Campuses can be havens for stray cats — until coyotes attack.

At California State University at Long Beach, recent food-chain activity has left campus officials siding with the predators and many staff members defending the prey, the Los Angeles Times reported today.

The officials say Long Beach’s population of about 100 feral cats — fed and tended by volunteers — is attracting coyotes, and the cats must go. But cat lovers have protested, waving “Save the Cats” signs on the campus over the weekend, the Times reported.

“Why would you kill perfectly healthy cats just to save two coyotes?” Leslie Abrahams, leader of an animal-assistance program at the university, asked the Times.

“If a predictable source of prey is removed, the coyotes will typically move,” said university officials, citing the California Department of Fish and Game.

Neither group has recommended bringing roadrunners to the campus to foil the coyotes. —Sara Lipka