backyard raccoons

[pdrobber]

So I have mice at my city apartment...I'm home for spring break, and we have raccoons our backyard, well, had.

Late last night I woke up to my dad yelling "Hey, leave her alone!"
I thought the dog was bothering the cat inside or something but then saw him leaning out the window with his flashlight. I went over and there wasn't anything but I could hear something. He said there was a raccoon and a cat fighting, and then the raccoon was really hurting the cat. When he shined the light on them, it stopped and the cat limped away.

In the past, we have had cats living under the shed in the spring, with kittens and all. We figured the raccoon was trying to raid the cat's place and hurt the kittens. After the cat ran away (we assumed she was protecting her kittens but was so badly hurt she couldn't defend them anymore) we heard what sounded like some babies crying and the growling noises from the raccoon. This went on awhile and we thought the raccoon was trying to fit under the shed to get the kittens.

All day today we were cautious around the shed, not sure if there was anything under it. I had a hunch the raccoon was still under there. My dad thought the raccoon was sick (rabies) and acting strangely attacking cats. I didn't think it was all that strange for a feral and a raccoon to cross paths and fight at 3am, especially if there were young near.

At about 8pm today, I see the raccoon carrying something in its mouth by the scruff of its neck, walking along the fence, out from under the shed. I thought maybe the raccoon had tried adopting the kittens as some animals adopt other species young. We then watched until 10pm as she carried her own raccoon young from her nest to a new location, 1 by 1. We counted 4, and the average litter is apparently 3-5. So now I believe the cat got too close to her nest and she was just defending them. Too close for comfort, she's moving them out.

Here are a few pics. They're actually really adorable. Much more so than my annoying apartment mice.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Awwww very sweet! I love that.

 

[HarleyK]

Thats a great picture. What kind of camera did yOu use?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I have racoons too, but I have never seen one with kittens. Last year my son was visiting with his pit and she wanted to go outside something awful, so I let her out and she took off like a rocket, after a 'coon and the 2 of them went at it. It was a horrible seriously violent fight. I wasn't sure how to stop it when the 'coon made it up into a tree where it stayed for the next 3 days...
They can really defend themselves, and I was proud of the dog too, she didn't hesitate to go after that 'coon...

 

[TortieLuver]

That's so cute! We don't see or even hear about raccoons in Arizona. I've heard they are not real friendly, but they are sure adorable from pictures.

 

[Laura]

good reason to have yout dogs and cats updated on thier rabies vaccines!!!
and spay the feral cats!

 

[dmarcus]

Thats a very cool photo..

 

[dmmj]

they are cute until they eat your turtles and tortoises. Then not so cute IMHO

 

[pdrobber]

the camera's a Canon digital SLR, my dad's, I'm not sure which exactly.

My mom's friend does catch,spay/neuter, so we were surprised when we thought they were kittens under there because the cat we see around belongs to someone down the street, and she's spayed. I just wish they wouldn't have her outside...My guys are going for their 2011 vaccines soon!

This does make me hesitant to keep the torts outside but I will have to make really secure covers, or maybe just bring them in at night.

 

[coreyc]

Great pic's thank's for sharing

 

[Isa]

Aww very cute I am sorry for the cat thought. But the mother was just protecting her babies, I love the pics, they are adorable. Thanks for sharing

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Great pictures, they are very serious and protective.

 

[Jacqui]

I have really mixed feelings on coons. They are so very cute and very enjoying to watch. However they are at the same time brave, serious and determine hunters.

We have had chickens in the past and battled wars with the wildlife over our right to keep them. When the last go round happened and it was with coons, I spent several night down there sleeping with the chickens. I learned coons are not scared of humans, not even crazy old ladies chasing after them, yelling loudly in the night. I kept lights line and shined lights at them when they appeared, they didn't care. They found some of the smallest areas to get thru and did carnival highwire acts with ease.

I bought a live trap, thinking I would catch them and release them in the city where they could live the easy life with no hunters, no coonhounds chasing them and all those bowls of petfoods left out all night and unlimited cans of yummy filled trashcans. Then I got to think what if they had young out there? My neighbor kid even offered to set his traps for me. What it came down to, was I could not harm them in any way.

 

[ChiKat]

Jacqui, I have mixed feelings about them too. They always climb on my second story deck to eat the bird seed. I get nervous with them around because I have two small dogs.

Here is a video I took of my Chihuahua meeting a raccoon (through the sliding glass door!)
I love how the raccoon "bows" to her



The babies in your pics sure are adorable though

 

[DeanS]

Those pics are hilarious. At that age, a baby raccoon is quite mobile! I can see mom just being pissed thatit couldn't keep up! Nice shots! Maggie! A pit or a rottie are probably the only dogs tough enough (muscular) to take on a raccoon. I saw the aftermath of a raccoon-German shepherd fight! RIP GS!

 

[Candy]

Katie that video is so cute. We also have raccoons here in Alhambra. They like to come around and eat the cat food so I have to remember to pick it up at night. Dean I didn't know that about Raccoons. I knew they were tough but didn't think that they could kill a German Shepherd.

 

[DeanS]

A really big raccoon can hit 40 pounds...these are the to be really careful of. Of course, all raccoons are dangerous when cornered.

 

[Isa]

Katie, What a cute video

 

[Len B]

As far as I'm concerned there is only two types of good raccoons Doc and dead ones. Doc was a pet when I was young, he was like a dog,friendly and playful,he got up to about 35 pounds in his old age.but I have never had or seen another one like him.Now if I get the chance I will kill every one that comes near the house.Here is the only pic I have of me and Doc it was taken about 1964-65. Len

 

[Yvonne G]

OT, but had to say, Len: I love your avatar picture. What kind of turtle is it? Those black lines on the mouth look like teeth!