Well hopefully I'm past the panic every time they sneeze part and now into the observation part. It's been a struggle. Cats coming and going. My favorite girl and the one who came first is gone (I don't think dead but either at another colony or a home). That makes me sad but I feel that she entrusted Treasure and Sopdet in my care and so I will do what I can to ensure their well being while also making some observations.
One thing I have noticed is the relationship between Treasure and the visiting wildlife. He plays with the groundhogs during the day. He despises the opossum which I don't know why since possums are really gentle. He plays with a red fox kit but stays at a distance from the parents. He'll tolerate the adult raccoons, but the youngsters (kits I think they are called) he will not tolerate and often swats at them. This is one of the observations is that he will swat at the raccoon, and the raccoon will bow his head and slowly back off. It's the same behavior I see when Mom Raccoon chastises (what's the word used for raccoons) one of her young, the young one will bow the head and back off. I've even seen this behavior between Treasure and Harrison (Dad raccoon).
I learned a lot about the raccoons since my initial panic last year. I have noticed their reaction to me as sometimes they are out during the daytime (for whatever reason) and if I'm outside at the time, they'll either sit still when I walk by or run off. There isn't that attack. I guess the 3 raccoons that came up to me last year thought I had food (well it was garbage) and they thought they'd get something to eat. I rescued Harrison from precarious situations more than once and even helped him get loose from a chair he got caught up in this past winter. He had a sprained paw (foot?).
I also noticed behavior amongst the cats themselves. For reasons still unknown, Treasure and Shaman just stopped being buddies to the point that April 19th she disappeared for good. I had word someone took her in but then a week or two later I saw her crossing one of the side streets. While my neighbors are kind and usually report on the Next Door app of an injured or found cat or dog, many are hush hush about whether they spot these cats. I suppose it's possible for the cats to travel to one of the 10 colonies here (we have 10 in a 16 block radius because of some hoarding situation years ago). I just have to hope the other cats are fine and Treasure told them to find their own human. I also noticed that a lot of rules for feral cats to be different then an indoor cat. Last week I watched as Treasure and Sopdet practiced running into the winter shelter and hiding from predator type play. I guess that's what it was as one would chase the other, full fight noise and all, the one being chased into the shelter go all the way in and stay put. Then the other one would be the one being chased inside and all the way inside. They play a bit rough and get scratches. They go the entire 9 yards of fight stance and yowls. But can be easily distracted with food (of course).
I have noticed that even though Treasure laid claim to me and the property, running off all other cats including his littermate (Shaman) that they can come back if they want. Cooper was gone for 6 months when he just popped up one day. His attitude was more aggressive but he either was abused during his time away (he had a collar on first reappearance) or he learned to be more aggressive for survival outside. I'm hoping for his sake it's the latter. So that gave me hope that they can return. Maybe Shaman will pass through at some point just to say "hi". Anyway these are the few observations that I have seen during the time I've been caring for these cats.
Oh and one other observation and this may be specific to this raccoon gaze only as they are descended from a pair of raccoons that were pets, but if one of the raccoons knocks over my cam I have set up to watch them, they'll come back and do what they can to set it upright. I have witnessed that so many times. Harrison and Patty know how to set the cams back up right away. The youngsters are learning. Ok sorry for the book. If this post is not allowed because of all the others then please feel free to delete.
One thing I have noticed is the relationship between Treasure and the visiting wildlife. He plays with the groundhogs during the day. He despises the opossum which I don't know why since possums are really gentle. He plays with a red fox kit but stays at a distance from the parents. He'll tolerate the adult raccoons, but the youngsters (kits I think they are called) he will not tolerate and often swats at them. This is one of the observations is that he will swat at the raccoon, and the raccoon will bow his head and slowly back off. It's the same behavior I see when Mom Raccoon chastises (what's the word used for raccoons) one of her young, the young one will bow the head and back off. I've even seen this behavior between Treasure and Harrison (Dad raccoon).
I learned a lot about the raccoons since my initial panic last year. I have noticed their reaction to me as sometimes they are out during the daytime (for whatever reason) and if I'm outside at the time, they'll either sit still when I walk by or run off. There isn't that attack. I guess the 3 raccoons that came up to me last year thought I had food (well it was garbage) and they thought they'd get something to eat. I rescued Harrison from precarious situations more than once and even helped him get loose from a chair he got caught up in this past winter. He had a sprained paw (foot?).
I also noticed behavior amongst the cats themselves. For reasons still unknown, Treasure and Shaman just stopped being buddies to the point that April 19th she disappeared for good. I had word someone took her in but then a week or two later I saw her crossing one of the side streets. While my neighbors are kind and usually report on the Next Door app of an injured or found cat or dog, many are hush hush about whether they spot these cats. I suppose it's possible for the cats to travel to one of the 10 colonies here (we have 10 in a 16 block radius because of some hoarding situation years ago). I just have to hope the other cats are fine and Treasure told them to find their own human. I also noticed that a lot of rules for feral cats to be different then an indoor cat. Last week I watched as Treasure and Sopdet practiced running into the winter shelter and hiding from predator type play. I guess that's what it was as one would chase the other, full fight noise and all, the one being chased into the shelter go all the way in and stay put. Then the other one would be the one being chased inside and all the way inside. They play a bit rough and get scratches. They go the entire 9 yards of fight stance and yowls. But can be easily distracted with food (of course).
I have noticed that even though Treasure laid claim to me and the property, running off all other cats including his littermate (Shaman) that they can come back if they want. Cooper was gone for 6 months when he just popped up one day. His attitude was more aggressive but he either was abused during his time away (he had a collar on first reappearance) or he learned to be more aggressive for survival outside. I'm hoping for his sake it's the latter. So that gave me hope that they can return. Maybe Shaman will pass through at some point just to say "hi". Anyway these are the few observations that I have seen during the time I've been caring for these cats.
Oh and one other observation and this may be specific to this raccoon gaze only as they are descended from a pair of raccoons that were pets, but if one of the raccoons knocks over my cam I have set up to watch them, they'll come back and do what they can to set it upright. I have witnessed that so many times. Harrison and Patty know how to set the cams back up right away. The youngsters are learning. Ok sorry for the book. If this post is not allowed because of all the others then please feel free to delete.
