I have a feral mom cat with 4 babies. She will come to me when I call her and all of the babies will come to me. They are 3 months old now. I showed them how to use the pet door (was installed when we had a dog) that goes into our attached garage. I've been putting food and water out there for them as well as some old sheets for them to sleep on. They are very happy and content. A raccoon has decided to come in too and eats whatever food is left over. Other than making sure there is no food at night, is there anything else I can do to get the coon to go somewhere else? Would it help if I left the garage light on all night? Are kittens this young okay with no food all night?
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How to deter raccoons
- Thread starter gleason
- Start Date
We bring in our semiferal's food at night due to raccoons and possums eating the food. The kittens are 4ish months old and do just fine until breakfast the next morning!
Raccoons are smart, pervasive and not easily or sometimes ever convinced that somewhere else is better. You could install a microchip cat door and either get the cats microchipped or put a collar with a chip tag on them (if you haven't gotten them spayed/neutered yet you need to soon or your family will just keep growing). That will keep out 80% of raccoons by staying locked without the chip to trigger it. Some raccoons will figure out how to pull the door out if hungry enough.
You could also trap the raccoons and relocate them (depending on local laws of course). If you live in an urban areas they need to be moved to a similar area since they won't be used to wide open spaces and vice versa. It also has to be far enough away that they can't find their way back.... And another raccoon will likely learn about the garage soon enough causing a cycle of repeating trappings to keep up with them. Not the best way honestly and not a long term option.
Short term and easiest is keep the food in at night. Better would be lock Mom and kittens in at night with the food so they have food and are safe from nighttime dangers.
You could also trap the raccoons and relocate them (depending on local laws of course). If you live in an urban areas they need to be moved to a similar area since they won't be used to wide open spaces and vice versa. It also has to be far enough away that they can't find their way back.... And another raccoon will likely learn about the garage soon enough causing a cycle of repeating trappings to keep up with them. Not the best way honestly and not a long term option.
Short term and easiest is keep the food in at night. Better would be lock Mom and kittens in at night with the food so they have food and are safe from nighttime dangers.
You can’t. Plain and simple. I have tried for months and after having one gaze put down another moved in. Not to scare you but you do need to remove the food or they will come. And it takes 2 years for a raccoon to forget a food source. Raccoons can hurt kittens although I’m seeing if the adult cats leave them alone they’re safe. In the Midwest where I’m at raccoons carry zombie disease that even humans can catch so just be cautious.
oh and contrary to what has been said raccoons can indeed jump.I saw these raccoons jump as high as a cst would.
oh and contrary to what has been said raccoons can indeed jump.I saw these raccoons jump as high as a cst would.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Last nite I picked up the food and only left the water for them. And that really bothered me to do that. And boy were they hungry this morning.
Can't tell if any coon came visiting. I'm going to see if I can get a trail cam set up so I can see if the coon is coming in or not.
Can't tell if any coon came visiting. I'm going to see if I can get a trail cam set up so I can see if the coon is coming in or not.
I have cams set up and even after picking up the water they;ll still come. They'll come nightly for 2 years in fact. If they can't find cat food they'll eat bugs that are around the area. May I suggest a Wyze cam. They're $25 and work better than any of the other more expensive cams.
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- #7
Thanks for the suggestion. I have 2 trail cams that we use to see what deer are coming in. The trail cams run off batteries and the pics are stored on a SD card.
Any cam that works over wi-fi doesn't work for us. Our internet is too slow. Will see what shows up on the pics tomorrow.
Any cam that works over wi-fi doesn't work for us. Our internet is too slow. Will see what shows up on the pics tomorrow.
I also have a raccoon issue which I don't need to recount as it is similar to yours. Not having food available was the fastest way to get rid of them, but I have no kittens on my property and all the adult TNRed ferals know when to come for food, and do have free feeding during the day, so they are fine at night. I don't know if it is possible, but I agree that somehow isolating the cat family with the food, or rigging the door flap with sensors is the best way to handle it.
I think that most adult cats are safe from raccoons, but I would not bet the house on it. One killed a young possum years ago who was lodging in a cat bed I had on my property.
I think that most adult cats are safe from raccoons, but I would not bet the house on it. One killed a young possum years ago who was lodging in a cat bed I had on my property.
Raccoons are more likely to kill a cat for fun or just because it is annoying them. Adult cats usually have the sense to avoid raccoons or the luck to scare off a single raccoon who isn't too hungry. Most urban raccoons would rather scavenge for food then hunt for it so we tend not to think of them as predators; but they are. I will admit, I'm biased when it comes to raccoons because we had a family of raccoons that killed some of our rabbits years ago (before we realized how to secure them at night). Didn't eat the rabbits, just killed them and tore them open. I've never had them hurt one my cats but I could see a kitten getting on their bad side fairly easily.
This is a tough one (as you can judge by the variety of answers!). We've got a detached garage - and it has an "attic" with a plywood floor laid over the garage ceiling beams. The floor doesn't go from wall to wall - - it has about a 2-4 foot gap between it and the garage walls. Even before we had a feral cat colony in the area - - - we had raccoons. I think it's because we have the "escape hatches" all the way around (because the 'floor' has that gap around it), giving them lots of ways to exit if they feel threatened, and we're surrounded by high trees (where they used to live). AND, for the first 15 years I knew him, my hubby often forgot to close the garage door at night (we're a - knock on wood - low crime area). Plus hubby stores old camping equipment up there (like fluffy sleeping bags - - can you say "perfect nesting material"!?!?). After moving in, I said to hubby "I've got kitty prints all over my car - - but no cats in the area - - any idea why?" A little closer examination and I knew immediately - coons. And the first ones I saw waddle out were a mom and 4 adorable youngsters. I used to foster baby raccoons (it's no longer legal in my state), so when I found out that if we had them removed by a "critter removal service" (or any other service) they would indeed remove them, but after much prodding about what they did with them, they admitted "disposing" meant killing. I couldn't do it. Plus we realized we'd have to finish the garage attic floor - - or they'd be right back days later.
Cut to several years later - - a door at the side of our garage in how left open JUST wide enough for a group for the feral cat colony that we've TNR'd, and while the cats can easily come in and out, thought it might be too thin for the reasons to come and go. Night 1 gave us our answer - - -the raccoons ripped apart the drywall all around the door trying to get out - - not to mention clawing at several joists until they were almost toothpicks, pulled over several shelves trying to find another exit, and ripped all of the garage door sensors off the wall.....it wasn't pretty. So we're back to leaving that door open a tad, and for the past 5 years, there's been a truce. BUT I never leave food out in the garage past 7 (we don't even put kitty food in there unless it's raining so much that the food would get soggy. We've tried everything - - - and I've got a list of things we've had suggested to us by the wildlife center I used to foster for. None of these seemed to work for us - - but she made it sound like all had worked for others. So it's worth a try if you'd rather not "dispose" of them if you don't have to!
They said to try these things in the garage and up in the attic:
1. Loud fans - several box fans placed around the garage
2. Loud music - they suggested a boom box set to a high volume with something like heavy metal playing
3. Thing that flap or move - - such as streamers tied to the fans
4.. Bright lights - plugging in multiple lamps and bright clamp on lights (be careful though - - if they are hot and fall over - you don't want them catching anything on fire!
So good luck - - -ours are still here, so while I think the suggestions are spot on - neither hubby nor I has the guts to go up and actually set this stuff up (not to mention the cash to finish the floor! But hopefully you'll keep us posted
Cut to several years later - - a door at the side of our garage in how left open JUST wide enough for a group for the feral cat colony that we've TNR'd, and while the cats can easily come in and out, thought it might be too thin for the reasons to come and go. Night 1 gave us our answer - - -the raccoons ripped apart the drywall all around the door trying to get out - - not to mention clawing at several joists until they were almost toothpicks, pulled over several shelves trying to find another exit, and ripped all of the garage door sensors off the wall.....it wasn't pretty. So we're back to leaving that door open a tad, and for the past 5 years, there's been a truce. BUT I never leave food out in the garage past 7 (we don't even put kitty food in there unless it's raining so much that the food would get soggy. We've tried everything - - - and I've got a list of things we've had suggested to us by the wildlife center I used to foster for. None of these seemed to work for us - - but she made it sound like all had worked for others. So it's worth a try if you'd rather not "dispose" of them if you don't have to!
They said to try these things in the garage and up in the attic:
1. Loud fans - several box fans placed around the garage
2. Loud music - they suggested a boom box set to a high volume with something like heavy metal playing
3. Thing that flap or move - - such as streamers tied to the fans
4.. Bright lights - plugging in multiple lamps and bright clamp on lights (be careful though - - if they are hot and fall over - you don't want them catching anything on fire!
So good luck - - -ours are still here, so while I think the suggestions are spot on - neither hubby nor I has the guts to go up and actually set this stuff up (not to mention the cash to finish the floor! But hopefully you'll keep us posted
Urban raccoons may be different but loud noises and all do nothing to get rid of my raccoons. If they are determined they'll stay. The loud noise scares them away once or twice but soon they become acclimated to it. And in the suburbs nothing gets rid of them. They're used to traffic, planes that fly so low you think they're going to land on your house, gunshots, fireworks all year, screaming, cars backfiring, lawn mowers and all (yes some neighbors do it after dusk) sawing, music booming from passing cars, street lights, floodlights. I tried the streamers and they just tore it down, tore it up and continued on. Last night I watched as 6 of them (yea new gaze moved in) surrounded Shaman
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- #12
Oh no!!!! I had the trail cam set up last nite and looked at pics this morning. It is not a coon. It is a SKUNK. We've had coons around before so I just assumed it was a coon. There was no food out. Hopefully with no food the skunk will move on. Has anyone else had to deal with skunks? Any suggestions?
Oh wow. No thankfully I don't think we have skunks here where I'm at. Although my Dad, when growing up saw skunks and they are nicer than raccoons except for the spraying and stink of course. We just have raccoons and possums and possums don't hurt anything.
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Garden hose, chase it off, loud noise.
No one hurts my babies.
Done it a few times.
No one hurts my babies.
Done it a few times.
I know every animal (be they skunk, cat, kitten, raccoon, possum, or teenager 
) is different, and reacts differently. "Our" raccoons were very well-established before we even tried to "evict" them. They've been in the trees that abut our garage - and inside the garage itself - from before I even moved in with hubby! And we're in the suburbs - - so while not true "city wildlife" - - they certainly count as "just outside the city wildlife" (I think they've got lawyers and have claimed squatters' rights at this point. 
I also think there's an invisible sign near our house that says "are you a cat without a home? A raccoon with babies and nowhere to go? Or just a lone opossum who needs occasional nibbles and water. Just head up the driveway - - it's like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory up there!") I will say that the skunks never seem to stay - - -possibly bc they come SO late that there's rarely food out.
Luckily, knock on wood, we've had not a single skirmish - even minor - in the decades since the 'zoo' has developed. The cats - from kittens to adult - and coons (also from baby to adult) give each other a VERY wide berth, seemingly developing an understanding. And they could care less about the very slow opossum. But I know we're lucky as far as that. Actually hubby is FAR more afraid of both coons and opossums then all other living things put together! And I DO make sure that no food, etc. is put anywhere near the kitties' sleeping or eating areas.
Meant to mention last night that as
Kieka
suggested - - -we do have a friend with a set-up similar to ours (multiple ferals and semi-ferals, plus raccoons that seemingly never want to leave!). She's done as
Kieka
suggested - a cat door into her outbuilding that has a microchip system - - only their kitties can activate the door and go in and out. We thought it would likely be too much for the ferals - - but they figured it out quickly!!!! So if you can afford it - - it's a GREAT idea! (they'd worked w/kitties - socializing them to the point that they could put the chipped collars on them, and the collars are very much "breakaway."
Keep us posted! It's a problem many caretakers face - - so I'm sure lots are watching this thread with interest!
) is different, and reacts differently. "Our" raccoons were very well-established before we even tried to "evict" them. They've been in the trees that abut our garage - and inside the garage itself - from before I even moved in with hubby! And we're in the suburbs - - so while not true "city wildlife" - - they certainly count as "just outside the city wildlife" (I think they've got lawyers and have claimed squatters' rights at this point. I also think there's an invisible sign near our house that says "are you a cat without a home? A raccoon with babies and nowhere to go? Or just a lone opossum who needs occasional nibbles and water. Just head up the driveway - - it's like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory up there!") I will say that the skunks never seem to stay - - -possibly bc they come SO late that there's rarely food out.Luckily, knock on wood, we've had not a single skirmish - even minor - in the decades since the 'zoo' has developed. The cats - from kittens to adult - and coons (also from baby to adult) give each other a VERY wide berth, seemingly developing an understanding. And they could care less about the very slow opossum. But I know we're lucky as far as that. Actually hubby is FAR more afraid of both coons and opossums then all other living things put together! And I DO make sure that no food, etc. is put anywhere near the kitties' sleeping or eating areas.
Meant to mention last night that as
Kieka
suggested - - -we do have a friend with a set-up similar to ours (multiple ferals and semi-ferals, plus raccoons that seemingly never want to leave!). She's done as
Kieka
suggested - a cat door into her outbuilding that has a microchip system - - only their kitties can activate the door and go in and out. We thought it would likely be too much for the ferals - - but they figured it out quickly!!!! So if you can afford it - - it's a GREAT idea! (they'd worked w/kitties - socializing them to the point that they could put the chipped collars on them, and the collars are very much "breakaway."Keep us posted! It's a problem many caretakers face - - so I'm sure lots are watching this thread with interest!
Today I went to pick up some treats for Treasure as he's suffering injury. I saw an elderly man buy 20 13 lb bags. I asked if he was caring for feral s and he said no he hand feeds raccoons cat food. I just don't think it's good to get raccoons or other animals besides the cats and maybe dogs dependent upon us feeding.
I would be concerned about raccoons being near kittens... there are some ugly pictures posted on the web of kittens killed and eaten or partially-eaten by coons. A kitten or group of kittens is no match for a large hungry coon, neither is an adult cat for that matter, since coons are fierce fighters. Raccoons are omnivores, so they will definitely eat meat... for the OP, regarding skunks, sometimes "rope lights" will work to evict skunks and other varmints from certain locations, the critters don't like the light, 10-4? Stretch the rope lights across the area in such a way that they light up the joint... and hope for the best. Modern "rope lights" with LEDs are inexpensive to run, and the sets don't cost that much. Some critters don't like the smell of ammonia, you might try that also. Good luck...
Yep. except the smells and lights don't get rid of my raccoons. They must have read the manual. But these raccoons have ate all but one of Shadow's kittens so yea I'm not fond of raccoons in that sense.
And human urine (don't laugh) does not work on raccoons either. I tried that too. Thankfully the cats know now when to take off
And human urine (don't laugh) does not work on raccoons either. I tried that too. Thankfully the cats know now when to take off
Sorry to hear about the kittens... that's why I don't trust raccoons, though I like them in every other way when they are NOT posing a threat to cats.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #20
The trail cam will be on again tonite. We have a light right at the door that goes into the house. The food dish is close to the steps that go into the house. I'm going to leave the light on tonite and see if I have any visitors. Will post tomorrow.
