Coyote kills Meyerland family's cat in vicious fight

MEYERLAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A southwest Houston family is reeling after a coyote killed their beloved pet cat during a fierce battle that was caught on surveillance camera.

The attack happened in the family's front yard overnight, and Danny Shaftel didn't know what happened until he came out the next morning.

"I looked down and saw that my cat had been attacked or hit by a car or something," he said.

The 11-year-old cat, Raphi, was known for his playful and loving personality. The coyote chased him down.

"There was no match. The cat was killed," Shaftel added. "It was just a shock. You could tell right away that it wasn't a normal dog. You could tell right away that it was a coyote. A wild animal. It came for a meal."

Raphi's death is a double blow for the family; Shaftel adopted the cat with his feline brother, Pablo, who passed away after a battle with cancer four months ago.

"I was traumatized...I could not think of a more brutal way for an animal to go," he said.

Now, both Pablo and Raphi share their final resting place in the backyard.

"I wanted to get the word out there to be cautious. Watch out for your pets outside. Keep them at the very least gated in the backyard," Shaftel said.

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