Can you help me figure out what animal they saw?

Question

My mom and dad were out on the porch one day and saw a strange animal go by.  This is how the described it:
size of a cat
long tail
trotted like a dog would
dark brown in color
fast
low to the ground

This was seen in a Chicago suburb... we don't have a ton of forested areas, but some.  We also live near a river, but not near many farms.

Any ideas?  They say it was not a fox and not a coyote.

? · Accepted Answer

Are they sure it wasn't a red or gray fox? 

This is a gray fox: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/13/1013-004-9B8A1EB3.jpg

Not all wild red foxes are actually red. The colors phases red, cross, and silver are all fairly common colors seen in wild red fox.

A cross fox variant, thin summer coat as opposed to a full winter coat: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3764086982_fb77a5322f.jpg

Red fox are very urbanized, and it would not be strange at all to see them in a suburban setting with only a little wooded area around.

? · Answer

In the summer a raccoon's coat is a brownlike color so it could be that or maybe a small dog. :)

? · Answer

I would have guesed coyote, but it might have been a small mountain lion.
There is a possibility it was dog or chupacabra.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/08/chupacabra-found-in-minnesota/

molly · Answer

we grew up in the burbs and we had a lot of Raccoons... they have a long tail and they are fast

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Can you help me figure out what animal they saw?

4 Answers