. It’s a memory I will never forget, and one I never want another West Texan to experience.

Why Winter Makes Coyotes and Foxes More Active

Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists note that cold weather kickstarts several things at once:

• Coyotes burn more energy, making them search wider areas for food.
• Smaller wildlife move more slowly, making house pets easier targets.
• Warm porches, patios, and garages attract stray cats, which then attract predators.
• Urban coyotes lose their fear of humans when food becomes scarce.

Just this past weekend, coming home from a late-night church service, I watched a fox race across my street, only two houses down.

How to Protect Your Pets Right Now

Here’s what every West Texas pet owner should do immediately:

• Bring pets indoors at night, even if they “never leave the yard.”
• Use motion lights, predators hate sudden brightness.
• Provide warm bedding for outdoor neighborhood cats away from entrances (I put folded moving blankets on my back patio inside my fenced-in back yard last night, and I found cat hair on the blanket this morning).
• Eliminate food sources, like leftover pet food, spilled bird seed, or trash.
• Supervise small pets, even for quick bathroom breaks.

Coyotes don’t knock, they slip in silently and strike fast. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recommends that pets “be kept indoors or on a leash where they are safest.” They also advise "do not feed wildlife, which includes foxes, coyotes, and to avoid leaving pet food or water outside, as these attract predators.

Final Word to West Texas Pet Owners

The cold weather has only just begun, and wildlife is already on the move. This is the time to stay alert, bring pets in close, and look after those neighborhood cats who have no one else. A little preparation can save a life, and spare a family from the heartbreak that my wife Donna and I felt with Moo Moo.

Read More: Beware: The Dreadful CWD Is Confirmed in Tom Green County Now