Thanks for the info on Colorado coyotes. I hope that you also had a chance to read some of my other articles on coyotes and pets (https://lostpetresearch.com/category/predators/coyote/). I have to admit that I’m definitely overdue on checking for new research articles on coyote predation on cats. In my experience in my state, MA, frequency of attacks on pets seems to be regional such that some towns have a high rate of attacks and others have very few. There is always a risk of outdoor-access cats being taken by coyotes, but surprisingly escaped indoor-only cats often survive days or even weeks in areas with coyotes.

First, over the last decade there have been a small number of attacks on children and small dogs off-leash by single coyotes, fortunately none fatal. Adults were able to drive the coyotes off. There have also been a small number of attacks by coyote packs on adults when they were jogging, again none fatal. The Colorado Parks & Wildlife department posts the following sign all over the Front Range Trails now (their pdf link below, or search “Colorado Parks and Wildlife coyote sign” ):
https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/CoyoteSign.pdf
(By the way, like some of the other states we now also have grey wolves in the northern mountain areas that are increasing in population and regularly kill smaller cattle.)

I have read several of the studies mentioned regarding predation of coyotes on cats and small dogs, and of course they vary widlely in the estimated percentage of diet, but the closer the coyotes are to urban areas obviously the percentage will go up significantly compared to their regular diet of mice, rabbits, birds, squirrels, etc. (which may be harder to catch than unwary domestic cats). However, I can tell you from personal experience that any cats (and small dogs) roaming freely in our Colorado residential neighborhoods near forested foothills, open space, or farm/ranch fields will likely eventually be attacked and eaten by coyotes. Coyote vision (day or night) and sense of smell is far better than that of humans, so they can probably easily locate a cat in the open within a hundred yard radius. The many newer Colorado residents who are not aware of this regularly post “missing cat” signs, until someone fills them in on the situation.

Now that so many people have motion-activated security cameras we regularly have videos posted of coyotes entering residential neighborhoods to hunt cats (or eat any food garbage left out) as soon as the sun goes down. However, I have also seen them right in front of a middle school before dusk, with no fear of people at all (unless you confront them and chase them off).

Some people are now carrying pepper spray (the kind with a wider “cone” pattern) and either a walking stick or a small-size collapsible police baton. You need to be especially cautious in any coyote area with letting small children walk on the trails ahead or behind you where you cannot see them. Some children were attacked in Broomfield, Colorado (northwest of Denver) several years ago. State wildlife officers had to kill several coyotes there to stop it, but the attacks on small dogs and cats have continued.
Broomfield coyote incidents info here:
https://www.broomfield.org/440/Coyote-Information
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CH4O3Hmipsr6htxXDdyQ0hSRJ8Ew3Z0d/view?usp=sharing