Raccoons are ... such fun. BG (Bandit Girl_ came around three or four years ago in June, four hours before sunset, half starved, obviously nursing babies. I fed her daily thereafter. She rings ‘the door bell’ I put on the backdoor handle (a chocolates can tied to a shoe lace, hanging from the handle on the inside). First week in July she brought the whole litter (5 curious kits) and of course I named them all. Of that litter, only Buster continues to visit. He is full grown now and when he comes tot he backdoor he stands on his back legs and can look right in the nine-pane half glass door! When he was little, he would climb into my lap for an oatmeal cookie. He’s too big for that now, but he does take cookies from my hand, and always touches his nose to my hand ... I guess as a greeting.
Anyway, BG had another litter the next year and brought that gang to the back deck for feeding and frolick. One of that bunch, Mischief, now has a litter I have yet to see, but she comes every afternoon and rings the bell for her food and water. She takes cookies from the hand also, and does that nose touch to the hand with the cookie. I suppose she will bring the gang when they start following her out from the nest, wherever that is. Her brother, Rascal, usually appears an hour or so after she has fed. He is more insistent for the cookies.
Oh yes, I love the critters. Have not quite gotten bold enough to try hand-feeding them, though. There have been occasional reports of rabies in squirrels and raccoons around here, so I’m a-scared.
I do make a point to put bird and squirrel feeders in close proximity to windows where the cat has a good vantage point. Cat appreciates that, and it’s a laugh riot for the grand babies, too.
There’s an abundance of critters in the swampy woods where I live—owls, turtles, armadillos, road runners, bobcats and the occasional coyote.
We’re staying inside a lot; the rain has brought out lots of snakes. I’ve killed 5 in a couple weeks. Saw a small iguana on the porch yesterday. A baby, about 8 inches long. Wonder where his mama was.