A brave cat has been praised for fighting off a wild coyote that broke into a family home in the middle of the night. CCTV footage shows the coyote sneaking in to a house in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, through a doggie door at 4am.
It made its way into the family's living room before being raced around the dining room chairs by their 14-year-old cat. Homeowner Mia Shoshan said her brother was sleeping when he heard the doggie door open - but didn't think much of it considering all the pets were accounted for.
She told KTLA: "Our cat, Lily, started meowing and screaming, she was terrified and calling for us to help."
It was at this point when Mia's brother jumped out of bed to see what was happening.
As soon as he entered the room, the wild coyote made a beeline for the doggie door.
Mia added: "I have two very small dogs and they would’ve been an easy target for that coyote.
"Our cat is 14-years-old and took it very hard. She used a lot of energy and she has been resting and spending time with us.
"Usually, we leave the door open for them throughout the day and sometimes at night too, but we will no longer be doing that unless we are going outside with them.
"Thank God everyone was OK. We were very lucky."
While coyote attacks on people are "rare", they can cause a great deal of harm to both humans and other animals when they feel threatened.
Ron Lauer, a resident who has lived in the neighbourhood for almost 60 years, says coyotes lurk the streets almost every night.
He said: "A six-foot fence, they’ll just jump right over it. They can get in the backyard. They will definitely find a way."
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