And 3000 pounds of pet food! (pics)

13 years ago

Thanks everyone for the congrats on me winning the horse feed.

We (my rehab partner and I) also had 4 donations this week of pet food, for a total of close to 3000 pounds. Costco, Walmart, the food bank and a shelter donated it. We routinely get donations from these places, but it doesn't usually all come in at once, and lately, the donations have been very slow, and I've had to buy food for the raccoons which is very expensive.

I know a lot of people don't agree with feeding wildlife, but I am betting, they didn't move right into the middle of raccoon territory. We have about 40 to 60 raccoons that drop by every night. If I didn't feed them, I would have to fight them, because they would be into everything. As it is, they come, they eat, and they leave...except for the

few that actually live in trees in my yard.

I started feeding them because when I moved here, I raised waterlilies and I had waterlily tanks all over the place. As long as I fed them, they left the waterlilies alone.

Sort of like the Raccoon Mafia. I never skip feeding them and if I have to be away, which is very seldom, I have someone to come here and put out the food. Otherwise they would kill all my chickens, among other things.

I have fed them for 15 years and one of the original raccoons is still here. Another one is 8 (or 9) years old and is one that I raised. The rest I am not sure about because I don't take time to get to know them, like I did when I first moved here. A lot of them are little ones.

This is how much I feed every night.

We keep the extra food in a storage unit and I go by there almost every day to pick up some. When I come home, if I am a little late, a couple of little ones, jump in the back of the truck and start helping themselves. Look at this guy standing here with his partner in crime...and note the

piece of cat food he is holding in his hand.

Also, the raccoons aren't tame. They are somewhat used to me, but they won't let anyone walk up to them. Even the one I raised, will not let anyone except me get close to her.

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Comments (18)

trishaw
13 years ago
They are amazing. I wish I had met you about 15 years ago! DH and I were living with his parents and we had a couple of raccoons that managed to get into one of garages every single night. They were very ill behaved- as in pooping everywhere. They would try to get into the horse feed. Had I know about feeding them I would have! They destroyed the big carrier that we used on the top of the car for vacations. They were certainly not afraid of us either! I smoked back then and I would go out and stand by my MIL's car. One night the dog followed me out. Now, there are no street lights where they lived, they had 9 acres with "forest" around them. I felt something brush my leg. It hit me at about hip high. So I started petting it, thinking it was Nellie, the dog. Um, nope- it was Mr. Raccoon checking to see if I had anything good in my pockets! Scared the life out of me! I screamed and ran one direction, he screamed and ran the other.

But I loved to watch them. They did a lot of bathing in our pool. It was a little above ground one for the kids. Mama would wash her babies right there!

Trish
hgl_gaylemarie
13 years ago
I love watching the racoons when we RV at the lake. Dumb campers get their ice chest ransacked. You have to have a ice chest that locks. Ask me how I know. LOL!

We were robbed of eggs, bacon, steaks, and chicken. Didn't touch the milk. LOL! You should have seen the mess.
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marilyn_c
Original Author
13 years ago
The problem with feeding them is they tell their friends and you end up feeding a multitude.
alisande
13 years ago
"The raccoon mafia" LOL

I know how destructive they can be, but boy, they're cute!!
schoolhouse_gw
13 years ago
This Spring I began throwing out ears of corn for a mother raccoon and her two kits. Soon that wasn't enough and she and other coons began emptying the bird feeder and finally ripped it apart. They would start arriving right before dusk. Besides that, I would be awakened by terrible critter fights out there - such noises I never heard before - scary! So I stopped filling the feeder and eventually stopped buying corn. To tell you the truth I was afraid for my cat!

They are beautiful though. Now the field corn is nearly ready so they'll have plenty to fill their bellies.
schoolhouse_gw
13 years ago
Oh, wanted to say how much I enjoyed your photos, marilyn. And I wouldn't have believed that they get along with cats, like I said I was afraid they would attack mine.
marilyn_c
Original Author
13 years ago
The don't bother the cats or the possums...eat side by side, although I don't purposely feed the cats with the raccoons, but they will come up and eat the cats' food. I try to get the cats fed early, although the old raccoon that lives in my yard will come out in the early afternoon and eat cat food.
patti43
13 years ago
I've always wondered how you got started rehabbing. Congratulations on another win--I think you should buy a lottery ticket!
kathy813
13 years ago
The Mafia!!! That is so funny but I know exactly what you mean. It's the lesser of two evils. I see so many of them run over around here. I enjoy your postings so much so I just stopped by to say so. Keep up the good work.
lindaohnowga
13 years ago
Darling pictures. I always love seeing your pics. I too would have thought that the coons would attack the cats. To see them all eating together is just amazing to me.

In Ohio we fed a momma and her babies on our back deck every night. They were such fun to watch. After the babies were full grown, they all left. Momma had parked one baby on a pile of cement blocks we had. I got pet the baby. They sure are cute.
ruthieg__tx
13 years ago
It's fun to see the pictures and see the coons and cats eating together but I never met a coon that I really liked. They are mean and vicious when they want to be and will kill for the sport of it. I have had them raid my chicken house and just cause a melee leaving a wake of dead chickens..night after night...It is very heart breaking to have to endure their viciousness.......once they find your place, they will come until you kill them or there is nothing left for them to kill or eat..they will eat a bit and then go chase another. I have found that they can get into just about anything that a human being can build. I had a Mama duck that decided to build a nest and set on her eggs. When I found her, I tried to secure her as best I could and managed for nearly the whole period of time but before the hatch, they got to her...killed her and tromped through destroying most of the eggs....You can stand there watching them and they will shoot a bird at you they are so reckless...shoot at them and in 5 minutes they will come back and say, let's try that again...........
lavon46
13 years ago
I am enjoying your photos too, marilyn. I had a pet raccoon way back in the early 70's but he got mean and ended up going to someone who did rescue. His name was Ronnie and he was fun, for awhile.
We have never seen one around here, maybe they don't like the desert much !
marilyn_c
Original Author
13 years ago
I pen my chickens up every night...they can't get to them, but if any get left out, chances are they will be eaten by morning. During the day they don't bother them. Although some coons come to the cat food dishes.
vala55
13 years ago
I like all wild life....in it's place.

I hope your animals have had their rabies shots.
petaloid
13 years ago
Congratulations on the pet food -- I'm happy for you and the critters!
User
13 years ago
* Posted by vala55 (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 5, 10 at 17:28

I like all wild life....in it's place.

And what place would that be, whatever is left after habitat destruction??

Marilyn, congrats on winning the horse feed and getting all those donations.
vala55
13 years ago
Not mixing with my pets, even if they have had their shots. They could be killed.
User
13 years ago
I am sure Marilyn knows exactly what she is doing and would not willingly jeopardize her pets.

And 3000 pounds of pet food! (pics)

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trishaw

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And 3000 pounds of pet food! (pics)

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