Raccoons killing ferals around my neighborhood

[bastfriend]

When I started on this strange journey, I had a neighbor who was feeding a breeding feral female and breeding raccoons.   She left food out day and night all the time.    In the months before she moved she told me that many of her feral cats began to disappear but also told me of the thriving raccoons outside her patio.    Then of course she moved abandoning the one regular feral cat left who was also the largest of the lot.    Perhaps the raccoons killed or drove away the other feral cats?    Anyway, as I began to feed Hercules I noticed dirt in the water bowl in the morning and the food bowls empty and thrown about - people here advised me it was the raccoons.   I felt bad about it but decided to feed only Hercules and limit the time the food was down to only two hours during the day and make sure not one kibble of food was on the ground when I took the bowl up.   That solved the raccoon problem.   They moved on somewhere else....

So Dawn I know you are worried the raccoons without food will attack the cats, but it sounds like even if they are fed they are still attacking.    Perhaps it is better to let the cats learn when the safe time to eat is and then they can hide from the raccoons the rest of the time.    Raccoons over time will see there is no food and travel away - they are scavengers so they must right?   Unless they are sick with rabies and the like.   You've got such a hard situation, I wish you much luck and miracles.

 

[dawn harvey]

You're right they are killing them no matter what I do.  I am mainly trying to protect the 2 that stay on my porch.  One is a kitten the other a female adult that has always had issues.  She never really matured and has never shown that she is even in heat and she's approx. 3 years old now, so I am very protective of her as she has lived on my porch all her life.  The last few nights we've been putting a radio on a talk station on our porch and so far they have not come on the porch, but I know they are very smart and that probably won't last long.  I am going to pick up all food at night like you suggested and hope for the best and hope the coons stay away.  Thanks for letting me know all that.  I really appreciate it.
 

 

[saffrone]

FYI...

I have been feeding and caring for feral cats for over 20 years.  I trap and fix the ones I can, and I tame and rescue their babies if I can.  I have a "doggie" door on my garage, and I have several neighborhood cats that live in my garage during Winter months...

Raccoons are the most vicious, vile, predators in your neighborhood.  All they care about is FOOD.  Don't ever leave food out at night...  any other animal will wait until daylight.  Raccoons will totally devour another animal over a food supply, especially if they try to protect their food bowl.  All they leave is a bloody mess around a water bowl.  Raccoons need water to swallow food.  They will kill and totally eat the bones, fur, organs and flesh of any animal.  Possums are their usual victims, because they try to "play dead", but raccoons eat dead animals too...

I've trapped around 30 of the beasts in the past few years...  I just take them to a park about 3 miles away, and let them go.  There's no sense in trying to rationalize what happens in nature...  and humans have no right killing them, when we've invaded their space.  

Everyone should just buy a trap at Home Depot, or anywhere for around $40, put some food in it, and catch, then dump the *******s far, far away...  preferably at night, so no one will see you.  Works like a charm for me, and I have no guilt. 

PS...  Put newspaper down in your car, and cover the cage with a towel, because some of them spray.

 

[dawn harvey]

Finally,  another person who knows what raccoons are capable of.  I have heard and seen the aftermath of what raccoons do.  I have tried to trap them, I normally get a feral cat/kitten.  I'll keep trying, but they are also very smart.  Thanks for that post Saffrone.  You know what you are talking about.

 

[creativekat]

Our 16 year old cat got out when guests with children were leaving from Thanksgiving (I think he was trying to get away from their children). We have have found neither hide not hair of him.  As it was about the time of night (10 pm) the raccoons start canvassing the yards, I suspect they are involved in our cat's disappearance, especially now that I have read all these other stories.  If you can't call animal control, I would set traps, then release in the woods miles away from your home (and others' homes) .  We are right near a 60 acre oak wood, where they live in large numbers, and we always thought they were cute. They raid our backyard for the red berries on the bush outside the back door in fall. I saw a documentary that said they stay within a three block range, so a few miles away might do the trick.  On the block next to the park, they have to weight the garbage cans with bricks to keep the coons from dumping them out. I just hope his end was quick, before he realized what was happening.  My poor cat.

 

[snugglecat]

 
Our 16 year old cat got out when guests with children were leaving from Thanksgiving (I think he was trying to get away from their children). We have have found neither hide not hair of him.  As it was about the time of night (10 pm) the raccoons start canvassing the yards, I suspect they are involved in our cat's disappearance, especially now that I have read all these other stories.  If you can't call animal control, I would set traps, then release in the woods miles away from your home (and others' homes) .  We are right near a 60 acre oak wood, where they live in large numbers, and we always thought they were cute. They raid our backyard for the red berries on the bush outside the back door in fall. I saw a documentary that said they stay within a three block range, so a few miles away might do the trick.  On the block next to the park, they have to weight the garbage cans with bricks to keep the coons from dumping them out. I just hope his end was quick, before he realized what was happening.  My poor cat.

It's only been a few days since your cat ran out, I wouldn't give up searching just yet. I have had friends cats go missing for a couple weeks at a time. Your cat might be close but too afraid to come out from hiding. I have raccoons hang around my place and we have a lot in the neighborhood I live in and they have never bothered my feral cats. They have never bothered any of the feral cats around here. The cats just sit and watch the raccoons search for food on my porch or get in the water bowls. I'm not saying raccoons won't hurt or kill them I'm just saying it might not be the case with your cat. Keep looking and calling, maybe even take some food out and shake it while calling for your cat.

 

[2 dozen]

Over the years I have had 2 cats escape the house and went missing for weeks. The first time, after I had given Stubby up for dead, a neighbor called and said she just saw him go under another neighbor's deck.

I now live in the Pocono mts with various wildlife and Freddy got out after a raccoon ripped a screen to get to the cat food it smelled in the house. After a few days I saw him coming on to my deck to eat the food I put out for the ferals I TNR'd. Took me awhile to catch him as he was a feral kitten who never got completely tamed and he usually doesn't come to me. I found out he was hiding under next door neighbor's deck and took me almost 2 weeks to trap him. The point being is I agree with Snugglecat not to stop looking for your kitty as they are terrified to find themselves outside and he is most likely hiding somewhere close. Put food out, even if there are raccoons about and even at night and stay alert to see if he comes around.

My husband has gotten very adept at rescreening as we have many raccoons come up to the deck to eat the food I have out for my ferals since I sometimes either forget to bring it in or I put more out when I see a cat that may have missed an earlier feeding. If there is no food out many times the raccoons have just ripped the screen from the window and come into the house to eat our pets food; I have to close the windows at night during the warm weather. I am fortunate that the raccoons I have observed on the deck have not bothered the ferals although the ferals usually keep their distance from the raccoons. But those buggers are smart and voracious and squabble among themselves for the food. They get  pretty loud but I never saw blood or any injury but I don't know how vicious they really can be.   

Dawn Harvey, how are things going with your 2 deck ferals? Hope they are OK and sorry for the turmoil you have been going through.

Karen

 

[di and bob]

I have a terrible time keeping the raccoons from eating all my cat's food, I have to pick it up every night. NEVER put dry food around your cats sleeping areas either, during a blizzard I did put food in the garage where my ferals are and I walked in to a blood soaked mess, hair everywhere. You could see the coarse grey and black fur of a raccoon and my big red male was torn up badly. He healed, but I will never do that again. I did have one very sweet tabby killed in our yard, with just one wound to the abdomen. Some of the raccoons around here are HUGE, their backs would be way above my knee height and I would say they weigh 30 pounds. I have seen them snarl at each other and their teeth are extremely long and dangerous looking.  After speaking to the vet it almost had to have been a raccoon, as a dog or coyote would have torn him apart or carried him off, and there was absolutely no hair around like in a fight. If you have ventured out looking and have seen no hair or blood, the chances are good your cat is still alive, don't give up, he is traumatized and could be in hiding.I'll pray for you all, please keep us posted!

 

[6cattails]

Your raccoon situation is certainly unique to me. In FL raccoons are not protected but cannot be relocated. However it is legal to kill them on one's private property. I have a strong aversion to killing anything. If people have trees or other roof access the raccoons will use the roof and also move into the attic if possible. If have cats and the raccoons soon learned they could come in the cat door as I found one in the kitchen eating the cat crunchies. Of course it saw me and ran back out the cat door but I had to tack the cat door shut. I have never had  a problem with raccoons killing cats here. The raccoons will eat side by side with the cats outside. I have even seen one of the raccoons grooming one of the cats.  Maybe her maternal instincts/hormones were in force at that time. The racoons here will come out in the day especially if they have young to feed. Unfortunately, we humans have multiplied to excess and have destroyed their habitats. They can have four or five babies at a time and with little area for foraging they have to struggle. I am researching safe oral birth control for them. It would be easy for me to give oral vaccine individually .This is the first information I have found. I am going to talk to talk local rehabber also.  

Combined Rabies-Contraceptive Vaccines for Raccoons—NWRC scientists conducted preliminary tests to evaluate the feasibility of a combined rabies-GonaCon vaccine for use in raccoons. WS operations biologists vaccinate hundreds of raccoons and other medium-sized mammals annually in response to localized rabies outbreaks. However, in areas where raccoon populations are high, the risk remains high that
rabies will continue due to the production of susceptible young. NWRC scientists investigated whether immunocontraception is feasible for controlling raccoon population densities while sustaining a high immune status within adult populations in urban areas where the risk of rabies is high. Thirty-two raccoons were inoculated with either GonaCon, the rabies vaccine IMRAB[emoji]174[/emoji] or both vaccines to simulate trap-vaccinate-release
procedures used by the WS Oral Rabies Vaccination Program. Results show GonaCon prevents pregnancy in raccoons without interfering with the development of rabies antibodies stimulated by IMRAB[emoji]174[/emoji]. To comply with registration requirements, NWRC scientists are conducting a breeding experiment as a second method to evaluate the contraceptive. They also plan to evaluate if GonaCon is as effective in young-of-the-year raccoons as it appears to be in adult raccoons. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/2012/nwrc/WS_Research_reproductiv-6.pdf

 

[6cattails]

Unfortunately, people see any raccoon and immediately think = rabies.

 

[fariba]

MY 17 YEAR OLD CAT NAMED TRIXY SNUCK OUT OF THE HOUSE LAST SATURDAY NIGHT AT 3:00 A.M.  WHICH SHE NEVER DOES, AND BY 7:00 A.M. SHE WAS DEAD.  SHE HAD BITE MARKS ON THE BACK OF THE NECK AS WELL AS HER THROAT. NOT A LOT OF BLOOD. NO OTHER BITE MARKS ON HER BODY AND NOTHING WAS EATEN OR TORN OFF.   I AM 99% SURE THAT RACCOONS KILLED HER.  I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN WITH THE POOR CATS THAT WERE KILLED BY THE RACCOONS AND IF THERE WAS ANY CONSISTENCY WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO MY POOR TRIXY?  I AM SO SADDENED THAT SHE SUFFERED BEING STRANGLED BY HER THROAT OR IF SHE WAS PARALYZED BY THE BITE ON THE BACK OF THE NECK.   I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY OF YOUR INPUTS.  THANK YOU!

 

[6cattails]

I am very sorry about your cat. I only know that my cats integrate very well with raccoons. I even saw one of the raccoons grooming  one of the cats one time. The cats prefer to eat outside and the raccoons will eat with them neither specie paying much attention to the other. The raccoons are very smart and quickly learned to use the cat door so I had to nail it shut either that or get and electronic collar system. My cats are indoor/outdoor. We have had stray dogs kill cats in the neighborhood. I can only say what I know from experience and there is conflicting information out there depending on who is doing the informing and what they have to benefit from it. The raccoons are opportunistic omnivores and will eat bird eggs, frogs fish, snakes, berries, other fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables. They also eat insects, poultry, rats, squirrels, birds, fish, snakes, crawfish, and worms and probably just about anything that is convenient. All of those animals are convenient without matching defenses. I believe it is not convenient to attack a cat although if a cat or other animal was killed and a portion of it left I imagine the raccoon might eat it what is left. I would think that like a dog, a bobcat, possibly a fox (but even fox look for small prey with poor defenses) could consider a cat competitive for the same food sources and might kill for that reason. An owl might attack a small cat, in desperation, when tiny prey is not available. I cannot say that a raccoon, unless it was rabid, would not attack a cat, but in my 26 years of being around both my pet cats and the wild raccoons I have never seen it. I do bring my cats in before I go to bed which can be quite late. Again I am very sorry for your loss.