New Pet??? Update

[JWR]

This morning we were standing in the kitchen looking out into our back yard when I noticed a large Raccoon climbing around in our tree.

I called Maria to look and we went into our sunroom that overlooks the backyard and watched it climb down the tree and across the yard towards our house. Next thing we hear a scrathing sound a then suddenly it appeared on the roof of our sunroom and walked over one of our skylights and proceeded to go to it's "home" under the eve of our main house roof where it meets the roof of the sunroom which was added on.

Now our sunroom is on the 2nd story above the studio apartment that my daughter is currently living in.

So besides freaking out the cats as well as the reaction Maria had when it walked over the skylight right above her , we now most likely will need to pay animal control to remove our "new pet" .

JOY

Oh BTW we live in the outskirts of Los Angeles so we can attest even the big cities have their wildlife.

[Keropi]

Sorry to hear that.

Yeah we had a racoon in our neighborhood too. It kept going under the raised portion of our metal tool shed out in our backyard. We had to nail thick metal grated screens to the bottom to stop it. The racoon kept scratching the grate making a lot of noise trying to get back in.

Then the racoon kept digging under our fences making a hole there and trying to go under our house. It moved around the screen near the area to go under our house. My dad stuck a large thick piece of wood in front of the screen there and then put a large rock to disuade the racoon again.

That racoon was pretty strong.

[Queen_Serenity]

A racoon walking around in daylight? You may want to get animal control, it could be rabid.

[Baakay]

A racoon walking around in daylight? You may want to get animal control, it could be rabid.

Yeah, my thoughts too.

I mean, if you REALLY want another "pet," I have a perfectly bizarre 12 year old I'll send you... no fee for removal, even!

[Wendy]

I have a perfectly bizarre 12 year old I'll send you... no fee for removal, even!

I can top that with a middle aged, house broke Belgian Joe
How exotic!!

He doesn't cook, but he can zap and take out the garbage

[Goldknight]

I go through this every year. Each year a Raccoon finds a way into the attic eventhough each year I have someone come and cover any openings with metal. I called animal control who said their hands are tied since each year the raccoon most likely had babies and we can't get to those babies in such a tiny place. Removing the raccoon leaves the babies there to die and then stink up the house. So basically they said you have to wait till it gets hot enough for Mom and babies to leave then patch up the holes/openings and hope they don't return. Every year SHE finds another way into the house/attic and I start finding fiber glass in the yard, shingles on the porch. I feel for ya Joe. Watch out though....if animal control just finds Mom don't take her out. Those babies would be nasty dead in your house somewhere.

[aernath]

hee hee hee
Reminds me of the time we discovered we had racoons in our roof in upstate New York.

We had one of those tiny outdoor grills, set it up on the porch just outside the front door (we were on the second floor that was actually a converted attic - gotta love those first places you live in as a couple), and the sauce got down into the briquettes and caused a tremendous amout of smoke.
Well.... we heard screeching and scurrying, and watched through the door's window as the momma racoon left the babies behind and high tailed it outta there!
She came back for them later, and we never saw them again!

[JWR]

Well this morning I awoke to find the trap we had set with our very large houseguest inside it. I had to find a bait it liked that would not attract all the neighborhood cats. I used Marshmallows.

So I'll be taking our Raccoon to the Wildlife center to be relocated far away for our home.

[Cloud]

And that worked well for you.

[RoboFlonne]

You caught it with marshmallows! I never thought of marshmallows!

[Ms. Poe]

Good thing you got it out Joe...Those things bring in a TON of fleas. OMG...I remeber my dad had them in his chimmney...Fleas EVERYWHERE!

Hopefully it wasn't a she with a litter in there >.</! My dad had birds nest in his attic where he couldn't get to them, and you know how hot attics get. All he said was the first hot day we had the chirping stopped....O_O!

[Cloud]

Tell me more about your father.

[RoboFlonne]

I was just wondering if Raccoons would be nice pets if you took care of them like a cat or a bunny?

Here's a pet hedgehog named Uni! He's pretty cute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhpsIK7pDc

[JWR]

I was just wondering if Raccoons would be nice pets if you took care of them like a cat or a bunny?

Here's a pet hedgehog named Uni! He's pretty cute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhpsIK7pDc

I have know of some with raccoons as pets but all have said one day they snap and become mean. Skunks make great pets once they have been descented ,smart , loving & get along well with other animals like cats & dogs.

Update , turns out it's a male weighing 22lbs so no fear of a litter to watch out for. The Animal Control will treat it for a scrape it got attempting to escape from the trap and if it passes the rabies test , they will relocate it deep into the forest.

[Ms. Poe]

I was just wondering if Raccoons would be nice pets if you took care of them like a cat or a bunny?

Here's a pet hedgehog named Uni! He's pretty cute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhpsIK7pDc

No no no.

That hedgehog is a domesticated breed you can buy in pet stores. They're very cute and loving.

Skunks are nice, like Joe said, but they still have a lil stink to em like Ferrets. They do eventually snap and will bite and scratch you. I've raised many wild animal babies being part of a rescue here. Once they hit "puberty" there's a HUGE difference in attitude, and that's the day they get released.