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Halls of the Dark Muse

The Racoon Saga

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by
Dark Muse
, 07-15-2010 at 02:32 AM (1308 Views)
I have regular nightly visitations from a family of raccoons, 4 very adorable little ones, and one quite intimidating mama. And I suspect that they might be living under the shed, because this morning when I was feeding the cats, I kept seeing a raccoon head popping out from under the shed watching what was going on and I have no qualms with that because I do enjoy their nightly entertainment and they don't really cause any trouble.

Though because apparently the cats water dish is their own personal swimming pool, the little ones like to splash around in it, I have to change the water every morning.

I did find out something quite interesting though. Baby raccoons make these sounds which sound almost like dolphin noises, these strange little clicking squeaks, and they talk constantly back and forth among each other, and the mama racoon just makes these grunting noises to call the little ones back to her.

And because the mama is a good sized racoon and with the little ones she can make herself quite daunting, I would not want to tangle with her anymore than I would a mama bear, so I gave her the nick name "Big Mamma."

Tonight I could hear them out there playing around in the cats water and I get up and turn on the outside lights to watch them, and as soon as the light goes on Big Mamma stats calling the babes to her and after puffing her chest out at me a few times began to walk off and as she was leaving I called out to her "Hey Big Mamma" and she stopped and looked back at me, and every time I call out to her she stops and looks at me.
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Comments

  1. qimissung's Avatar
    How adorable. Why don't you put that last paragraph in apoetry format? It sounds like one whe I read it.
  2. formality hater's Avatar
    I have never seen a racoon in my life but they seem like fascinating creatures.
  3. Dark Muse's Avatar
    They are quite interesting and fun to watch, but they are very intelligent and currious animals, so they will get into everything and they can be quite fearless.
  4. Virgil's Avatar
    Racoons are very dangerous. Those claws will slice flesh like a knife through butter. And watch those teeth too. And they have a high degree of rabidness, or whatever the proper word is. They may be cute, but you should definitely keep your distance. They will kill cats too, so you may want to protect your pets.
  5. The Comedian's Avatar
    Love this little narrative. Raccoons are really smart animals. We had a couple raiding our humming bird feeder every night for a while. Once, they even managed to unscrew the top of the feeder and drink the sweet liquid like gin & tonic.

    I used to wake up, get a flash light, and watch them sometimes. But eventually, I started taking the feeder into the garage each night.

    Anyway, I liked the story.
  6. Dark Muse's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Virgil
    Racoons are very dangerous. Those claws will slice flesh like a knife through butter. And watch those teeth too. And they have a high degree of rabidness, or whatever the proper word is. They may be cute, but you should definitely keep your distance. They will kill cats too, so you may want to protect your pets.
    You have a serious phobia of raccoons don't you? I can always count on your comic relief whenever I mention raccoons. Any animal can be potentially dangerous but you make it sound as if raccoons are an incarnation of evil that are going to break into my house and murder me in my sleep.
  7. Virgil's Avatar
    Maybe it's a phobia, but I have been warned by people myself. Raccoons are as dangerous as any wild animal, such as a wolf or a cougar. But wolfs and cougars don't live around civilization, and raccoons do. And also raccoons are rather cute, and so people have this deception of safety. Raccoons are extremely dangerous animals and they carry rabbies and diseases. Of the animals that are integrated into civilization, raccoons are probably the most dangerous.
  8. Dark Muse's Avatar
    But like most animals they prefer to avoid human interaction and confrontation, they are not viciously aggressive, they can be dangerous but only if in a position in which they are threatened and do not have the option of flight. A person is more likely to be attacked unprovoked by a dog than by a racoon.

    As long as you respect the animals space, and always give it an opportunity to flee and do not pursue it or harass it, than odds are it will leave you alone. Under normal circumstances they are not likely to just charge a person at random.
  9. Virgil's Avatar
    Oh I agree. They do not look for confrontation. That's why I think a healthy warning to leave them alone is in order. Just let them be (unless they get into your house) is all I'm saying. If you thought I was suggesting they be exterminated, then you misinterpreted or I wasn't clear.
  10. Dark Muse's Avatar
    No I did not think you suggested exterminating them, but you did make it sound a little bit like if I dare just walk outside a pack of murderous raccoons was going to descend upon me with a vengeful fury.