Cats and small dogs can be easy prey for predators and should be supervised as closely as possible when outside or kept indoors.
Keep pet food indoors and do not leave food of any kind outside at night. Food left out at night will be taken as a welcome invitation by wildlife and may prompt future visits.
Remove any fruit which has fallen to the ground from trees/bushes.
Store trash in covered, heavy-duty containers.
Keep yards free from potential shelter such as thick brush and weeds and enclose the bottoms of porches and decks.
Eliminate buildup of garbage, debris, lumber piles, etc.
Check fencing: use smaller gauge wire to block entry between or under fences and try to eliminate access points to rooftops.
Change automatic sprinkler settings regularly.
Use motion-activated outdoor lighting to deter wildlife visits in the evening.
Trapping and relocating wildlife are illegal without a permit in most cases and does not solve the problem of wildlife who encroach on your property. Removing animals creates a void in that area inviting others to move in. Wild animals who are caught in a trap must be released at or in the same vicinity to, the location from which they originated.
For more information on the laws pertaining to urban wildlife and their protections, please visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.