So a few years back (pre-blog, evidently, since I don’t find anything in the searches), we had a raccoon problem. As in, raccoons coming in the house and eating the cat food, etc. Like mama and her three kits, wandering in and out, bold as brass. We resolved it by going into a nightly curfew for the cats and closing the cat door to the outside up tight.
So this evening, I’m sitting here at the breakfast table, tap-tapping away, when I hear a crunch-crunch of the cat food about five feet around the corner. And something sounds funny about it, so I poke my head around the corner. Nothing. It occurs to me I’ve been hearing cat door noises, so I go to the back door, open it, and look at the outside cat door, and there’s what looks like the Standard Raccoon Tail exiting.
I went over and dropped the blast door*, went hmmmm, and returned to my typing.
Not a minute later, I hear a scratching at the back door, and I glance over, and it’s not one of the cats, but a raccoon, at the back french doors, stretching up and trying to push his way in.
I went over and clap-clap-clapped, and he waddled away, not slowly, but not quickly.
And, a few minutes later, I heard him scratching at the blast door on the outside cat door. Again.
So … indoor kitties at night for a week or two. How annoying. At least it’s cold enough they usually want to be in.
* Since the outside cat door is between two two-by-fours, the “blast door” is a largish piece of ¾” ply that drops between other ply brackets and the cat door. Nothing’s likely to push it out of the way.
UPDATE: And now I know what the dog next door is barking so furiously about.
I told you the cat food was disappearing way too fast for it just to be a neighbor cat 🙂
At least you aren’t trying to habituate the local racoons to eating cat food like Mark Evannier does.
I’m not convinced the visitor over the holidays was the raccoon (the signs of fur on the sofa were definitely those of the big black and white cat that sometimes comes to visit), but I’m not ruling it out by any means.
And, no, I don’t worry enough about raccoons going hungry to feel the need to feed them.
https://www.hill-kleerup.org/blog/2002/06/25/if_its_tuesday.html
You mention racoons in this Friday five, but never, apparently, told the story online.
In our area, it’s skunks that are the problem. Dozens of them migrating through the northeastern Bronx. They’re a real problem that the city refuses to acknowledge.
Not exactly what I’d expect in the Bronx, but my knowledge of the NY area is pretty much what I see on TV. 🙂
On the whole, I’d prefer raccoons.
It’s kind of odd, but if you want to discourage the racoons coming in, human urine does a fine job. Works well with deer as well. I’ve also read that human hair works almost as well.
Well, we tried light and music and mothballs, last time out, but we didn’t try urine. Though I almost provided a supply when I came down one morning to get some clean socks and underwear from the dryer to discover that mama raccoon was inside the house, wandering about the kitchen …
On the other hand, we found that simply not being an attractive house to enter (i.e., locking the door) was pretty effective.
Not that I’m recommending this, but I know of some folks who had their cats fitted with radio collars. The cat door was fitting with a receiver for the transmitters in the collars. Only the cat with the proper collar and frequency could get in. Kept out stray cats *and* raccoons, but might be expensive, and nor worth it.
Of course, your cats may start a service, holding the door open for their friends to come in and eat the food. Only costs you a few catnip toys to dine in!
Heh.
Yeah, I’ve thought about those kind of doors, but our cats pretty reguarly lose their collars. Still, it’s a thought.