No one ever does that. You're still assuming way too much.
You're really going to shoot at animals, outside? Have you any idea how far a slug can travel downrange? This is why it's illegal to discharge a firearm outdoors in most cities.
I would never shoot a bear, a coyote or a wolf. If you want to protect your cats keep them in the house. The law says you gotta do that, too, in most cities.
If you live out in the County, these may or may not apply depending on local laws of course.
i live in rural maine....there are no restrictions on shooting coyote or skunks or other nuisances that i know of, other than wild turkey, if they are a nuisance, you have to call fish and wildlife, to come and reposition them, farther in to the wild cuz they are STILL on the endangered species thingy for maine, (the Lord only, knows why...these suckers are everywhere!)....my neighbor offered to kill the skunk that is hanging around my bird feeders, i declined the offer of course! And also offered to kill any coyote of which he warned me he saw a pack of them in the meadow across the way from the both of us? So i am presuming these things are A-ok where we are?
on weekends, sometimes... i hear my neighbor and his 2 young adult boys shooting on his property, target practice i presume? or killing rabbits eating their garden?

though the consistency of it, seemed more like target practice!
no, hadn't planned on killing the animal either, just hopefully scaring it away....not certain if that would even work....i just would feel terrible if i had to idly sit by while viewing a coyote tear one of my cats apart.
care