raccoons – Page 5 – For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue

Can Raccoons Eat With Cats?

You may think it’s charming or cute if a raccoon starts frequenting your pet’s dish, but images like this are terrifying. Outdoor-roaming cats typically live short and often brutal lives, partially because they will often have encounters like these. In general, a wild raccoon poses little threat to a cat or dog, but— like anyContinue reading “Can Raccoons Eat With Cats?”

Canine Distemper Decimates Wildlife

Canine distemper originated in North American domestic dogs in the late 1800s. Ever since, this deadly family of viruses has spread like wildfire through wild foxes, wolves, coyotes— and even unrelated animals like lions, bears, skunks, and raccoons. Many animals, like the Ethiopian wolf and Amur leopard, are now facing imminent extinction due to distemperContinue reading “Canine Distemper Decimates Wildlife”

Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake

We often hear from finders who have handled wild raccoons without gloves— a mistake that’s very easy to make when it’s just a little baby. Some people will also hand-feed adults or attempt, illegally, to raise orphans as pets. Please be careful: this is very dangerous! When raccoon roundworm enters the human body, the wormContinue reading “Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake”

Any Mammal Can Get Rabies

For Fox Sake’s focus is on our local rabies vector species: skunks, foxes, and raccoons. But these animals aren’t “rabies vectors” simply because they can catch rabies, but rather, because they can live with it for several days or weeks and transmit it to other animals, including humans, during that time. It’s possible for absolutelyContinue reading “Any Mammal Can Get Rabies”

Raccoons: Terrible Pets

Every year between August and November, wildlife rehabilitators start getting dozens of calls: “I’ve been raising this raccoon as a pet and it’s gone crazy.” Raccoons make great pets until some time between five and twelve months of age. Then, every wild instinct they have will kick in. Maybe they’ll still be friendly at times,Continue reading “Raccoons: Terrible Pets”

Raccoon-Proofing Your Bird Feeders

Raccoons are very smart and agile, so you may sometimes encounter a crafty coon who has figured out how to raid bird feeders. As much of a pain as this might be, there are several solutions that don’t involve trapping or killing the trash panda. Here are some things to try: -Hang your feeders onContinue reading “Raccoon-Proofing Your Bird Feeders”

Do Raccoons Drown Dogs?

I received this question a few days ago from someone who was concerned about reports she’d heard of raccoons climbing onto swimming dogs’ heads with the intention of drowning them. In short, the answer to this question is no. A raccoon does not have a motivation to chase a large predator into water and climbContinue reading “Do Raccoons Drown Dogs?”

Rabid Animal? Don’t Shoot!

I specialize in rescuing rabies vector species. Among the most frustrating calls, messages, and comments I receive are from people bragging about how they saw a “rabid” animal, and reacted by shooting it in the head. When an animal does have genuinely rabies-like symptoms, it must be euthanized, not just for human safety, but forContinue reading “Rabid Animal? Don’t Shoot!”

Killing Raccoons Creates Bigger Problems

Widespread hunting of raccoons isn’t an effective way to reduce their populations. In some cases, it can actually create a much larger problem, by eliminating the dominant older males in an area, causing it to flood with younger competitors.

A Raccoon’s Sense of Touch

Think of a bloodhound’s sense of smell. Think of a hawk’s sense of sight. That’s what touch is, for a raccoon. This is part of why the work For Fox Sake does is so important. It’s been my experience, seeing raccoons in their weakest moments, that they appear to feel pain severely and acutely. WhatContinue reading “A Raccoon’s Sense of Touch”