I live in a small rural town and has fed a small colony of feral cats, 4-6 of them for about 2 years. The cats come out at night mostly so I leave dry food out all the time and never had a problem until recently. In the fall there were a few possums that were eating the food and I was able to trap and relocate them. I noticed 3 days ago on my camera that raccoons are helping themselves to the food as well. I keep the food on my front porch in a foil-lined box to keep the birds away and to keep it dry. There is no other good place around my house to keep it. I know the best solution is to bring the food in but then the cats won't eat. I keep track of the times they eat and it is after dark and I don't see them during the day. I have left the porch light on but it scares the cats more than the raccoons. I am thinking about building a small elevated stand of some sorts with a skirt to put the food on. My question is, how high should it be? Raccoons are bottom heavy but they can still climb some. I am trying to avoid big and gaudy since it will be on my front porch. I am a little scared to trap the raccoons and relocate them. Are they aggressive if trapped? Possums were just scared and easy to relocate. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
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Feral Food Station-racoons
- Thread starter pbjb80
- Start Date
Hi! If you haven't, take a look on you tube, lucky ferals has a raccoon proof feral feeder set up, also I typed into my search engine 'make cat food safe from raccoons', quite a bit came up, even a 2008 discussion thread on this site.
I'm just not sure height is the answer, I've got coons walking on the top of my 6 foot yard fence...
I'm just not sure height is the answer, I've got coons walking on the top of my 6 foot yard fence...
It is very difficult if not impossible to keep raccoons away from cat food. And they have long memories. I found a raccoon sniffing around my porch a year after my outdoor feral had passed away and food had not been put out since. The solution would be to gain enough trust from these cats so that you can get them on a feeding schedule. Feeding them at daybreak and just before sunset would be ideal. Cats are intelligent, and will figure out the feeding schedule. Have you tried leaving dry food out for them during the day? If they are hungry, they will eventually come out to eat. When my feral cat was away during the day and appeared at night on my porch hungry, I would feed him, but sit beside him with a broom to chase away any raccoons that would come near. But you would have to build up a comfort level with the cats so they would eat in your presence. It takes time, but it can be done. The way I trained my feral was to sit about 5 feet away from his food bowl on my porch, perfectly still with my eyes closed. At first he would quietly and slowly sneak up to the food bowl and keep glancing at me. After a few weeks he would very comfortably come up and eat with me there. After a few months I was able to sit inches away from him while he ate. It takes time, but all you would need to do is have a few of the colony begin to trust you, then the others will follow suit. Sorry I can't give you any solutions to that involve raccoon proofing their bowls, but maybe you can find something on the links that were posted or that appeared in one of our old threads on the subject.
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I tried unsuccessfully for years to keep the raccoons away from my feral cats food. Nothing ever worked. Raccoons never forget a food source and will continue to come back and usually the number of raccoons will multiply. In the spring they will bring their young. I once had 6 on my deck.
The only solution is to bring the food inside and not leave any pieces of dry food around. The cats will adjust to the new schedule. I was able to leave dry food out from sunlight to sundown, but it needed to be picked up immediately when it got dark.
The only solution is to bring the food inside and not leave any pieces of dry food around. The cats will adjust to the new schedule. I was able to leave dry food out from sunlight to sundown, but it needed to be picked up immediately when it got dark.
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- #5
I leave the food out during the day too but the cats are shy. One cat I have been feeding for 1 1/2 years and will still run when she sees me. My work schedule fluctuates and I am not always home to do a routine feeding plan in the morning and dusk. I leave for work when it is dark and it is already dark by time I get home. Wish there was a simple solution. I may try to trap the raccoons. Thanks for your input and suggestions.
Best of luck!
That youtube set up looked pretty good, but I don't have the same issue so I don't know...
In any case, wikihow and other sites have good info about trapping coons in live traps - some states don't allow trap and release, hopefully yours does.
Let us know how things go!
That youtube set up looked pretty good, but I don't have the same issue so I don't know...
In any case, wikihow and other sites have good info about trapping coons in live traps - some states don't allow trap and release, hopefully yours does.
Let us know how things go!
I don't mind the raccoons, but they haven't gotten too rowdy or numerous. If there's only a couple you might decide to tolerate them. Usually they don't get too crazy in rural areas where people hunt them.
Be warned - raccoons can be very aggressive and viscious, especially males. If you can get a feeder with a timer and put a wooden or metal box around the food tank (raccoons will chew through thick plastic). Be sure to check your laws about trapping and releasing raccoons - in some states you can only kill, not release, as they are carriers of diseases that are contagious to people and pets. Also, trapped raccoons can be vicious. They will eventually return to their home territory. My vets that cats are better at jumping although coons are excellent climbers so she claims that a 4' height pedestal table works best.
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Racoons, wow, I could write a book. Used to trap them when I was a ranger for the National Park Service to test them for a brain worm they carry. Many carry it and transfer the worm through feces. The main worry was people who kept them as pets and had toddlers. Racoon feces and crawling children are a “watch out”. But they are aggressive when cornered or trapped. Of course the fact I trapped them, shot them full of ketamine , and used a “pinky cheater” to get a fecal sample, then released them may have contributed to their anger...ha! Removing them just makes room for others and they can open almost anything you can. We even had campers awakened at night by the sound of their tent being unzipped...yes, it was a racoon looking for food!
Best solution is to try feeding at a certain time during the day. The cats will come. No food left out, not even crumbs.
Best solution is to try feeding at a certain time during the day. The cats will come. No food left out, not even crumbs.
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- #10
Yes, they are incredible problem-solvers. They learned to unlock the lock handles on my trash cans, open the lids, and get into my trash. No matter how clever we are at trying to outsmart them, they will always find a way to get to the cat food. And even if a few leave, more will come by because they can smell the food from not too far away.
You can scare them off for a while clapping your hands and yelling and chasing them. But some will still actually become so used to the sound of your voice and your presents that they will become domesticated and have no fear at all. I have to say that no raccoon ever fought with or harmed my outdoor feral cats. They actually learned to coexist with one another. But I spent a fortune on cat food feeding all of them until the cats were on a feeding schedule.
You can scare them off for a while clapping your hands and yelling and chasing them. But some will still actually become so used to the sound of your voice and your presents that they will become domesticated and have no fear at all. I have to say that no raccoon ever fought with or harmed my outdoor feral cats. They actually learned to coexist with one another. But I spent a fortune on cat food feeding all of them until the cats were on a feeding schedule.
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- #12
The last raccoon that I trapped was very aggressive so my climber friend and i drove up next to the trap and my friend leaned out and used a long steel pole with an L shape to open the trap. I think the pole was a hood-prop for heavy equipment.
I'm no expert, from my personal experience, the only time a raccoon will attack any person or animal is if the raccoon is rabid, or if someone stumbles into the den where the babies are. Mama raccoons are very protective of their babies. When my neighbors and I were trapping a group of feral kittens, a few times a raccoon got into the trap and had to be released. There were no problems. Basically, the raccoon runs like hell. But I am no expert, I can only speak from personal experience.
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- #15
I was able to trap 1 raccoon on my first attempt....but not before he emptied my cat food bowl. It wasn't that big and just seemed scared. It never hissed or clawed. I relocated him to a nice place in the country with plenty of resources. Now, wait and see if he was acting alone or not.
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With releasing trapped racoons it’s all about the old “fight or flight”. They always choose flight....unless
You are blocking their escape route
Your fingers are gripping the edge of the trap when they exit (always wear leather gloves). I would have lost some finger tips if I hadn’t.
They are sick
Please stay safe if they are in your cat trap
You are blocking their escape route
Your fingers are gripping the edge of the trap when they exit (always wear leather gloves). I would have lost some finger tips if I hadn’t.
They are sick
Please stay safe if they are in your cat trap
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- #17
Feeling defeated. My raccoon was not alone. I caught more on my camera at 3 different times during the night. Since the one I caught was not all that big, I can only assume there is a den out there and these are siblings. Guess I will just bring the food in when I can and hope my ferals get enough to eat.
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The raccoons here come out at midnight.
If it is not raccoons, there will be possums and skunks too. Bringing in the food is the best idea.
Racoons can climb anything. But they are not built to jump. A platform with a top on a pole right in the middle 4-5 foot off the ground foils them A small 2 foot high box set about 2-3 foot out from the table aides the cats in jumping to the higher table but not the raccoons. The raccoons will climb the 'leg' but can't reach around to climb onto the table. Then set a gravity feeder in a tote on it's side and you have a weather proof feeder.
