RACCOON IN HOUSE! Wild Animal Experts, I Need Your Help

[bertha katzenengel]

I need to repel raccoons, but not cats. Rocky came into the house last night through the cat door. We wish to keep the cat door open all night, but now that one raccoon comes in, there'll be a parade if we don't lock it.

Is there something that will repel raccoons but not cats?

[flvegan]

1. Put all food away. Cat food, people food, even garbage.

The only reason they would come in is to eat.

Critter Ridder might help, but the cats won't like it either, I don't think.

[bertha katzenengel]

2. I figured that'd be the advice I'd get.

Problem is, we feed ferals.

I wonder if Rocky would stop coming to the deck to eat the cats' leftovers if I set up a feeding station elsewhere. Maybe a no-brainer, but . . . :dunce:

[flvegan]

3. Nope.

A feeding station is just that. Once it reaches its limits supporting Rocky's family, they'll come back inside. It's a lure that will bring more. Cutting off the food is the only way they'll redirect their drive elsewhere.

If you want to spend some money, they have cat doors that are triggered by a collar tag, meaning the door only opens for the cat(s) wearing the collar with the transmitter. It's not terribly expensive, and that should solve your problem.

[bertha katzenengel]

6. Hmm.

This scares me. I have to be able to feed the ferals.

What to do.

I know of the radio & magnetic tags. Only problem is, we can't keep collars on any of our cats.

Ugh. What have I done?

[flvegan]

10. Just pick the food up at night. The cats will adjust.

In the morning, put 25% more bowls/food down. In a week, they'll have arranged their schedule accordingly. Leave the food down all day. As the sun goes down, pick the food up. None of the cats will starve overnight, even if they miss din-din time.

[lizziegrace]

16. Out here on the farms

we have the same problem. All cat food is taken up at dusk so the critters look elsewhere. The cats are fed first thing in the morning.

Good luck Bertha!

[XemaSab]

18. Good suggestion...

:D

[bertha katzenengel]

23. Well, to this solution I give myself a resounding

DUH

:dunce: <-- me

Thanks, FLV. :blush:

[zonkers]

15. Excellent, concise advice.

[Demoiselle]

19. This is the suggestion I was going to make...special door/special collar

[Redstone]

4. Something of at least .36 caliber, I'd think.

Those damn coons are tough to get rid of.

They may look cute, but they're damn vicious.

Redstone

[bertha katzenengel]

5. Heh. I wonder if rubbing alcohol or vinegar would hurt them?

I'm thinking squirt guns.

Maybe if I got birdshot. If it didn't harm them but stung like mad, do you think it would repel them enough not to come back?

[Redstone]

7. Birdshot might work. As I said, they're tough.

Might discourage them without permanent damage.

They're creatures of habit, and DO take a lot of discouraging.

Redstone

[Road Scholar]

14. Tobacco. Racoons, dogs and cats hate the smell of it.. Just

collect a couple of dozen of cigarette butts, let them soak in some water, then put the juice all around and in the entrance.
cross your fingers.

[gkdmaths]

25. vinegar or booze wont do it

however I do know that a squirtgun of ammonia will make a charging rot drop to his knees and cry like mad.

I would use this as a last resort. I used to cary a gun of ammonia on my bike when I would ride centuries. Dogs charge up, gets too close and gets a little squirt. I would never wish that on any living animal unless I felt that my life was in danger.

FYI

[knowbody0]

8. you have to scare the hell out of them

I woke up to one in my room, standing up, he was a giant! I remembered that scene in The Gods must be Crazy. So, I held the corners of my blanket, extended my arms and screamed at the top of my lungs. He retreated, I followed him. He went out the cat door and I followed him into the back yard. He never came back! However, since then most of my neighbors appear to fear me as well.

[bertha katzenengel]

22. *blink*

:rofl: thank you -- it's good to laugh one's ass off just before sleep. :rofl: "most of my neighbors" :rofl:

[Sanity Claws]

9. Can you put the food for the feral cats out for a limited time?

I'm thinking if you put it out at a certain time everyday, the ferals will know it's there at that time and come to eat. You could supervise from a distance and perhaps scare the raccoon away.
I think the days of your just leaving food out all day are gone.

[Blue Diadem]

11. I found this..

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/health/raccoons.html

Lots of talk about raccoons getting in through cat doors or doing damage. Some say they'll even open those magnetic type doors.

I found the citrus orange spray comment there interesting. Don't know if it works or not. I like the idea that it's non-toxic and the cats don't mind it.

My granddaughter's other grandmother has the same type of problem. No catdoor but she can't keep the raccoons away from the barn where they'll get into the tubs of cat food she stores for the ferals. They also eat her geese and chickens so my x-sil usually shoots them. :( Sad even though I know they can be vicious..but it's still sad.

[Generic Brad]

12. Cars

Drive a car through your house long enough, I guarantee you will eventually find roadkill raccoon lying dead on one side of your hallway.

[driver8]

13. We had a raccoon come through our doggy door one night.

The dog slept in my room. In the morning, I would open my door and he would head downstairs, go out his door, and do his business.

One morning I let him out and then I hear him downstairs whining and barking. I head downstairs to see what's wrong, and his bag of dogfood is stuck in the doggy door. I guess the raccoon liked it so much, he decided to take the bag with him.

[momophile]

17. Move. Change your name too. Or they'll find you.

I'm just saying that raccoons are damn smart so good luck! I have no real advice. :hi:

[BrotherBuzz]

20. Nothing repels raccoons

She won, but he will settle for dogfood. Keep a bowl of cheap dogfood outside the cat door and she will settle for that. Play your cards right and enjoy the game. You can even train her, and her offspring, to ring a bell at feeding time. Fun.

[AlienGirl]

29. That's my answer too: make it a semi-pet!

Just don't handle it or try to pet it, raccoons carry a dangerous skin condition.

Tucker

[hyphenate]

21. Get one of those gates

that requires that the cat has a collar on that allows him/her to open it. It will keep wild animals away, but the cats with the collar will be able to get it with no problem.

[Robeson]

26. Bingo!...

...I was going to suggest the same. They have them with magnets, or infrareds.

[radwriter0555]

28. Yes, get the collar activated cat door. Centinela Feed should have them,

or the local Pet Smart.

They really do work great, many people I know in Los Angeles have them.

[gkdmaths]

24. Keep raccoons out, but not cats?

hmm, let me think...

pitchfork.
baseball bat.
axe.
steak knife, preferably a large one.
.22 slug.
cast iron pot if you're in a pinch.
front tire of your car if you can manage it.
8mL syringe of ketamine.


all selective, high-precision instruments to allow only your cats access to the indoor litter box.

[Mz Pip]

27. Here's what we did

We have 4 cats that go in and out through their cat door. Of course anything else can go in and out through the cat door too.

Put the food away at night. It pisses the cats off but the racoons won't come by if there isn't food for them.


We shrunk the cat door. We put a covering on the door that made the hole much smaller. Our biggest cat has to squeeze himself through. But the racoons can't get in.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[5thGenDemocrat]

30. Small world (and one loaded with critters)

I've got one out on my back roof right now. Looks to be healthy and a good 20 pounds or so. I didn't even know it was out there until I noticed a flashlight shining out of Mrs W's house next door about an hour ago.
Thinking she might be in trouble, I went over and she pointed the dude out to me. I don't know how to get rid of him -- I figure he found his way up there and he can sure as hell find his way down.
John
Had one of the windows wide open back there -- good thing he didn't find his way into the house.