Heidi Chronicles: Heidi's BACK!

This is the ongoing saga of Heidi and friends, raccoons and the occasional opossum that frequent my backyard buffet. We are starting are 5th yr now. Heidi appears to be carrying the 2010 litter. Come and join us, won't you, as we observe the dinner antics of Heidi and the gang.

Prior Thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1079677/
Original Thread in Series: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/603944/


The photo below shows Heidi eating kibble at the buffet tonight. Tonight I noticed that Heidi appeared to have a [new] scratch on the back of her neck as seen in the photo.

Cheryl, I too was surprised that the ferals stayed confined to their horrid little world in the parking garage. However, I do know that ferals, like most wild animals in an urban environment, try to avoid human contact and tend to stay within a "safe" and usually small territory. This particular garage had no roof access from the interior, and the nearest grass was several blocks away; the garage was attached to a high-rise apartment complex, neighbored by shopping centers, and right on top of access to the high-speed bypass highway. If I were a cat, especially one frightened by humans, I'd have been terrified to venture into that open asphalt/concrete jungle. Each cat we captured had motor oil on and in their coats, and were generally just grungy. The colony females would enter parked cars through windows left cracked open, and nest in the cars to deliver their kittens; the adult males regularly sprayed on or in the parked cars; they all left pawprints all over car exteriors. Needless to say, this didn't please the car owners, and their complaints prompted the apartment management to call us to trap the cats. There were other residents, however, who wanted the cats left alone and in place; they would release cats who went into our traps, and on several occasions our traps were smashed and rendered useless. After five or six traps had been destroyed, we regretfully told the apt. management that we could not continue trapping until they could get cooperation/consensus/whatever from their residents; of course, this never happened. I guess you had to see the cats to understand how pathetic they were: such normally clean animals, even in adverse circumstances, it was really depressing to see these guys so grungy from constant exposure to auto exhaust, oil, etc.

Audrey,

On your recent post, the one where you indicated it would be a better world if everyone did "that", I wasn't entirely sure which "that" you were referring to. Could you expound? Were you referring to changing the channel? Writing a letter? Something else that was discussed?

Ruth,

The situation you describe does sound awful. I just asked because each time you mentioned the garage, I found myself wondering why they wouldn't just leave, so I had to ask. Thanks for explaining. I could never have done that job, BTW. Seeing things like that on a regular basis must have been very difficult.

Here is Precious. She and another yearling were there briefly last night along with Heidi and another adult. They left early when a noisy neighbor 2 doors down came out to yell at his barking dog.

It's good to see Heidi looking so well. I was getting worried about her. Precious looks really well too. Can you tell if she is walking normally?

Susan

Hi Susan,

Yes, Precious is walking normally and on all 4's now. I was very happy to see this, of course. She's smaller than the avg yearling. So far that seems to be her only problem. When Heidi isn't around, some other raccoons try to intimidate her and keep her from coming into the yard to eat. Unlike Fraidy before her, Precious shows some fear of the larger raccoons when they try to push her around, but she manages to work around them.

Last night she was there with or at the same time as Heidi and a sibling, and they all ate peacefully.

Precious came to me the other day to take a cookie - or two. More on that later.

The black kitten is like your Kitty...doesn't cover up her stuff in the litterbox, also it smells unusually bad for a cat. So what she's doing is covering up her litterbox with her little blanket until I get around to attending to the litterbox when it smells. I only have two of those little blankets and don't have time to wash them both every day. I think I'll let her loose in the shed for now, until it's time to let her out. She will be happier that way and won't have to be anywhere near the box...it's a big shed. I've got the shed heater on, possible freeze tonight.
Are those healthy-type cookies? Seems like most cookies wouldn't be good for them. Well, probably aren't good for humans, for that matter. I try to keep the sweet things down as low as I can.

Linda,

Oh, boy that does sound messy. Kitty doesn't cover, but she never tried to drag any of the bedding over there to cover it either. I should also clarify that at the end of her week in the room upstairs she finally covered everything up the last day or so hinting at the possibility that she would "remember" and/or learn to do so were she provided with a litter box on a regular basis. I think they just aren't in the habit of doing so because they don't have the option to cover things outside where there is rarely any dirt to dig in (dirt that isn't firmly held in place by grass, roots, and several inches of mulch).

I was wondering why you couldn't just set them free outside again. I had no idea it was still that cold there. I think really cold weather is virtually over here for the year. It's 70ish and up by day and barely chilly at night. (I would like a little more 'winter' myself.)

No, not healthy cookies. Not sure what you have in mind for healthy cookies. I think the sugar in the cookies is probably they only thing that isn't good for them in any quantity. The 'fats' don't seem to be problematic as there are no fat raccoons back there. I would be afraid to give them sugar-free stuff. In some animals artificial sweeteners can be very bad.

The cookies I've been giving them recently are generic, vanilla, s/w cookies. While in past years I've been known to distribute cookies with abandon, this year I've been very careful to stick to a max limit of 1, 2 at most, per raccoon. Most nights I only take some 2-4 cookies with me so no matter how well they "play me" (and they do), I can't give them more. In addition to the health issues, I'm trying to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my raccoon cookie and junk food stash [left from last year] as far as I can. Also, I don't want them to start hanging around me and acting out the way they tend to do when the teats come out. I don't give them anything else until they finish their dinner and are getting ready to leave. That way they don't fill up on sugary treats and limit their nutrition.

You're such a good raccoon mom!

ROTFLOL, KyWoods!

A raccoon mom's work is never done, of course, but I try. ;-)

Folks, I swear I'm really trying hard to keep on topic this year, but I just have to make this one public service announcement which is completely OT - but you're going to thank me for this one (if you didn't already know).

This is for those of you who struggle with weight be it that last 2lbs you struggle with or more, much more. For most of us it is difficult to find a truly fabulous dessert that doesn't break the calorie, carb, or fat bank.

The other night I splurged on a caramel mouse (from grocery store). It was so incredibly rich, sweet, and incredible. After I had scarfed the whole thing down, I decided I should see how check to see how much damage I had done. The verdict? 50 calories. What? I had to look again. I must surely have been reading something wrong, reading # of servings per container instead of calories per serving or not bothering to see how many servings there were or... I read the package again and STILL could not believe I was reading it right. I had to check the ingredients where, sure enough, I saw Slenda which finally convinced me that the incredible dessert I had just enjoyed really was only 50 calories.

I don't know about you, but I can always tell the difference between regular and 'diet' or 'low cal'. I find 100 cal yogurts thin and runny (although I recently learned that 138cal Greek yogurt is thick and yummy) and those 50cal pudding cups lack umph. Truly low cal desserts just never compare well with their full flavor counterparts. This for me is the one exception. Even now knowing that they are a sugar free, diet dessert, I still can't taste it.

The product of which I speak is Jello Mouse Temptations. I've had dark chocolate fudge and now Caramel. The latter tastes like butter pecan to me and is quite amazing. It's great as is right from the cup, but I could see this 'turned out' on a fancy dish and dressed up easily with a dollop of light whipped cream and a sprinkle of pecans, walnuts, coconut, and/or a few choc or caramel chips or shavings. So yummy I would feel safe serving it to royalty - even with the guillotine standing by. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. I give this one 3 thumbs up.

After my gratuitous snack 'commercial', I thought it might be appropriate now to say a few words about our 'sponsors' the raccoons. ;-)

But only a few...

A few observations about relationships and interactions. 5, maybe 6 is the max number of raccoons I've seen on any one night so far. As even this is more than I prefer but still a much more manageable number than we have seen in recent years, I truly hope they will somehow manage to hold their numbers down to this small group. This year in my effort to be most frugal I don't put out food at various places around the dinner 'table' when I arrive. I toss a few measured handfuls to each raccoon as he or she arrives offering only a modicum more if one runs out of food too soon. In so doing, there is little left over after the group leaves save the slightest sprinkling of kibble here and there in the grass on occasion, no great feast left to attract a 2nd and 3rd shift of diners.

Except for that one night, I don't see all 4 yearlings there at the same time as Heidi. Most nights its one or two, with 3 on rarest occasion. The yearlings who are present on any given day appears to be fairly random except for 1 who is present most nights often seeming to show up more or less with Heidi. The one is very comfortable with me, BTW. It's the one who comes over to get a cookie if she but sees me take one from the bag. This is the one who acts like 2nd Lieutenant, whether with Heidi's approval I can't say. Although relatively quiet and reserved in Heidi's presence, if this one remains after Heidi leaves, she will often begin trying to tell the others what to do. They don't seem to pay much attention, however. She's cute right now, but this behavior often has the tendency to grow tiresome with time.

I've paid more attention to vocalizations lately. As previously mentioned, most of the time Heidi does all of the talking, lifting her head to turn and say a word or two to a new arrival, to scold the yearling who tries to sit to close to her at the table, and to stake her claim on the egg when it rolls to close to one of the others. The others pretty much never respond verbally but alter their behavior in accordance with her 'requests'. For the most part, the others don't even talk after she leaves except for the [probably self-appointed and unofficial] 2nd Lieutenant mentioned above who will sometimes begin giving orders in Heidi's absence, orders which the others feel welcome to ignore.

I saw this in particular the 1st night I offered a cookie. Heidi had already left, and the 2 remaining yearlings were playing in the pool looking as though they, too, would leave at any time. Once I gave them a cookie (split between them), the Lieutenant refused to leave lest I should suddenly start tossing cookies about in her absence. She hung around and hung around, wading about the pool and casting me the occasional "how about another cookie?" look. She stayed so long that night, and I felt 'obligated' to stay with her so as not to frighten her by getting up, that 2 others arrived in the mean time. As each arrived, she 'barked' out orders (in the same language Heidi uses). One of the late arrivals that night was Precious, and she chased Precious a bit as though to prevent her access to the area at all. That night she appeared to trying to keep the others away in case I did get out another cookie. Precious doesn't pay a lot of attention, BTW. She just runs in the opposite direction around the bully and comes to eat anyhow. More on this later.

Sat night (a few hours ago), Precious arrived very late compared with Heidi and the other 2 yearlings who were there waiting for me on the patio. The others were a good 3/4 through with their dinners when Precious showed up on the fence. From this I assume she really isn't under the close care of the group. When the others left - not all at the same time - Precious remained behind for some time to complete her meal.

When Precious arrived the 2nd Lieutenant ran toward the fence again trying to keep her out. This was the 1st time I had seen this behavior in Heidi's presence. Heidi didn't intervene on Precious' behalf which is probably just as well because at her age she will have to learn to take care of herself now or perish. She seems pretty spunky though. She just does an end run around the 'bad' sibling and comes to the buffet anyhow. Tonight on her arrival Precious walked too close beside Heidi on her way toward me. When arriving, esp when late, each one has to find a spot at the table that is close enough to get good service yet not too close to any of the other diners. Heidi fussed at Precious when she got too close. Precious moved over a bit, and I tossed her food farther away still just to keep the peace.

So far the visitors have been largely limited to Heidi and her yearlings with the exception of what may have been a non-Heidi yearling who showed up once and an adult who has been out there about 1/2 the time. Heidi doesn't mess with the adult, so I gather she's allowed out there, but she is not allowed within a certain circumference around Heidi and the yearlings. This other adult will not come to me. She looks like either Julie or the other adult who featured very prominently last year, the one who got me to babysit for her but whose name eludes me at the moment. Those 2 always looked a lot alike to me as did Blondie. I would say this could also be Blondie except that the color isn't right. Either way I'm pretty sure it's one of Heidi's older daughters who has been allowed to hang around for some reason.

Glad to hear your report on the Jello mousses; I've looked at them in the grocery, but have been put off by the "sugar free" designation; too often that means the yucky taste of artificial sweeteners. Will now have to try them...though I certainly don't need a new favorite dessert, lol.

Heidi looks great for her age, and that scratch is probably from the male's grip during mating; doesn't look at all problematic, at least in a photo. And Precious looks better than we've ever seen her: hurray!

Shelter work was emotionally difficult in so many ways; but there were lots of little victories that were huge to the animal involved, and they made it all worthwhile.

It's good news that Precious seems to be living on her own, and isn't intimidated away by the bossy yearling; all signs that she has a good chance now of survival.

Thought I should add that this 2nd adult was on the patio with Heidi and the yearlings when I went out last night, so she isn't entirely isolated from them. I've just noticed that she keeps her distance at the table always careful to locate herself away from the others. The yearlings eat near Heidi, mostly in a semi-circle around and behind her, but they are required to make sure they pick a spot that isn't too close - or Heidi will fuss. They mostly pull up a chair about 2.5ft from her and each other. The yearlings can still eat side by side sharing food though. I've seen them do this a number of times when food runs low. Except for the 1st Lieutenant's very brief efforts sometimes to keep Precious from coming to dinner, the yearlings don't argue amongst themselves - so far.

2 nights ago (Friday) Heidi showed up with a noticeable scratch on the back of her neck. This was something new, having happened in the last 24hrs. They didn't stay long that night (or last night, Sat). Shortly after they arrived and started eating, that sound of something running through the forest rustling leaves along the way could be heard again. Each time I've heard this sound recently it appears to be coming [through the forest] from the area behind the neighbor's yard running in a shallow angle along and towards the fence [behind my house].

When I heard this sound the other time, only 1 yearling was there with me, and she seemed noticeably concerned. Tonight was the 1st time Heidi was around when the sound occurred. I hadn't expected her to react. She almost never reacts to things coming from the forest, but this time all [4] of the raccoons split, the yearlings running for the forest, and Heidi running behind the composter where she crouched down and froze as if to hide. Whatever made the sound didn't come into the yard, and after a few minutes Heidi came back to continue her meal where she was rejoined by the others. Below is a quick pic I took that night showing Heidi over there crouching behind the composter. I don't know if you can tell, but she has her belly on or very close to the ground with her feet drawn up under her so that she can still 'walk' close to the ground.

That just wasn't our night. No sooner that the 1st emergency was over, a dog 2 houses down started barking. The raccoon stayed but were on high alarm due to the constant barking. A few minutes later a man came out to yell at the dog, and the raccoon disappeared into the forest. I didn't stick around after that. They hadn't even eaten 1/2 their meal yet. They even left the much coveted egg, so I hope they were able to come back to finish after I left and turned off the lights.

My take on the situation, the sound of something running up to the fence, their reaction to it, and the the scratch seen on Heidi, I'm thinking maybe the very small group that has been showing up at the buffet is trying to keep the others out - and I sure hope they prevail. This would result in some fighting and some anxiety about who coming this way from the forest. Don't know for sure though. This is just my guess. Open to other interpretations.

Ruth,

I honestly cannot taste the artificial sweetener in that dessert, not even now that I know it is there. I've never said that about a 'diet' product before. I can usually taste the 'diet-ness' immediately. Except for the occasional Diet Coke, I don't usually use or buy diet products because to me they all taste 'yucky' in one way or another and just aren't worth it. I would not have bought this one the 1st time if I had realized it was sugar free. I had already eaten a few of them (different days) before I found out, and that amazed me. I honestly checked the pkg that one day so I could see how many calories I needed to browbeat myself over. I'm now on my 3rd pkg having enjoyed both chocolate and caramel. I think they are good enough to eat if you are not dieting. If you do like them, there are far worse things than finding a new, favorite, 50 calorie dessert. ;-)

Oh, it is wonderful for the animals that you were there to help them and that the highs were enough to get you through the lows. I just don't think I could have taken the lows, but it's certainly lucky for the animals that people like you exist.

Precious does seem to be getting along on her own. I think Heidi fusses at them when she does and makes them respect her space so that they will learn to make it on their own.

Ruth,

Here is a closer pic of Heidi's scratch. You might be right although I saw this for the 1st time Friday night as soon as I saw her. She looks pregnant already which, if true, would require that the scratch happened 2 or more weeks ago. Still think so?

Either way it's not a serious cut/scratch. I reported it more to indicate she may be fighting.

Others have told me that Splenda doesn't taste like other low-calorie sweeteners, in fact tastes like sugar, so I'll give it a try. If true, maybe it could replace the spoon of sugar in morning coffee; every little change helps...

You're right, if that scratch is very recent it's not a mating scar. And she is on full high alert in that photo by the composter. Hard to imagine a raccoon who would be physically fighting with Heidi; but I can't come up with other explanations off-hand. Opposums never take on raccoons, nor do cats as a rule; and fighting with a dog would leave much worse wounds. Just hope it won't be bad news for Heidi and/or the buffet.

Ruth,

The cats here all back away from both opossums and raccoons even giving up their food. I suspect it's another Cruella. I've not seen another raccoon at the buffet so far though. My money is on Heidi. She may be getting old, but it has always been a mistake to question her in the past, so I figure she'll win in the end. There were no problems tonight, BTW, Heidi, the other adult, and 3 kits were here. This time they stayed until they finished their meals. There were no scares or interruptions.

The other raccoon, assuming that's what it is, will probably return when Heidi is too pregnant to fight. That's what usually happens. Then Heidi will let the other(s) stay until the kits are old enough for her to fight w/o fear of anything happening to them. That's how it usually plays out.

About Heidi crouching over there behind the composter, note that the gardener cut all of the flowers and weeds down, so the raccoons don't have any place to hide now. That will be problematic when the kits arrive as they always hid out in the flowers/weeds.

Oh, and did you happen to notice the 2 bales of pine straw in the front of that photo of Heidi crouching? The gardener came by the other day and put them back there. I need to reposition them slightly to get the right spot and stack them, but he did bring them.

>>I had no idea it was still that cold there.

Cheryl ... we have snow on the ground again!! yup, yesterday was a miserable day...

You're probably right, Cheryl, and like you, I put my bet on Heidi; but as it plays out you may have crowd scenes again at dinner, which is never great. Beats some of the alternatives, however...

I surely hope that Heidi's wound behind her neck is not a sign of a takeover attempt by some other racoon (given Heidi's obvious age) for her territory.
Surely her daughters would join together to defend her/ their territory. These are thoughts that I do not like to dwell on. Just enjoy all the time we have with her and her wonderful family
Your tales of their hierarchy and family behaviour are even better than a Marty Stauffer episode!!

Sheri

I had clicked on a link to a hosta page that Viola Ann showed me and looking what i found a pic of...

http://bonsaibc.ca/hi_from_the_new_boy.jpg

cute as buttons i tell ya!!

I guess I was thinking of the documentaries that tell how access to human food in the parks is making the bears unhealthy. But I guess a little can't hurt! When I was feeding coons in the past I worried whether I was wrong to give them some little pieces of Nutrigrain bars after the catfood...also, I guess, because of the documentaries about the bears. The kitten was afraid to come out of the cage when I first opened the door. I finally had to just leave the shed, so she would come out. Now she's hiding up in the rafters, as I expected she would. One more freeze tonight, then it'll warm back up. We had been having beautiful spring weather until this cold front got here, wildflowers are blooming all over.
Oh...my favorite is Greek Gods yogurt...but it's 270 calories a cup. I have trouble standing the taste of sweeters...on occasion I'll use Splenda, but mostly just try to use very little of any sugars. My DH uses Splenda and likes it.

Terese,

One of the many things I value so much about the DG experience - which for me has been quite unique among web experiences - is the opportunity to learn about other areas of the country and even the world vicariously through my interactions with each of you. Geographically speaking, I've spent most of my life here in my own little bubble, largely unaware of what other areas are really like.

Afternoons here border on hot now just for an hour or two at peak temp. On Friday I sat out in the front yard for a while talking with my gardener when he came by to drop off some pine straw. He's usually in a hurry for obvious reasons, but Friday he sat out in the front yard with me just to chat for maybe 30min or so. At 1st, I found it nice outside, bright sun, lovely blue sky. By the time he left I was beginning to find it a bit uncomfortable out there in full sun even though it was only 9:30-10AM. My house faces south and with no large shade trees the front yard can get pretty toasty in summer. I was surprised though to find the sun blindingly bright (even with transitions glasses which convert to very dark shades) and hot so early on the spring morning. As a bead or two of sweat ran down the side of my face, I thought with misgiving how hot it would soon be out there.

This (the above paragraph) is my experience. It's pretty much the same each year. By mid to late Feb winter is over, spring has taken off, flowers are blooming everywhere, and we are speeding rapidly toward another nearly unbearable summer. Naturally then, I could not imagine why 'wild' kittens could not go outside. When you guys mentioned snow, I was quite shocked. From my bubble here on the North "Amazon" coast, it's difficult to imagine snow.

I was always a good student who actually enjoyed reading and learning. History and geography were about the only 2 subjects that just did not appeal to me at that age. I had to grow older to become interested in history. It took the DG experience of meeting and sharing the experiences of real people like you to bring geography to life for me. Whereas I never cared to read the laundry list of characteristics of this place or that, I now find that I am quite captivated by what amounts to the same information when it comes to me from real people who are living and breathing it. This ability to learn so much [so effortlessly] about other places and other cultures is an almost invisible benefit of my DG experience.

I hope your last snow will clear soon ushering in a beautiful, sunny, and WARM spring. : )

On the crowd control issue; I wonder if you could just stand up when there is something amiss. Heidi and her family are quite used to you and would not run completely away if you stood up. The 'strangers' would be scared half to death by the huge human moving and would probably run for safer territory. It might just settle any disputes quickly too.
What do you guys think about this theory? Do y'all think that she needs to "train" Heidi & her kits by moving around some when she first starts feeding them and a few times during dinner? That way they would be more relaxed when/if she needs to chase a disruptive interloper or large crowd away, or are they already at that point where anything the human does is AOK?

Edited because we crossposted and I wanted to add that that is the only reason that I know so much about places that I have never been: I have e-friends and family moving all over the globe....(and I am one of 'those people' now too).

This message was edited Mar 22, 2010 8:49 AM

Ruth,

It is true that Splenda is much closer to sugar than anything that came before it, but while I find it almost indistinguishable from sugar in some dishes/drinks, I personally don't care for it in coffee. Sadly, to date, if you are going to sweeten coffee, there seems to be no substitute for sugar. Maybe someday (sigh). (But by all means give it a try as you may feel differently about this.)

As for the buffet, I'm playing it by ear and dreading the very though of the arrival of the crowds. I'm not going to be able to continue to support the ever burgeoning crowds that have been gathering back there in summer. Having seen that food shortages prompt the locals to take action against outsiders, I'll have to try that 'method' again this year when the crowds show up. There are always risks involved in that sort of thing, but it can't be helped.

Another idea which occurred to me last night and which I might try if/when outsiders begin to show up is the bottle of vinegar. It won't be easy and may not work at all, but I was thinking if I start from the onset, I may be able to avoid feeding the outsiders and use the vinegar guns/bottles to help Heidi and the gang defend their food and evict outsiders.

Again, not trying to be mean, but I'm trying very hard to cut back (all the way around, not just with raccoons). Aside from all the reasons why having masses of wild raccoons in the yard fighting over food is not a good idea, I really can't justify feeding 1/2 the forest this year, so Heidi and I [together] will be forced to try to keep the others at bay.

June,

I know just what you mean. I read about monsoons, for instance, in grade school and heard about them throughout my life, but they have never been so real to me as the day you mentioned needing some kind of full body rain suit [during the monsoon season] to avoid arriving at work drenched each day.

Chasing others away just doesn't work. I actually tried it in the early years and quickly learned that raccoons are too smart for that. Even outsiders who have spent their entire lives avoiding humans quickly learn by observation that it's relatively safe to eat around me - because they see the locals doing it. When I chase them away from food, they just return as soon as I sit back down. Each successive time the distance they run grows shorter and the point at which they return is quicker. After about 3-5 such chase scenes, the interloper is only backing maybe 2ft away from me when I go over there, and returns to the food as soon as I turn around to begin walking back to my seat.

When I'm not harming the other raccoons, the locals, there is virtually no convincing the interlopers that I will harm them. They are just too darned smart. After I chase them a time or two they learn that that doesn't hurt them either. The vinegar which does hurt is the 1st thing of the sort that has ever worked, and it has the advantage of not requiring me to get up. But from what I've seen in my time out there, almost nothing will stop the raccoons if they get hungry enough and determined enough. They just run around and come back again. To add to the problem when the crowd gets really large, say 15-20 or more, it becomes physically impossible for one person to chase all of them at the same time.

Thanks, Sheri!

I had to google that Marty guy. Thanks!

Heidi is getting old by wild raccoon standards, but I was thinking maybe she really isn't as geriatric as we've begun to think. Pet raccoons live 2x or more as long as wild ones. I was thinking that's a bit like reading about countries like Afghanistan where, if I'm not mistaken, the human life expectancy is still something like 40. At one time in history, people were 'old' and near the end of their life expectancy by 35. Ouch! Today that's like peak age where one is healthy and overflowing with energy.

The things that make the difference in life expectancy between Afghanistan and here include access to good nutrition and medicine along with the amount of violence to which we are exposed. In humans, when we are able to take back those years from 35 or 40 to whatever the current life expectancy is for humans, we find that we still have considerable strength to compete for at least another decade (looking at athletes). Assuming similar results for raccoons, I figure maybe if I can help Heidi to regain some of those 'lost' years, rather than living more 'geriatric' years, she too may be quite strong and competitive for a while. I can't help Heidi with violence or medicine, but I am hopeful that by providing nutrition I can buy her 'back' some of those 'pet' years. I'm also hoping the years we buy back will be good, strong, competitive years as is the case with humans.

Most of all, I just take it day to day and celebrate the days/years I can spend with her knowing it must eventually end.

Linda,

I don't like the taste of artificially sweetened products either. That was actually my point. The 1st time I bought the Mousse I just grabbed it in a hurry thinking it was regular, hi-octane stuff. I wouldn't even have bought it if I had realized it was sugar-free. Likewise, when I grabbed it from the fridge and started eating, I still thought it was a high calorie dessert, full sugar, full fat, etc. Even as I ate it I never had a clue. The taste was so rich and indulgent I never even imagined I was eating 'diet' food. I still can't tell. In a blind taste test with full sugar products, I honestly would not be able to pick this one out as sugar-free. That's why I mentioned it - for others out there who, like me, hate artificial sweeteners and diet food. The other day, not on a diet, I actually had a hard time deciding whether to have the Jello Mousse or one of those tiny containers of Hagen Daz ice cream - and I was basing my decision on taste!

About raccoons and cookies. I think the best evidence is the raccoons themselves all of which look pretty darn healthy to me with bright eyes and luxurious coats. I think they look healthier now than did the ones I met that 1st year, the ones who hadn't been eating cookies. Of course, it's not the cookies that make them look so healthy, but the benefit of the cat food, dog food, vitamins (in cat/dog food), eggs, grapes, peanuts, watermelon, etc seems to more than compensate for the cookies. : D

I guess maybe the bears to which you refer have changed from a diet of mostly insects and berries to one of chips, smores, and burgers. Given the number of park visitors, campers, hikers, etc they may be able to change their diet almost completely - rather than supplementing it. Going from high quality fruits, fats, and proteins to almost 100% junk food probably would take its toll. For the raccoons, I think the change to their diet has been more positive than negative. As with everything, it's almost always a matter of quantity as well as quality.

Hi, Terese,

That is an adorable picture of the mama raccoon with the kits! I love it. It reminds me of Heidi with her bunch (prior years). Awesome picture! Thanks for sharing.

I went out a bit early tonight. I thought I heard the raccoons out there in the shrubs. Sure enough when I turned on the outside lights, there was Heidi at the door. Tonight's diners were Heidi, the Lieutenant, another yearling who is very quiet and well behaved and has the lighter tan/beige coat, and the other adult previously mentioned.

Everyone seemed quite famished even though 'we' ate early. Heidi was clearly impatient as she waited for me to serve dinner. When I tossed the 2nd handful to the Lieutenant, the other yearling quickly moved in to grab it, and the two argued briefly. It was the very brief and civilized dispute possible only with siblings and after which the two ate with their faces barely 8in apart for the rest of the meal.

The other adult ate off to herself to one side of me, the tractor scoot between her and Heidi's yearlings. I took 2 pcs of chicken with me, part of a collection of uneaten food that is now too old for me to eat safely and which needs to be culled from the fridge to help feed the group. The Lieutenant took one piece of chicken and went behind the shrubs to hide and eat it. The other piece sat where I had put it, no one showing an interest yet.

About 3/4 of the way into the meal, a series of sirens [sounding like a fire truck with police and ambulance in tow] frightened them away. I tried my best to tell Heidi it was ok, and she tried her best to believe me, but the endless screaming sound just kept getting louder and closer, louder and closer, until finally it could be heard coming up my very street. At that point I realized that the sound would only continue to get louder still, and there was virtually no chance of Heidi staying as the shrieking caravan came that close. Finally, the Lieutenant grabbed the 2nd piece of chicken "to go" and made a break for the fence, the chicken breast in her mouth. Heidi stayed another few seconds, looked up at me one last time, and then headed after the yearling but moving more slowly and in a controlled manner as she left, the sirens growing nearer and louder with every step.

LOL, doesn't it look like that kit in the pic is waving at the camera? How cute!

Ky -- yes it does... sorta waving and the mouth open like he's saying HI.

it was a great shot by who ever took it.

Oh, I didn't notice the little hand "waving". LOL

It is adorable. No doubt about that. And a truly great shot.

I'm wondering, however, if those may actually be pets. I didn't notice this either earlier, but the photo is titled "Hi from the new boy". I followed it back to it's origin to see if there might be some information about the photo. Didn't see anything, but I noticed that the photo comes from the home page of the website of a Canadian nursery.

Definitely one of the best raccoon shots I've ever seen.

I wonder who the Lt. could be. Was trying to rack my brain from last year who would have been around.

I may have this wrong, cuz it hard to remember who is who, but Lt. couldn't be one of Dennis kits could it? I wonder if Dennis and Trouble and the others will show up or if maybe they having kits somewhere in the woods.

Dang... Who was in the group with Cruella, but heidi decided to let stay, could that be one of her kits growed up or herself maybe?

Wonder if Heidi is tangling with some from Cruella's gang or maybe there is a dog running wild sometime out at night. Know in your are a they are not suppose d to, but some folks may be lazy and just let dogs out thinking nobody will see and let them run free then just call them back after a bit.

Hi starlight,

All of the yearlings that are there right now are Heidi's brood, her 09 kits now grown up. The Lt. is definitely one of Heidi's 09 kits. She's not mean and aggressive or anything, just a youngster trying out her 'wings' and wanting to be boss when mom's not around. The others don't actually listen to her, and she doesn't do anything about it.

It's hard to say if any of the old favorites may sneak back. My guess is that Heidi has sent them away - to make room at the buffet and in the forest for her 09 and 10 kids. If some manage to sneak back, it will probably happen between the time that Heidi is 8wks pregnant and when the 2010 kits are old enough for her to feel safe fighting around them. That is always Heidi's most vulnerable time. When she gets near delivery time, she will be too huge with babies to fight at all well. That's when she gets where she can't run much w/o coughing and such. When the babies are very young and vulnerable she will avoid fighting unless to protect herself or them. She won't be inclined to leave them long enough to chase down an interloper. It is during this vulnerable interval when Heidi is unable or unwilling to fight much over turf wars that others are most inclined to sneak back. If Dennis and the others are coming back, they will come during that time I suspect. Later when the new kits are old enough and well trained enough to be safe alone for a few minutes, Heidi will begin chasing these interlopers out again one at a time.

We never named Cruella's kits. They never came to the buffet much. Heidi and her group ran Cruella and company out of town that year before the kits had been around much. The Lt. is definitely not one of Cruella's.

The Lt hangs close w/Heidi. They get along very well. It's clear this is one of Heidi's kits. The Lt and the other yearlings all get along well (even though the Lt tries to get bossy now and then) and can even eat from the same spot. They have to be siblings.

I do think there is likely another raccoon or raccoons out there trying to come into the area. I'm sure this is a coveted area with the buffet smells wafting across the forest. It's not likely to be a dog. Even if a dog were loose it wouldn't likely be back there in the forest. It's swampy back there and there are fences making it difficult to find a break to get back there. When dogs get loose - which is very rare - they tend to hang around the street and front yards where people and other dogs are. This makes them easily seen by all of the walkers, joggers, etc on the sidewalks, so they don't stay out long.

It could easily be an alligator back there or a wild hog. It's swampy back there, esp with all the recent rains. A gator would be pretty comfortable back there. Most people don't realize but they can run quite fast, faster than any Olympic sprinter, and one would make a lot of noise running through brush and all those fallen leaves and such back there. There are gators in the area and even living right here in the community ponds. Wild hogs have been known to inhabit the land back there and, some years back, were known to come out from the forest at night to damage backyards.

My goodness! I hadn't even thought of wild gators & such behind your fence. don't know how comfy I cold feel with that. But I'm glad you have a secure (at the bottom!) privacy fence!!

LOL, Sheri!

Isn't it true. However, on a recent nature show I learned that gators are much more athletic than we assume. Not only can they 'get up off the ground' and run considerably faster than any human making us far more vulnerable outside the water than most of us realize - since we tend to assume they are only fast in the water - but they can jump quite high in the air, using that muscular tail to propel them upward.

In reality, I'm told a 6ft privacy fence would pose no barrier for a large gator if he/she really wanted in. I'm told the gator could merely jump up and flip his body over the fence using that handy tail. Oh, and there's a gap under the gate to accommodate the smaller gators.

I don't worry about such things these days - not so much because it couldn't happen as because it hasn't happened. I've been sitting out there for 4 yrs now w/o incidence, so I've grown complacent about such things - much like those zebras at the rivers. The 1st year or so I used to be a bit unnerved by everything while sitting out there in the dark close to and facing the forest.

There I was straining my eyes in the darkness hoping to see a raccoon emerge from the foliage. Often I would laugh nervously inside thinking of the irony of a mountain lion or black bear or other large carnivore looking back at me on the other side of that veil of foliage. Sometimes when I was still alone and waiting, an arriving but still hidden raccoon would jiggle a branch for what seemed an eternity w/o coming into view, and I would cringe at the thought of a cougar or bear suddenly appearing on the fence top.

Of course, when the culprit finally did arrive, it was always a raccoon, but I would let out a huge sigh of relief sometimes upon finally seeing that 1st raccoon arrive. As long as there was a single raccoon around me eating calmly, I always felt pretty safe knowing they would be aware of any approaching predator well before I would.

If you could have watched me back then and read my mind you would have laughed yourself silly though. Since I was a little worried back then about what was coming from the forest, sometimes when all of the raccoons suddenly ran away for no apparent reason, I would sit there all alone in the darkness cringing, sitting there alone on my little garden seat in front of the forest where I must have looked like a tasty morsel ripe for the picking to any predator in the area. As the crowd of raccoons ran for the 'hills', I would sit there silently screaming, "Wait! Come back! No one told me what we're running from!"

The absolute worst incident I recall was in the 2nd year, I think. Several raccoons were up in the branches of the Heidi tree. I have no idea what was going on, but I think there must have been some 'flirting' or something like that. The branches were jiggling and jumping up and down like crazy and the list of sounds emanating from the darkness was pretty incredible. I delineated them in a post back then but figure people probably thought I was being facetious. I wasn't.

In a relatively short period of time I heard, among other things, some exotic Amazon rain forest birds; a dot matrix printer; the sound made by Martians in old, 60's movies; a teletype machine; and a mountain lion - and me sitting maybe 20ft from the dark forest the whole time. It was all I could do to stay in my seat that night. The urge to get up and flee before the giant predator actually appeared was almost too much for me.

It was about that time that the branches began to shake all the more vigorously. The entire branch was just a mass of shuddering leaves. I could hear a wild boar in there grunting angrily. The tension was mounting. Just as I was expecting to see a large gorilla, a very pregnant and seemingly permanently annoyed, beach ball Heidi dropped from the branch to the ground still grunting her displeasure as she waddled toward the buffet. Whew! I survived one more night.

But, as I say, I've been out there so long now w/o incident that I've become quite complacent in recent years.