Muriel lives on that side of town and said there where cats that appeared to have had their tails cut off. Being so close to the mountains, have you had any problems with mountain lions? I would be cautious and also contact animal control to ask if they have had any reports or can give you more advise. Here are a few numbers that you may want to contact to inquire. 779-4791 (county unicorporated property) 578-7297 (animal cruelty) Contact them both and discuss the issue's, if they are aware of any problems they can provide you with information. If they are unaware of the problem you will bring it to their attention so they can monitor and document the problem. Best of Luck sorry to hear about you and your neighbors losses.