We have a small group of cats that live behind our house. We have had them all spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies. We feed them from our deck.
As often happens when there is food outdoors, we have raccoons that come up to eat the food. We put the food out in the morning and bring it in at night. The raccoons have adapted by coming up to eat during the day.
We have been catching them in a live trap. Animal control charges $179.00 to come out and dispose of them. So, my husband takes them far out into the country and releases them. It has been said you must take them at least five miles to prevent them from coming back.
Raccoons are a common pest and difficult to deal with. Some people kill them, but we don't feel comfortable with that. I hope we are doing the right thing.
*** Update: As of July 15th we have trapped and relocated three of them.
I like your photos of the raccoons. We don't have them here - but possums give the same problem, are trapped and transported elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI recently saw a TV show about raccoons in Japan. They are not native to Japan, but people began bringing them in as pets after they were popularized by a movie. Now they are a huge problem there, destroying property to make their nests. People messing around with the natural order.
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