Raccoon in my house!

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JBaldwin

JBaldwin

Puritan Board Post-Graduate
raccoon005.jpg


Maybe some of you animal lovers will appreciate this. My husband came in from a jaunt down to our field and chicken coop with the announcement that he had caught a raccoon in a trap. The humane style trap was set to catch the possums that were after our chickens. So far, we've caught two possums, a squirrel, and now this raccoon.

The following evening my husband returned from feeding the chickens to inform me that the raccoon's name is Rocky. Tonight, he and my daughter came back from visiting Rocky WITH Rocky! They had rigged up a wire cage with food, water and bedding and decided it needed to stay in my daughter's bedroom. Why I didn't reject the idea shows what a softy I am when it comes to animals.

Not 30 minutes later, my 12-year old daughter sheepishly announced that she had opened the cage to pet Rocky and now Rocky was loose in her bedroom! After giving her the parental scolding for being irresponsible, I went into her room to inspect the damage. There was Rocky on the shelf, peeking around a sheet that my daughter had hung there. A few minutes later, my husband came in with a jar of food for Rocky. To say he was displeased was an understatement. For the next 45 minutes, he tried everything he could do to catch Rocky, but to no avail. First he brought him some food, the food ended spilled all over the floor. Next he tried a leather noose. Rocky squirmed. Next he tried grabbing Rocky by the back of the neck (like a mother cat with her kittens). Rocky started to snap at him. That's when he decided a pair of leather gloves was a good idea. Finally, Rocky worked his way behind a bookcase where my husband cornered him and got him into the cage. This time we padlocked the cage.

I don't know when I'm going to learn to put my foot down. Six weeks ago, the snake got loose, and we still haven't found it. Thankfully the snake doesn't bite or strangle.
 
I couldn't sleep in a house where a snake was loose.
icon_scare.gif
Raccoons are cute and all but in the house? Nuh uh.
 
Now you need a mongoose to catch the snake!

Actually, your daughter shouldn't pet the critter till it's had its shots. Besides, isn't he kind of wild? Does he have a mate who will look for him? I guess he'll stay out of the chicken coop now! If you want to play a mildly mean trick, give him a bowl of water and a sugar cube. He'll try to wash it and get the most puzzled expression! It's kinda mean, though.
 
Those things are sneaky and can be real mean when cornered.

I worked off shore between collegiate years in the summer of 2004, a raccoon stowed away in a pipe that came out to the rig, I was walking on the deck and heard a strange cackling and chirping, suddenly the varmint came bouncing out of a pipe right before me and scampered across the deck of the oil platform!

A crew of three were assigned to corner him, it felt like a scene from the movie Alien trying to locate it and not get attacked.

Finally the pest was cornered and we secured some long tongs around its throat, the tough part remained however as we intended to put it in an empty oil drum until we could figure out what next to do with it.

None of us had the courage to face the tornado of claws and teeth that awaited such an attempt, especially when trying to put that lid on. it escaped because of our cautiousness and we were forced to try a more drastic method, we turned on the fire house and blasted it overboard, the sharks took care of the rest.
 
JBaldwin said:
raccoon005.jpg


Maybe some of you animal lovers will appreciate this. My husband came in from a jaunt down to our field and chicken coop with the announcement that he had caught a raccoon in a trap. The humane style trap was set to catch the possums that were after our chickens. So far, we've caught two possums, a squirrel, and now this raccoon.

The following evening my husband returned from feeding the chickens to inform me that the raccoon's name is Rocky. Tonight, he and my daughter came back from visiting Rocky WITH Rocky! They had rigged up a wire cage with food, water and bedding and decided it needed to stay in my daughter's bedroom. Why I didn't reject the idea shows what a softy I am when it comes to animals.

Not 30 minutes later, my 12-year old daughter sheepishly announced that she had opened the cage to pet Rocky and now Rocky was loose in her bedroom! After giving her the parental scolding for being irresponsible, I went into her room to inspect the damage. There was Rocky on the shelf, peeking around a sheet that my daughter had hung there. A few minutes later, my husband came in with a jar of food for Rocky. To say he was displeased was an understatement. For the next 45 minutes, he tried everything he could do to catch Rocky, but to no avail. First he brought him some food, the food ended spilled all over the floor. Next he tried a leather noose. Rocky squirmed. Next he tried grabbing Rocky by the back of the neck (like a mother cat with her kittens). Rocky started to snap at him. That's when he decided a pair of leather gloves was a good idea. Finally, Rocky worked his way behind a bookcase where my husband cornered him and got him into the cage. This time we padlocked the cage.

I don't know when I'm going to learn to put my foot down. Six weeks ago, the snake got loose, and we still haven't found it. Thankfully the snake doesn't bite or strangle.
Click to expand...

DO you live at a Zoo JB?
 
DO you live at a Zoo JB?
Click to expand...

Not if I can help it, but I think that's what my daughter and husband have in mind. We currently have two dogs, two cats, a lot of fish, a snake (not the one that got away), a flock of chickens and Rocky. We have had pet rats (I wouldn't let those in the house.), hamsters, rabbits, lizards, frogs, tadpoles, and I can't remember what else at the moment. All I can say is that it's a good thing I don't live where they have alligators and crocodilians.

Just to put everyone's mind at rest; Rocky is not going to stay in our house. He will either be let go or a proper home will be built for him in the next day or so.
 
They come to you a little better if they are younger, are outside, and think you might have something for their stomachs. And just a note... They are better alive in your house than dead in your chimney. Our house accumulated a large amount of flies while on vacation one summer. A mother had babies in the chimney and they died. Lots of flies....

dscf0043a2tpfq9.jpg
 
Augusta said:
... Raccoons are cute and all but in the house? Nuh uh.
Click to expand...

Seriously, be careful. You are very wise to keep said raccoon caged.

Raccoons are known to be unpredictable after they reach a certain age. It may have something to do with puberty. A 30-pound raccoon is roughly the equivalent of a 90-pound dog in a fight. Some years ago this lady raised a raccoon from a cub(?), kept it as a pet, played with it, fed it, carried it on her shoulder. A vet who was aware of the age of the raccoon warned her that she was apt to be bitten at any time. She was like "but this is different."

One day the raccoon attacked her for no apparent reason. She landed in the hospital, her face was disfigured, and had to have plastic surgery.

Despite indications otherwise, these animals really do belong in the wild.

:judge:
 
He is very cute.
I am glad nobody was hurt in the process of catching him again.
They can be mean. The ones around here are not even afraid of our dog.
My girls would love to have as many pets as you have :) but I am not as brave as you are.
 
lololong said:
He is very cute.
I am glad nobody was hurt in the process of catching him again.
They can be mean. The ones around here are not even afraid of our dog.
My girls would love to have as many pets as you have :) but I am not as brave as you are.
Click to expand...

We have nearly 10 acres of land, and we live out in the country. It does give us room enough to keep animals, though I have vowed that once that cats and the dogs are gone, there will be no more cats and dogs in the house. (We'll see how long that lasts!)
 
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