After a “brutal killer” leaped over Karen Hooker’s 8-foot-high backyard fence, the homeowner found a grisly scene.

The beloved 12-year-old orange tabby she’d raised from a kitten was dead, its split-open body displaying an empty cavity.

“It was the most gruesome sight I’ve ever seen. Everything inside of her was gone. There wasn’t even blood,” Hooker said.

She called animal control, and the officer who came out was also shocked by the sight, Hooker said.

“I’m angry that coyotes can attack us at any time, even though we live in an area in the center of town. Our homes have been here for over 50 years,” said the Prentiss Street resident.

Coyotes have been seen in her neighborhood near Thousand Oaks High School, Hooker said. A flier was recently distributed by Jeff Dawson, a neighbor on her block. It said, “More than three cats have been taken or have been found dead this week alone.”

Outside, Hooker pointed to nearby houses where cats have been killed. About half of 10 or so neighboring homes had lost pets. Several of her neighbors are joining her as she contacts the city for assistance.

“They need to get coyotes out of this area,” said neighbor Christina Laforgia.

Hooker said she understands the “old argument that we’re taking their space,” but feels they’re “invading our space” since her tract was developed so long ago and there’s no open space nearby.

The widow kept her two cats inside the house most of the time, but let them out during the day “to get some sunshine” and play in the backyard.

She fed her cats and a disabled dog named JR inside the house and never put food or anything in her backyard that would attract coyotes, she said.

On Dec. 30 at around 8:30 a.m., she fed her cats inside, then let them outside.

Not long afterward she saw what she thought was a dog leap over her tall fence.

Later, she noticed one of her cats was missing and, after searching the yard, discovered its mutilated body.

“If that was a coyote, he was an Olympic champion coyote. It doesn’t fit a coyote profile for it to go over a high chain-link fence like that. They usually go under a fence. It could be a bobcat,” said California Department of Fish and Game spokesperson Harry Morse.

He also said the way the cat’s body was found was more indicative of a bobcat than a coyote.

“A coyote (usually) takes the remains with him and crunches the bones.”

Bobcats easily jump over high fences, eat cats and, like coyotes, they prefer to seek prey at night.

But they’re more opportunistic than coyotes and would more likely be the predator in a daytime killing.

Dawson said he’s seen “a big, fat, healthy coyote walking down the street” and has heard reports from other neighbors who’ve seen coyotes jumping tall fences.

Now Hooker doesn’t let her other cat, Goliath, out of the house at all, and she worries about the safety of JR, who goes outside occasionally since he’s house trained.

She also worries about the safety of small children in her neighborhood.

“If a baby is outside, what’s to stop a coyote from grabbing the child for food?” she asked.

Fish and Game wildlife experts say that coyotes have been known to go after children. Such attacks are documented in other parts of Southern California.

But reports also say “coyotes instinctively avoid humans.”

Upon receiving letters of concern from two residents about aggressive coyotes near Prentiss Street and Markham Avenue, the city contacted several agencies, including Fish and Game, the Los Angeles Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The city concluded in a memo that the agencies will become involved in the removal of problem animals if there’s an imminent threat to people but not upon attacks on pets.

If coyotes are captured, they’re euthanized.

Coyotes aren’t relocated.