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What Do Coyotes Eat? Wildlife Expert Warns to Keep These Pets Inside

By Alexandra Jump Parade Pets

Updated May 30, 2026 4:23 PM

arena photography — Annette Shaff / Shutterstock.com

If you have ever spotted a coyote trotting through your neighborhood at dusk, you are definitely not alone. Coyotes have become increasingly common in suburban and urban areas across the United States, adapting surprisingly well to life around humans. While many people associate coyotes with rural landscapes or deserts, experts say these animals are highly intelligent, opportunistic feeders that can thrive almost anywhere food is available.

For pet owners, that adaptability can also bring understandable concerns. From unsecured trash cans to outdoor pet food bowls, neighborhoods can unintentionally create easy feeding opportunities for coyotes. And while their diet mostly consists of natural food sources, experts warn that free-roaming animals and very small pets may still be at risk in certain situations.

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Coyotes are generally not looking to interact with people, but they are constantly searching for food. Seasonal changes, human food waste and even backyard bird feeders can all influence coyote behavior throughout the year. Understanding what coyotes naturally eat and what attracts them to residential areas can help homeowners better protect both their pets and property.

We spoke to an expert to learn exactly what pet parents need to know about what coyotes eat, how to keep your pets safe in areas with coyotes, and easy ways to help prevent coyotes from coming near your home or trash cans.

Our Expert

To learn more about coyotes and their eating habits, we spoke with Michel Kohl, PhD, a certified wildlife biologist and wildlife extension specialist at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

A Coyote's Natural Diet

According to Kohl, coyotes are extremely flexible eaters, with diets that shift depending on both the season and their environment. "Their diet is highly diverse and changes throughout the year," Kohl says. "It is comprised of a diverse array of natural and human foods."

In natural environments, coyotes commonly eat rabbits, rodents, carrion, berries, acorns, grasses and other vegetation. Kohl notes that coyotes are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will consume "really anything else that is edible."

In more urbanized areas, however, a coyote's diet may shift a bit. "In more urban landscapes, their diet will transition to more human foods if readily available," Kohl says. This includes food sources like pet food and unsecured trash.

Do Coyotes Actually Eat Cats and Small Dogs?

Kohl says coyotes may prey on cats and backyard livestock like chickens, and that cats face a much higher risk than dogs. "Some research has found that cats have been found in up to 30 percent of coyote scat in urban areas," Kohl says, though he stresses that this does not mean cats make up 30 percent of a coyote's overall diet.

Kohl also notes that many documented cases of coyotes preying on cats involve free-range or feral cats. "This does suggest that off-leash domestic pet cats are similarly at risk," he says.

Small dogs may also be attacked, though Kohl says this is less common. "It is often more of a social dominance event that gets out of hand rather than a predation behavior," he says. Larger dogs face very little risk.

What Coyotes Eat in Your Neighborhood

Even in cities and suburbs, coyotes still consume a surprising amount of natural food. Kohl says research conducted in Atlanta found that most coyotes primarily relied on wild food sources despite living near people.

However, human behaviors can quickly change that balance. Outdoor pet food, overflowing garbage bins, bird seed and even concentrations of rodents attracted to feeders can all create food opportunities that keep coyotes nearby.

Coyotes are especially likely to revisit areas where food sources remain consistently available.

Do Coyotes' Diets Change in Winter vs. Summer?

Kohl says that coyotes adapt their diets based on seasonal food availability. During the summer and fall, fruits, berries and acorns can make up a significant portion of what they eat.

In spring, their diet often becomes more varied, while deer fawns may become an important food source in early summer. Coyotes also continue eating small mammals year-round when available.

Further north, coyotes are more likely to feed on deer and other larger mammals during the winter months.

How to Keep Coyotes Out of Your Yard (and Trash)

Kohl says the best way to discourage coyotes is by removing easy food sources around the home. Keeping pet food indoors, securing garbage cans and limiting bird feeding may all help reduce attractants.

"If you do see a coyote in the yard, we recommend hazing the animal with loud noises or spraying with a water hose to discourage them from sticking around," Kohl says.

He also recommends supervising pets outdoors and keeping dogs on leashes when possible. Free-roaming cats are especially vulnerable to encounters with coyotes.

If coyotes continue appearing after food sources have been removed, Kohl says it may indicate another nearby attractant in the neighborhood. In more serious situations, you may need to contact your state wildlife agency or a nuisance wildlife control company for additional help.

This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 3:48 PM.