Neighborhood Threat

This is officially the first time I have second guessed us buying this house. Last Tuesday a horse at the big blue/violet house on the corner when you first turn into our neighborhood was attacked by a COUGAR!!! I almost puked when I first heard about it on Friday. We have been receiving email updates about the incident and what is being done about it and so far I am not feeling any better. Honestly, who could? Especially having the thing attack a flippin' HORSE in the middle of the afternoon! On Sunday we received an email saying that a "HUGE" cougar was spotted a few weeks ago about 1/2 mile south of the intersection of Clear Lake Rd and Fir Butte Rd. (this is an intersection we can see from our back door). Plus there have been cougar sightings on Alvadore Road (a little farther up Clear Lake) and another horse attacked on Fleck road just south of Fern Ridge Lake. So basically we are in this things hunting territory. The safe feeling I have had since we moved in here is pretty much gone. How am I supposed to let the kids go outside to play now without hovering over them and constantly scanning the fields around us. I just can't. You see, the other thing is, 2 Saturdays ago, Robert was out of town (it figures) so I stayed up really late watching movies and when I went to bed, the dogs in the neighborhood were going nuts. They were making such a ruckus that I actually got the shotgun and ammo out and stuck a switchblade next to my pillow. So after lying in bed for a while with my eyes plastered open, I heard this horrible sound in front of our house. It sounded like an animal being attacked. I jolted upright and sat there listening but didn't hear anything else. I talked myself into believing that maybe a raccoon had attacked a cat (but there weren't any fighting sounds). Now I am almost positive it was the cougar I heard and that had all the dogs in the neighborhood worked up. As you can probably tell, I am more than a little bit stressed about this. If anyone is out driving this way and you happen to see a large cat, please take aim and step on the gas. I will be forever thankful.