It's not everyday one gets photos of poop! Ha! Well, not trying to be too graphic, it does not look like the animal has been eating other animals due to the lack of hair in the scat. It appears that it is eating commercial pet food. Definitely not a cat or it would be better covered. My first guess, and it is truly a guess, is raccoon or opossum visiting neighborhood pet bowls. How to resolve the problem - if the area is too large to cover or fence, you might consider a motion-sensitive sprinkler. I have recommended them for deer problems over the years and they can be quite effective.

Thanks Greg. I was thinking raccoon or skunk (because we smell them around) but opossum makes sense too. And eating pet food - interesting. Thanks for your suggestions.

No problem. I was thinking about your situation again this morning and it occurred to me that the problem could also be a neighbor's wayward dog. you might want to take a piece of 4'x8' plywood, or large piece of cardboard, place some pet food in the middle, then sprinkle the surface with all purpose flour. These home made tracking plates are a great way to determine who is sneaking around at night. They're very effective and fun to do.