Cats and Raccoons

A couple of our cats would bother racoons
and I'm afraid the racoons would win. And
rabies is scary. There are great videos of
dogs playing with bears and cats that get along
really well with horses and dogs nursing pigs ...
but it scares me to think about cats being outside
with racoons.

"patga" wrote in message ...
Raccoons don't bother cats. I've had them in the woods behind my house for
30 years. They come up onto the porch to eat any leftover cat food.

"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is an indoors/outdoors cat. Ever since winters ended, she has
insisted on sleeping in the porch. She also prefers not to use the
litter-box and like to go outdoors. She has never strayed beyond our
lawn: one neighbor has a loud dog, the other one loud workmen and
machinery 8 hours a day; and those are the two outlets. :-) Frankly she
just prefers to be in our porch and lawn to anywheer else including our
house. The whole arrangement has been safe. While we await winters and
inevitable indoor life, we have even started feeding her on the porch.

OK, this neighborhood has a few raccoons as well, probably a mother
with a few kids. I had seen them a few rare times prowling a neighbor's
lawn, and besides scrounging for food they have not harmed or attacked
anyone. So far I had not even seen them on my property.

This evening a big surprise. I was dozing on one patio chair and the
cat on the other, when I woke up to some noise. A raccoon had finished
the few morsels of food the cat had left and was drinking out of her
bowl. He paid no attention to the cat. She kept dozing as well---some
alert hunter I have!

I was in some panic and got up, which startled the raccoon who ran
away. I picked up the cat, who didn't know what happened, and brought
her in along with her feeding bowls. In about 15 minutes I saw the
reccoon reappear on the porch, sniffing the floor for food crumbs. To
my amazement he also sniffed the chair on which the cat had been lying.
This time I decided to chase him away real good, with a broom, and he
ran off into shadows.

A few hours later, my cat was restless to go out again. I decided to
allow her but only supervised, ie, she can stay as long as I am there
too. As soon as she got out, she started sniffing the feeding area
where the raccoon had been.

This was the only (indirect) interaction between them---to sniff where
the other had been, while the other was absent.

I have decided not to feed her outside from now on, because she
scatters crumbs around and those smells can attract unwelcome guests.

However, I would be curious to know if those raccoons pose a real
threat to my cat? I have never heard of them to hurt any pet in this
area and he certainly showed no interest in the cat today. However, as
with people, fights can start by misunderstanding: the cat may growl to
defend her turf, which the mother raccoon could interpret as threat to
her kitten, etc. I am only speculating, I have no experience with
wildlife, and would like to hear what the experienced people think.

Kiran

I live in Huron National Forest and the coons and cats tolerate one another
well. No problems with the baby coons either. I do however keep the cats up
to date on their rabies and other shots. I have observed at night, a coon,
porcupine, deer, opossum and skunk all feeding on bird seed in the back yard
while the cats observed from the deck.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos


"AKA gray asphalt" wrote in message
news:NVJPe.5169$ct5.2682@fed1read04...

A couple of our cats would bother racoons
and I'm afraid the racoons would win. And
rabies is scary. There are great videos of
dogs playing with bears and cats that get along
really well with horses and dogs nursing pigs ...
but it scares me to think about cats being outside
with racoons.

"patga" wrote in message
...
Raccoons don't bother cats. I've had them in the woods behind my house
for
30 years. They come up onto the porch to eat any leftover cat food.

"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is an indoors/outdoors cat. Ever since winters ended, she has
insisted on sleeping in the porch. She also prefers not to use the
litter-box and like to go outdoors. She has never strayed beyond our
lawn: one neighbor has a loud dog, the other one loud workmen and
machinery 8 hours a day; and those are the two outlets. :-) Frankly she
just prefers to be in our porch and lawn to anywheer else including our
house. The whole arrangement has been safe. While we await winters and
inevitable indoor life, we have even started feeding her on the porch.

OK, this neighborhood has a few raccoons as well, probably a mother
with a few kids. I had seen them a few rare times prowling a neighbor's
lawn, and besides scrounging for food they have not harmed or attacked
anyone. So far I had not even seen them on my property.

This evening a big surprise. I was dozing on one patio chair and the
cat on the other, when I woke up to some noise. A raccoon had finished
the few morsels of food the cat had left and was drinking out of her
bowl. He paid no attention to the cat. She kept dozing as well---some
alert hunter I have!

I was in some panic and got up, which startled the raccoon who ran
away. I picked up the cat, who didn't know what happened, and brought
her in along with her feeding bowls. In about 15 minutes I saw the
reccoon reappear on the porch, sniffing the floor for food crumbs. To
my amazement he also sniffed the chair on which the cat had been lying.
This time I decided to chase him away real good, with a broom, and he
ran off into shadows.

A few hours later, my cat was restless to go out again. I decided to
allow her but only supervised, ie, she can stay as long as I am there
too. As soon as she got out, she started sniffing the feeding area
where the raccoon had been.

This was the only (indirect) interaction between them---to sniff where
the other had been, while the other was absent.

I have decided not to feed her outside from now on, because she
scatters crumbs around and those smells can attract unwelcome guests.

However, I would be curious to know if those raccoons pose a real
threat to my cat? I have never heard of them to hurt any pet in this
area and he certainly showed no interest in the cat today. However, as
with people, fights can start by misunderstanding: the cat may growl to
defend her turf, which the mother raccoon could interpret as threat to
her kitten, etc. I am only speculating, I have no experience with
wildlife, and would like to hear what the experienced people think.

Kiran

Gary Stone wrote:
I live in Huron National Forest and the coons and cats tolerate one another
well. No problems with the baby coons either. I do however keep the cats up
to date on their rabies and other shots. I have observed at night, a coon,
porcupine, deer, opossum and skunk all feeding on bird seed in the back yard
while the cats observed from the deck.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos

What's the pic of the dude in the tree with the bear cub?

-L.

Gary Stone wrote:
I live in Huron National Forest

That's paradise, man. But how can anyone live in a National
Forest? Are you a ranger perhaps?

Well just to play devil's advocate, many people's children would have a
preference to eat candy all the time and never have a decent dinner, but as
grown ups we have to make the decision for them and what's best for their
health. Maybe keeping your cat inside is best for her? It's ultimately up
to you, not me. I'll keep mine indoors as I feel they're safer there (from
wildlife, from traffic, from people that dislike cats, from other sick cats,
etc.). However, I think you should take some precautions regarding
raccoons. They can be very aggressive animals. Rabies, distemper, and
topical parasites are all concerns, and I believe even giardia can come from
raccoons (assuming they're washing food in your cat's water dish).

Holly

"Kiran" wrote in message
...
AKA gray asphalt wrote:

: It is irritating to see someone say that a person who cares
: enough to write a ng about her pet ... being called lazy. How
: would anyone know whether the cat has a preference or not?

I have no idea why any intelligent person would think that a living
creature cannot have preference. Cats have always had a reputation
for being finicky, picky etc., what is that if not "preference"?

A funny footnote is that we do have a litterbox inside. The situation
has nothing to do with litterbox, but with my cat wanting to spend all
the time outside. If she is outdoors, she is not going to come inside
to "go". If last winter is any guide, she'd always want to step out for
a while but one day she will decide on her own it is time to start
sleeping inside.

"223rem" wrote in message
news:JEOPe.282404$x96.187725@attbi_s72...
Gary Stone wrote:
I live in Huron National Forest

That's paradise, man. But how can anyone live in a National
Forest? Are you a ranger perhaps?

There are areas within that are set aside and/or were preserved for private
ownership.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos

wrote in message
ups.com...

Gary Stone wrote:
I live in Huron National Forest and the coons and cats tolerate one
another
well. No problems with the baby coons either. I do however keep the cats
up
to date on their rabies and other shots. I have observed at night, a
coon,
porcupine, deer, opossum and skunk all feeding on bird seed in the back
yard
while the cats observed from the deck.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos

What's the pic of the dude in the tree with the bear cub?

-L.

That would be an animal rescue worker. Don't know him.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos

Love your pics! Gretchen looks like two of our cats whom are tigers(Mama and
Hobbes).
"Gary Stone" wrote in message
...

"223rem" wrote in message
news:JEOPe.282404$x96.187725@attbi_s72...
Gary Stone wrote:
I live in Huron National Forest

That's paradise, man. But how can anyone live in a National
Forest? Are you a ranger perhaps?

There are areas within that are set aside and/or were preserved for
private ownership.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos