I almost shot my cat
 

I caught a raccoon eating the cat's food yesterday at 5PM. I thought the cats were afraid of the 'coons and would have been in hiding far, far away. I put birdshot in the 16 ga. and sneaked around the corner of the house where I should have had a shot away from the house, dogs, cats, etc. The 'coon took off and ran along in front of some hedges, perfectly silhouetted for an easy shot. I fired at him and the instant I fired our cat TeeKay ran out of the hedge almost exactly where the 'coon was. The 'coon limped into the woods one way and TeeKay went the other way.

I searched frantically for him, scared to death. I was afraid he'd taken enough shot to be wounded or worse. After about half an hour he came back out of the woods, unhurt, but scared. I was never so happy to see a cat in my life.

The raccoons are overtaking the place. I've put up electric fences, take down the bird feeders at night, and we don't leave cat food out beyond dinner time anymore. But the raccoons have become so brazen they don't wait for night, they're chowing down at the bird feeders at 4:00 PM and show up at feeding time for the cats. I've tried live traps but there must be something wrong with the trap I have. The 'coons are so thick I've started shooting them.

I guess there is a lesson from that.

Almost did the same once.

Came home to find the front door ajar. We'd actually been burgled once before.

Cautiously went inside and heard noise from behind the lower level door.

Ran and grabbed shotgun, went back, flung the door open and it was the damn cat.

I was also on the receiving end of that once.

Came home pretty trashed, forgot my house keys. Decided to jimmy the laundry room window and crawl in rather than wake my parents.

I'm was very deftly and quietly, at least in my inebriated mind, crawling over the dryer when the light flips on and there's my stepdad with same shotgun a foot from my face.

Glad he was a patient man.

When I lived in SW Florida, my home had an enclosed lanai with a cat door. The backyard was fenced with surrounding woods. Coons would climb the fence and try to get into the lanai where my cat's food and water were. I'd set a hava-heart trap right in front of the cat door and every morning there'd be a coon inside. I'd place the trap and coon in my pickup and release on my way to work that morning.

I must have done this at least 20-30 times.

My home was a 20 minute drive from work through a lot of uninhabited property so plenty of options for release.

Patrick, are you using cat kibble for bait? That always works for me without fail. Also place a heavy paver block on top of the trap to hold it in place. Pretty straight forward....

Tough problem. Do your neighbors leave pet food out? That is what I'm facing here, with too many sympathetic people actually leaving food out not for their pets, but for the damn raccoons. I can't believe it. They think they are "cute".

My buddy two doors up our dead end lost his Golden Retriever to raccoons several years ago. Many neighbors have lost cats to the raccoons, and the coyotes as well. A neighbor raises rabbits, who escape his little farm all too easily, adding to our local food chain. So we now enjoy at least two predators who will wreak havoc on our neighbor's pets.

The one upside is that we now also have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles. Little chance of one carrying off my Golden Retriever, and they are making a dent in the rabbit population. Unfortunately, I doubt they would mess with a raccoon nor a coyote. I think the three are at about the same station in the food chain and leave one another alone.

I'm about ready to start shooting coyotes, raccoons, and while I'm at it, rabbits. The city encroached right on past us 20 years ago and we got "incorporated", but it does remain perfectly legal in Washington to shoot "nuisance wildlife", even within city limits.

I've said it many times here: Coyotes are target practice. They will bait dogs, which will not stand a chance. Also...raccoons are not cute, they are dangerous. Few dogs will win a fight with one. If any.

I read that statute Jeff, and knew I would need to do more research to be confident of the effect of it. A board or commission defines "nuisance wildlife" IIRC. Presumably you have seen the decisions or rules of that board or commission and/or studied the case law. Plus, there are kids in your neighborhood, and stuff. Proceed with ridiculously extreme caution.

Pretty sure the predator who was responsible for the disappearance of ALL my cats (4 total over the years - all litter mates) was a Coyote.

We've had Coons here the whole time and they never bothered any of my cats.

If I had cameras up I could confirm it was a Coyote but am actually glad I don't as it would make me even sadder watching it happen.

Try a few large marshmallows for trap bait.
They think they are eggs.

The problem isn't the bait, it's the trap. It doesn't trip the door closed. It's basically a raccoon/possum feeder until I fix it.

Jeff, your neighbors are idiots. OP, why on earth are you leaving food outside for the raccoons??

We have almost every form of wildlife imaginable here in LA, save for alligators and crocodiles. Raccoons and coyotes are everywhere in the hills. You need to plan around them here, eating cat food is the least of our worries. But you never, ever leave food outside for them.

We DO NOT leave food outside for the raccoons.
We put bird seed in bird feeders for the birds. We started taking the feeders in at night once the 'coons started raiding them. We used to put cat food out for our cats all day day until the 'coons started coming right up in broad daylight and helping themselves. We are down to leaving the cat food out for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon and the 'coons still sneak up when we aren't looking.

That is the problem! We need to import alligators and crocodiles to feed on the raccoons and coyoties!

It's the circle of life ❤

You’re leaving food outside for them and then shooting them when they eat it. Do you think that they know, (or give a schit), that you meant it for the cats?? That’s about as logical as putting a sign up telling them that it’s for cats only. They are hungry wild animals and you’re putting food outside.

When I caught some raccoons eating my puppy’s food on the back porch in 1990, I moved the food bowl inside that day and never left food outside again. What part of this is complicated?

The complicated part is that we have 6 outdoor cats and they expect to be fed. If you have a way to provide food for 6 semi wild farm cats that excludes raccoons and 'possums let me know. As it is they are down to only having access to food 2 hours a day.

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This is why we started taking the bird feeders in at night. They are fearless. I'm only about 8 feet away taking this video and he just looks at me.
.

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The electric fence is only semi-successful at keeping them off the deck (where the bird feeders are). They started climbing a tree and jumping onto the deck.

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Here is a video of a raccoon encountering the electric fence I put around our corn patch. I suppose Speeder would excoriate me for planting corn.

Hint..subsonic .22. Disposal? Road kill raccoons...who's going to give an autopsy?

Great bird feeder! I used to have one.

Yep, smart, not scared, ruthless. Need to shoot 'em.

Here is the style trap I have always used.

I have two of them now. Used them to catch Armadillos under my Mom's back deck.

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My kiddles munching down......

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Outside cats from day 1 and (I believe) ultimately fell prey to Coyote......:(

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Patrick - I didn't get into why your trap door isn't shutting but based on your posts over the years I know you can figure it out....given your high degree of mechanical proficiency.

I really think these traps do help, although admittedly a PITA.

Good hunting!