Raccoons can be either be seen as cute and furry or an absolute threat to one’s home and pets. It’s hard to dismiss those little beady eyes covered with the bandit-looking mask and pointy little nose that pokes out through the trees, over a fence, or at our back door. That is until we experience the side of them that we wish we hadn’t and we realize that maybe these furry little critters are not so cute after all.
Raccoons Are A Threat To Your Chickens
More and more homeowners have set up chicken coops on their property to farm their own eggs or even raise for their own meat. Chickens are easy to raise and maintain and they certainly come with their benefits. However, they are also easy targets for raccoons. Not only does chicken feed attract raccoons but the chickens themselves are also an attractant. One resident quickly realized just how much raccoons were a threat to the chickens he was raising when he went outside and discovered that some of his chickens had lost their heads.
For whatever reason, one or multiple raccoons took off with the chicken’s heads but left the rest of the body to be discovered later by the owner. He didn’t understand why they would just take off the head and leave the rest of the body but either way, it was a gruesome discovery that made him aware of how much raccoons were a threat to his chickens.
Small Pets Can Be Prey To Raccoons
Another resident shared a recent story that happened just before this last Christmas where she went to go put the family’s pet rabbit into its cage. The rabbit had been outside in its pen where it was kept during the day but a raccoon forced its way into the pen where it tore the rabbit’s insides out to eat its organs. The owner talked about how devastated the family was as they had grown very attached to their pet rabbit and upon inspecting the pen further the next day they could clearly see that it had fought for its life to get out of the pen to safety. Rabbit fur was found clumped near the entrance of the pen where the rabbit knew it was let in and out each day.
Raccoons Vs. Cats
Cats are a common pet that are either temporarily let outside or live outside on a daily basis. These pets are known for doing what they want when they want; which is why they have a reputation for being so independent from their owners. This particular story comes from an owner of a cat that has lived outside her entire life and seems to prefer it that way. She’s also known for preferring to be the only outside pet on her turf so when raccoons come along she becomes very watchful and on guard.
Living in a neighborhood full of cats, this cat has had many run ins with other cats who have tried to cross its turf so hearing growls and other sounds didn’t make the owner think twice. It wasn’t until the next day when she noticed her cat had blood on her ear and after looking closer noticed that it had been filleted in half by what had to be a larger animal. The only culprit that she could think of was a raccoon as they were often seen crossing the fences of their neighborhood but either way she was relieved that was the extent of the injury. After seeing the possibility of how a raccoon could slice through an ear the owner has since kept a keen eye out anytime she hears noises coming from her cat.
Have you had any horror story run-ins with raccoons in your neighborhood? They may seem like they are innocent and often they are just looking to get from point A to point B but if a raccoon is hungry or knows that winter is coming this leaves your small animals vulnerable if they choose to go after them as a source of food.
