Raccoons! How to handle them when they are not afraid of you?

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

Last night, I was watching TV and Siete was in his window perch as usual for the evening. Suddenly, he is hunkered down and howling at something outside the window. I get up, and not three feet away (outside) is this raccoon staring right at me on the staircase. Siete is continuing to howl, and the coon stays there. My front door is next to the window, so I figured rattling the doorknob would scare him away. Instead, he seems to be even MORE interested! I actually open the door, and he is still there looking right at me. Not normal.

I close the door and get my broom, and go back out the door and start sweeping the ground next to him, and he ambles off the stairs and goes under the walkway. But wait, he goes along the underside of the walkway to get to the stairs leading to my place on the first floor! As he starts up that short flight of stairs, I start frantically sweeping the ground and saying "shoo!". He ambles a little way, then stands up on his hind legs like he is begging. Is he hungry? And then...ANOTHER ONE! That one went unnoticed because it was drinking from the swimming pool.

After a bit, they both left. I have seen raccoons in our apartment courtyard before, but not ever a pair of them, and they NEVER would stand their ground. They would just amble away. Nobody here feeds them, and there are no outdoor pets or garbage cans. However two years ago we had a neighbor who would feed them and possums too. After she moved out, no more possums and the raccoons would only be seen passing through every now and then.

These things are big. Could they take a screen off a window and come in my place? It knows I have cats and is evidently not afraid of them, or me. I will not kill it. Any advice?

Gatefan1976 · May 20, 2016

Need a new hat?
I'm sure Rac would love a gen-u-ine coon skin cap

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

Gatefan1976 said:
Need a new hat?
I'm sure Rac would love a gen-u-ine coon skin cap

They are too cute to hurt or kill.

The look on the face of that raccoon was "Im hungry, do you have any food?" Raccoons are attracted to homes with pets because most pet owners leave food out for free feeding (me too). Therefore, cats and dogs signal possible food sources (not the actual cats and dogs I hope!). This is possibly the same raccoon I saw lat year around this time, but the second one was just as big, so perhaps they are different ones?

I am more concerned they will try to enter my apartment by tearing through the window screen where Siete's perch is. It is window height from the walkway, and with not that much effort, I could easily see it coming in the window after tearing the screen. Either Siete or Fisher would likely attack it, or at least howl and alert me to it. Nah...IM AFRAID of them! :anim_59:

Gatefan1976 · May 20, 2016

you would die out here you pansy ass biatch :lol:

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

Gatefan1976 said:
you would die out here you pansy ass biatch

LOL!

It's just that I am unfamiliar with them. I don't know much about them. I used to be scared of opossums too until I found out how harmless they are. Same with tarantulas and snakes that I now know are harmless. I know how to identify harmful animals that I have encountered, but never have I had such a close encounter with raccoons.

Bluce Ree · May 20, 2016

Gatefan1976 said:
you would die out here you pansy ass biatch

I'm still flabbergasted at how YOU all survived out there before Australia became what it is today, dropped in the middle of what may as well be an alien world with monster bugs and animals all engineered to kill humans in the most horrific manner. :icon_lol:

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

Bluce Ree said:
I'm still flabbergasted at how YOU all survived out there before Australia became what it is today, dropped in the middle of what may as well be an alien world with monster bugs and animals all engineered to kill humans in the most horrific manner.

I know, right? Im skeert of racoons, and they in Australia have giant rabbit looking creatures as tall as a man which can literally kick doors in!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...WO-DAYS-vicious-attack-left-12-inch-scar.html

article said:
A hostile kangaroo launched a savage assault on a mother after spending two days stalking her - then attacked her husband as she recovered in hospital.

Kirrily McWilliams was left with a 12-inch scar following the brutal attack by the powerful grey kangaroo as she walked down her driveway.

It was the third time Mrs McWilliams had been confronted by the intimidating animal at her home near Port Macquarie, northern New South Wales, Australia.

There, they have earthworms as big as snakes:

And redback spiders that EAT snakes:

Tripler · May 20, 2016

Holy POOP !!! I ain't ever goin to oz !!!

Tripler · May 20, 2016

The freekin racoons up here are bigger than my dog lol . And there the meanest buggers in the neighbourhood . Dogs leave them alone if there smart . They will run away, but if cornered , stay back ... they will rip your face off man !!!

Tripler · May 20, 2016

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

Tripler said:
The freekin racoons up here are bigger than my dog lol . And there the meanest buggers in the neighbourhood . Dogs leave them alone if there smart . They will run away, but if cornered , stay back ... they will rip your face off man !!!

Yep, these two coons are HUGE. Bigger than a dog. I saw one of them walking along the brick fence, and I thought it was a monkey!

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

UPDATE: My upstairs neighbor said that the raccoon was on the second story walkway this morning! Just the one. I saw two when I saw them, but the second one was a ways away and drinking from the pool. I think the one that is being bold was the one from a couple of years ago that the neighbor fed with dog food. She lived upstairs next to this neighbor. I think it is him, plus a new mate. Maybe they have offspring they are feeding? I have been told by animal control NOT to feed them or try and trap them. Evidently they are very common in this part of Redondo Beach.

Gatefan1976 · May 20, 2016

It's obvious to me, just import a 'roo to kick the crap out of them............

Gatefan1976 · May 20, 2016

Bluce Ree said:
I'm still flabbergasted at how YOU all survived out there before Australia became what it is today, dropped in the middle of what may as well be an alien world with monster bugs and animals all engineered to kill humans in the most horrific manner.

I'd like to say we cultivated good relationships with the natives and learned from them, but that would be bullshit

shavedape · May 20, 2016

Overmind One said:
Last night, I was watching TV and Siete was in his window perch as usual for the evening. Suddenly, he is hunkered down and howling at something outside the window. I get up, and not three feet away (outside) is this raccoon staring right at me on the staircase. Siete is continuing to howl, and the coon stays there. My front door is next to the window, so I figured rattling the doorknob would scare him away. Instead, he seems to be even MORE interested! I actually open the door, and he is still there looking right at me. Not normal.

I close the door and get my broom, and go back out the door and start sweeping the ground next to him, and he ambles off the stairs and goes under the walkway. But wait, he goes along the underside of the walkway to get to the stairs leading to my place on the first floor! As he starts up that short flight of stairs, I start frantically sweeping the ground and saying "shoo!". He ambles a little way, then stands up on his hind legs like he is begging. Is he hungry? And then...ANOTHER ONE! That one went unnoticed because it was drinking from the swimming pool.

After a bit, they both left. I have seen raccoons in our apartment courtyard before, but not ever a pair of them, and they NEVER would stand their ground. They would just amble away. Nobody here feeds them, and there are no outdoor pets or garbage cans. However two years ago we had a neighbor who would feed them and possums too. After she moved out, no more possums and the raccoons would only be seen passing through every now and then.

These things are big. Could they take a screen off a window and come in my place? It knows I have cats and is evidently not afraid of them, or me. I will not kill it. Any advice?

View attachment 32911

Yes, they can rip through screens. I had to help catch a huge raccoon that tore through the roof of the old lady's house across the street last year. It ripped through one of the soffits which was made of wood and aluminum siding and got into her attic.

Raccoons are vermin. They are feral animals that can be vicious to both humans and pets. They can be diseased. A pellet gun (if you're allowed to own and use them in CA) is one of the few ways to deal with them effectively. You can try one of those 'Have-a-Heart' cage traps and then once caught go release the thing out in the wild. Just be careful you don't get bit by one of those things. Again, they're vermin and should be treated as such. People should not feed them as that only encourages them to come around and destroy property and kill pets on a regular basis.

shavedape · May 20, 2016

Gatefan1976 said:
you would die out here you pansy ass biatch

That's because you live on LV-426

shavedape · May 20, 2016

Tripler said:
The freekin racoons up here are bigger than my dog lol . And there the meanest buggers in the neighbourhood . Dogs leave them alone if there smart . They will run away, but if cornered , stay back ... they will rip your face off man !!!

They had a show on a couple months ago talking about how Toronto has the largest urban population of raccoons in the world. It makes it easy to study them I guess.

Overmind One · May 20, 2016

shavedape said:
Yes, they can rip through screens. I had to help catch a huge raccoon that tore through the roof of the old lady's house across the street last year. It ripped through one of the soffits which was made of wood and aluminum siding and got into her attic.

Raccoons are vermin. They are feral animals that can be vicious to both humans and pets. They can be diseased. A pellet gun (if you're allowed to own and use them in CA) is one of the few ways to deal with them effectively. You can try one of those 'Have-a-Heart' cage traps and then once caught go release the thing out in the wild. Just be careful you don't get bit by one of those things. Again, they're vermin and should be treated as such. People should not feed them as that only encourages them to come around and destroy property and kill pets on a regular basis.

Well, if I was going to shoot it, I have an actual gun I could use but I do not want to kill it or even injure it. I just want it to LEAVE! I called Animal Control in RB and they told me not to trap it or feed it, and to not let my cats out at night even if I am with them. Then, they tell me that there are lots more of them in my immediate area and that they get calls about them all the time. The other person on the line told me to call them if I see them in the daytime, because that is very unusual and signals desperation.