Strange Raccoon Behavior

[Catia]

This has happened to me a lot in Crafton, LOL- where the raccoons are huge & fat & not afraid of people.
Only ever occurred during late night when dog walking, or close to dawn. If it ever occurred during regular daylight hours, I'd be more concerned.

I think they just stay still because they know if they run they become 'prey'. This is pretty normal behavior, between you & the pooch, it was scared & didn't want to risk a chase.
They are stubborn sometimes.
I have turned around & avoided a few allies due to raccoons when they had babies, because they get protective.

Yes, I too worried about rabies, that's my only concern.

A coworker had to shoot one in his backyard last year that was walking around mid afternoon like it was drunk when he let his dog out. The dog & the raccoon did not contact each other fortunately.
Some agency came to retrieve it, & I believe do testing.
He was given instructions about what to do with his dog due to the raccoon being shot in the yard. I think he had to keep his dog out of that yard for a bit, & the area may have needed hosed down & bleached, but I am unsure of the actual process.

And funny your basset didn't notice it !!!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Catia

And funny your basset didn't notice it !!!

That's typical of him. He's not a sight hound, that's for sure. He is all about the smells. When we go to Petco, he is smelling the ground instead of paying attention to the actual dogs trying to greet him. He was probably smelling the actual trail of the raccoon in the yard. He also thinks all animals go up trees, even rabbits.

[Goodjules]

I just remembered that the local animal control (in Redwood City, CA) told me that Mama raccoons will sometimes be around in the daylight when protecting their babies. I had called when I saw a big raccoon near a drainage hole near the elementary school.

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

If they do have rabies, can you still make a hat out of them?

No. If they have rabies the carcase should be incinerated. Rabies virus can live on surfaces for quite a while.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by shadowfax

No. If they have rabies the carcase should be incinerated. Rabies virus can live on surfaces for quite a while.

I probably wouldn't have tried anyway, but that's good to know.

[Tallysmom]

Hopes -- if possible, you should have a talk with your neighbor about feeding ferals. I feed a colony of about 15, give or take -- some of them travel a bit. I never ever feed after dark. At that point, you're feeding raccoons, possums and rats. These critters have eco-jobs to do and free feeding them cat food makes them lazy. He needs to stop feeding the other critters.

I trained the cats -- they get fed in the AM and PM. We found old food service trays, we lay those out, and dump the dry food on that. Fresh water daily in the dish. All this stuff is washed out frequently. They get an hour to an hour and half to eat, then food is taken in. Water is left out.

I have one big sweetheart of a guy who is consistently late -- I feed Jayne separately -- he comes into the house and eats on the cat tree. (He's named after Adam Baldwin's character on Firefly) I wish I could really tame him, but he barely trusts me. I sneezed yesterday in front of him and he freaked out..... we think the reason he's late for feeding is that he's terrified of the other cats.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Hopes

My husband just told me that the neighbor is feeding it with his feral cats. They all hang out on the porch together like buddies. What an idiot, but I feel better knowing this raccoon's behavior is due to being more socialized with people than most raccoons. We'll just have to stay close to the basset because he might chase it if he sees it.

We have a raccoon and a cat working together on garbage night. My neighbor filmed the two of them tipping over garbage cans and eating the contents.

[Catia]

I would LOVE to see that video I bet it's really cute!

A previous neighbor of mine fed an outdoor cat for many years, & a raccoon ate from it at night.

When she moved the raccoon threw a royal fit-much to the horror of the new tenant & I -because when a raccoon throws a fit in the middle of the night & your windows are open, it's pretty darn loud. This protest went on nightly for about a month.

Around this time is when things started getting bad with the trash. Usually my trash was left alone, as there was very little food stuff in my trash, but neighbors were getting raided, regardless of mothballs, weighted trashcans & lids--they will find a way-they're trying to survive.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

I have one big sweetheart of a guy who is consistently late -- I feed Jayne separately -- he comes into the house and eats on the cat tree. (He's named after Adam Baldwin's character on Firefly)

Cool! Friends of mine have a pair of Maine Coons named Hoban and Zoe.

Hoban is entitled and stubborn. Zoe has feline autism. So they're not really anything like their Firefly namesakes, but still...

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Crossbow?

The Raccoons have crossbows!?!?!?

OUR WORST FEARS HAVE BEEN REALIZED!!! EVERYBODY RUN FOR IT!!!!!!!!