Heidi Chronicles: Long Live The Queen!

The scarecrow doesn't actually emit an intentional sound. There is a sound associated with it, however, and that sound does play a part in scaring its 'victims' as I know from the one time I walked in front of it by accident and became a 'victim'.

When activated it moves quickly through an arc the length of which is determined by user controlled settings. It sprays water under pressure in bursts as it moves through the arc. The mechanical mechanism makes a sound including a clicking sound as the gears move. The water makes a "wooshing" sound even before it reaches the 'victim'. The sound made by the scarecrow when activated is actually very, very negligible - unless you are the victim. If you are in the house, you won't hear it at all. If you are outside and nearby you may hear it but will probably not take note of the slight clicking sound as the gears move.

I probably wouldn't even realize it makes a sound if I hadn't been 'hit' by it that one time. If you are in its path, especially if you aren't expecting it, that sound seems magnified 100 fold. The sudden rapid movement, the gushing water, the blast hitting you, the sounds all overwhelm your senses as these things all happen in a fraction of a second and your mind and body rush to try to figure out what threat is suddenly upon you. Even though I quickly realized it was the scarecrow, that fraction of a second when I heard the sounds, detected the sudden motion, and felt the blast of water hit my neck was nothing short of terrifying. Had I been a prey animal, I'm sure I would have been long gone. Even though I knew the scarecrow was there, it sent my entire system into a panic state for a fraction of a second. It is MUCH more frightening than one might expect.

After a few encounters with the scarecrow, deer often learn to avoid the area altogether apparently thinking a predator is lurking there waiting for them. Some people are even able to put the scarecrow away after a time because the deer no longer use that route.

I've not tried it on the raccoons; however, last year I did use water in a spray bottle to deter some of the raccoons from taking food from another that was injured. I found that even hungry raccoons are deterred by water sprayed at them that way, especially if sprayed in their faces. Based on that experience, I suspect that raccoons who are just playing or fiddling around in dirt will find something else to do if sprayed by the scarecrow.

One more mystery solved.

Recently, I've been using my flashlight to walk to and from the buffet (to avoid snakes) and also to watch the raccoons. With the flashlight I can see details that usually allude me in the darkness out there. While watching the yearlings with the flashlight I've seen that they are all nursing and thus all have kits out there in the forest somewhere. Except for the Lt, none of the others were ever large enough to look pregnant, but they still have at least one kit each - or most.

Precious has turned out to be a somewhat less than precious boy. This new finding as seen by flashlight may explain why the Lt was always running her, I mean him, away from the buffet in Heidi's absence. As you know, males aren't particularly welcome at dinner. Precious is allowed to eat at the buffet but the ladies all chase him back. No one wants him anywhere near them, but he is allowed to eat as long as he keep back or far to one side away from the girls.

It also explains Precious' attitude and behavior. If you recall, other young males such as Trouble have usually displayed annoying and problematic behavior at this age, and despite his small stature Precious is no exception. Quite frankly, while I didn't want to admit it, he isn't very precious at all. He's annoying.

He makes a sound that reminds me of a Tasmanian Devil, or at least the sound that cartoon character used to make. If I were naming him today, I would name the little devil Taz for this reason. I suspect that he learned to make this sound and behave the way he does to compensate for his small size.

Unlike the ladies who stand in one place and eat there meals, Taz is all over the place. It's almost a waste to give him his own food as he will only eat from it for a short while before he starts milling around bothering the others. After that he will never go back to his food but will move around trying to take their food, acting as though he has none. Remind you of anyone? Trouble maybe. The girls spend the rest of the evening chasing him away from their areas. Nobody wants him near them something I couldn't understand before I saw that he's a male.

He's larger now although still a tad smaller than the girls. He doesn't even look like a raccoon. He has the shape of a fox. I think it's that his hind legs aren't raised slightly the way a raccoon's should be. He isn't particularly attractive either. His coat is rather dull and shaggy despite being short - it's just that the hairs don't seem to all lie down smoothly as they should. He doesn't have good contrast between the light color and dark. All in all, he's rather ugly, I'm afraid. I don't see the poor chap getting a lot of ladies unless he blossoms quickly.

He isn't as mannerly as Heidi's youngsters tend to be. I don't hand feed him anymore, since a few weeks ago he gave me a heck of a painful bite. In retrospect, it was my fault, I guess. The others were milling about, everyone trying to get the cookie. I know better than to hand feed them when there is contention. Even the gentlest among them will tend to snatch the item if they think the others are about to get it 1st. He overreached that one time getting my thumb and finger along with the cookie. He didn't draw blood and didn't bite me with the sharp fangs on either side of the mouth. He chomped down HARD on my thumbnail and finger with the flat front teeth. He obviously wasn't trying to hurt me as he let go quickly, as soon as he realized he had 'me' in his mouth, but man did it hurt, just for that fraction of a second when his teeth closed on my fingers - and he wasn't even trying. I can't imagine the pain if he had been. Trust me. You can't begin to imagine the pain they can inflict with those teeth even by accident - unless one has bit you, that is.

The thumb and finger were sore (to the bone) and bruised for days but were usable and didn't hurt enough to be problematic. The only real pain, the 'white hot' pain of the sort that rises quickly through your body and seems to blow the top of your head off, occurred during the very brief interval of the actual bite. Thankfully, that severe pain was gone as soon as he let go of the thumb and finger. Still, I don't trust the little devil anymore. These days, I throw his cookies to him and insist that he keep his distance from me just in case. As a male, and a less than handsome one at that, I suspect his days at the buffet will be severely limited. Heidi is probably giving him some extra and much needed time to grow a bit. The girls have long since tired of his antics. Yep, his days are surely numbered.

Oh, my. I can't believe I neglected to also send my condolences, thoughts and prayers out to those in the flooded areas of the SE: TN, KY, and MS (or is it MI, sorry I still have problems with the 'M' states). I sure hope that all of our DG family in the effected areas will remain safe and, hopefully, high and dry. My heart goes out to all of you in these areas.

Just returned from feeding and walking everybody.

Rooted around in the fridge this afternoon for some of the old stuff I was saving for the critters. At one point I had designated a portion of a shelf for them but then things got pushed around as new things were added and pretty soon all of their [old] stuff was hiding in the back again. Anyhow, I found 2 boxes, 8 total, containers of yogurts (that expired in late 09 but still smelled good): 4ea Yoplait Indulgence and Fiber One. In case you are wondering, 5 out of 5 raccoons chose Yoplait Chocolate Cherry over Fiber One Key Lime Pie.

Just to reiterate, these are old things that expired in late 09. Starting in Mar of this year, I've been buying very little, mostly BOGO items and absolute necessities, have been eating down the stockpile of items in the freezer and pantry, and have been very careful not to let anything (else) spoil. It has been an interesting experience, BTW, and I'm very proud of myself now that I'm shopping and eating frugally. : )

On that note, recently I requested samples and coupons for dog and cat food and treats. To date, I've received a nice sized [free] package of Rachael Ray Nourish Dog Food along with BOGO coupons for IAMS dog and cat canned foods (2 coupons, 1 ea), and two $3 off coupons for Iams dry cat or dog food products. (Now if I can just find another $3 damaged bag of Iams cat food.)

Incidentally, since all of the females are nursing now, I decided a few days ago to switch the raccoons over to cat food. Back when I stocked up on cat and dog food while it was on sale, I got several bags of both. I figure it makes the most sense to feed them the cat food now (with a little dog chow mixed in for good flavor. lol) while they need the extra protein and calcium for nursing. Hopefully, the cat food will last for most of the time they are nursing. Then I'll switch them to the dog food when the kits are eating food. That the plan. So far it seems to be working.

I had been out there with the raccoon for a short while when I 'lost' one of the yearlings. Because they will sometimes sneak up behind me (and scare me, nothing else), I looked around behind me just to check. A form that looked an awful lot like Kitty was sitting about 15-20ft back behind me silhouetted against the light from the patio and sitting in roughly the same spot where she had been the other night when she called to me to come inside. I shined my light back there curious to see if it really was her or maybe the 'lost' raccoon.

Sure enough, it was Kitty, sitting there quietly this time. Only when I shined my light on her did she meow softly. I had already given out the food, and there really wasn't a lot going on, so I said my goodbyes and headed inside where Kitty hit me up for more canned food even though it was NOT time for any, and I acquiesced just because I've become so eager to do anything to be friends with her - and apparently she knows it.

As soon as Kitty finished the food she had conned me for, she once again demanded to go out. She had just demanded to go out maybe 30min before I went out to feed the raccoons, BTW. The past few days it's as if she needs a revolving, pet door. She's in. She's out. She's in...

Oh yes, I vividly remember how painful the pressure is from a raccoon bite, however unintentional: major ouch. The only thing worse, believe it or not, is a squirrel bite; you just can't believe the pressure those tiny animals can exert. Of course they do make a living cracking hard-shelled nuts... And squirrels can cut through the thickest animal-handling gloves I ever tried: impressive little critters.

Glad to hear that Kitty just watched the buffet routine quietly this time. If a spoonful of the "good stuff" buys her good behavior, it's a cheap fix.

Not a lot going on right now. It's that brief lul when nursing moms scarf up as much food as they can, the lul between the excitement of seeing everyone again after the winter break and finally seeing the kits when they get old enough to join us at the buffet.

Heidi was missing last night - again. The night before she showed up late. I still think she is reluctant to spend much time waiting around for me to show up. She doesn't like to leave the kits alone too long.

Also, Freida took a few days off recently ostensibly to give birth. Heidi went missing, too, during that time. Coincidentally, Freida also went missing over the 2 weeks or so that Heidi was out having her kits. That time Freida returned on the same night that Heidi returned. It may be mere coincidence, but it sure looks as if these 2 are each taking time off when the other is out birthing, making it appear as if they are somehow helping each other perhaps to look after the newborn kits or watch for predators. Unlike the yearlings, these 2 both looked large enough to have substantial sized litters. At a minimum it is interesting to note that Heidi allowed Freida to stay (the only non-yearling allowed to stay) for some reason and to note that each takes time off from the buffet when the other is out giving birth.

Lastly, a request. If you run across me on another site, Facebook, for instance, and want to ask to be friends, unless you are using the same username there or, if using your actual name, know that I know your full name (not just 1st name), please be sure to leave me a note (either from FB or here at DG) to let me know it is you.

Now, a while back one of you whose name I know quite well did send me a friend request, and I was happy to hear from you and accept - when I finally signed on to my account again. I'm definitely not talking about you. I know your name, consider you a dear friend, and recognize you anywhere online.

Lately however, I'm getting a lot of friend requests from people I don't recognize either by full name or photo, recently someone named Mary, a young and very pretty girl if the photo is accurate. I don't know if there are just people on FB who run around asking to friend total strangers or whether these are people who actually know me perhaps from one of the websites on which I participate. So I just wanted to say to everyone, please unless you are sure I will recognize your name, send me a message to clue me in if you are trying to friend me somewhere else on the web. There are a few of you, 'old' DG friends whose full names and usernames I know like I know my local friends. You probably know who you are, and for you, no introductory messages required ever. : )
But if we are newer friends and maybe I don't know your last name, please make sure to let me know it's you as I would surely hate to reject a legitimate friend request from one of you just because I failed to make the connection. Does anyone know, BTW, if there are people on FB who ask to friend strangers?

There are people on FB who ask to friend strangers, yes. I don't get it, but there it is. :-)

There are peeps names i'll recognize from school, not in my grade, i wont accept them.

and i was watching DH one day while he was on, and i saw a girl that was in my class that friend requested HIM.

I do think a lot of people just try to see how many 'friends' they can get.... asking friends of friends... i just think that is weird.

early on I accepted peeps who i grew up with, in town, but barely remember them... then they want ot have these conversations, asking all these questions... and i htink to myself.... I really dont ever KNOW you.... and i politely leave.

I really dont spend a lot of time in there anyways.... I used it for planning my HS reunion, reconnected with a few old/good friends ... I rarely even chat with my family... If i have something to say, I pick up the phone.

Thank you, Marylyn!

I seem to be getting a number o them recently.
What is the point of that? Do you know? A few things I considered:

- On the nefarious side, I figure they could be looking either to steal identity info, get information that could possibly be used to crack accounts elsewhere by answering the challenge questions, or gather information to sell for lists (phone numbers, addresses, email, and so on). Depending on one's account settings, friends may have access to information not available to others.

- They may just be trying to gather huge numbers of FB friends. This seems to be important to some people. I don't use my account, very rarely sign on to the site, and haven't looked for friends. I originally just made an account to look around and see what it was all about. Hence, I have almost no FB friends not because I'm friendless but just because I've not worked on it. People who are looking to friend strangers whether to increase their # of friends or for whatever reason probably target people like me who would appear to need some friends (lol)

Thanks for letting me know. I was just curious. It helps to know whether I should assume that everyone who tries to friend me is someone who really thinks he or she knows me or whether it's fairly 'normal' on these sites to get friend offers from strangers - and thus, if I don't recognize the name, I can just reject the request w/o worrying about the risk of insulting real acquaintances.

Thanks, Terese!

A colleague and friend who friended me on FB said to me one day that I should go through her list of friends - she has thousands - to see who among them I know so I can send them friend requests. The implication being that I obviously (in her opinion) need some more FB friends quite urgently. Aside from the fact that I don't use my FB account that much, I also don't think of friends that way whether on FB or off. I'm not out to impress anyone with my friend lists, and I prefer a small number of true friends over hoards of so-so friends any day.

The person I mentioned is really working FB for social contacts to enhance her career through networking. I'm not into that sort of thing. I have real friends and I network naturally through them, but I'm not interested in gathering throngs of people I can hopefully use when a need arises. To each his own though.

Thanks for the input. Like I said above, recently I've started getting lots of friend requests from people whose names I totally don't recognize. I figured either they are real friends I know from other sites like DG (but don't recognize their names), or they really are strangers. If the former, I would hate to reject them by mistake. If the latter, I definitely don't want to friend them.

I have a lot of relatives, and a lot of friends from "home", etc., on FB, so I pop in fairly often. (And the teenager who babysits our bunnies is on there, and she answers FB messages faster than she returns phone calls, so I message her when I want to ask her to bunnysit. LOL) Having said that, I don't "friend" everyone from high school, etc., because... well, why? LOL I think there are a lot of people who do get a lot of personal satisfaction from having more "friends" than anyone they know, so they "friend" all of their friends' "friends", and then (because they assume that if it is important to them, it should obviously be important to you!) they suggest all of those "friends" to you. I push the "ignore" button a lot. :-)

Tonight I heard the raccoons arguing on the patio and went out early. At 1st only Heidi was there. Then Precious, who as you will recall is actually male (a discovery I made while watching him with my flashlight as he climbed over the side of the pool), tried to join us. Heidi was quite adamantly opposed. She refused to let him eat even when I gave him food well away from her. She was quite clear (repeatedly) in her message that as a male he is no longer welcome at the buffet. Kits will be showing up soon, and he has to hit the road. Like all the young males before him, he did not take the news at all well but hung around trying to sneak back in and find a place at the table.

A few minutes later, a few other yearlings showed up. I don't know what got into her, but Heidi ran them ALL off. She was definitely in a cranky mood tonight. She did let one of the ones that I think is a female eat some although not w/o fussing at her every few minutes.

Then one of the yearlings tried to sneak back through the flower bed to get to her food which was near me. I was watching her when I noticed her stand semi upright in a position I recognize as the "what the heck is that thing?" pose. It was exactly the pose Diva held that time years ago when she was standing near the pool on hind legs looking into the pool where I had just tossed a toy (if you recall that photo). Diva had heard and seen the splash but was uncertain what thing in the pool had made the disturbance. She was standing up and sort of leaning forward to look into the pool, looking scared just as this yearling looked now. The yearling was looking and pointing at something behind me.

I turned and looked behind me where I saw Kitty sitting quietly, except this time she wasn't back there in her usual spot some 20ft back near the house. This time she was sitting much closer, a mere 5ft back and directly behind me sitting calmly and quietly. Just as I was deciding whether to go now or hand out cookies 1st, I looked back again to see the other yearling who had left her food and now was standing near Kitty checking her out.

Kitty held her ground but growled now at the raccoon who was over beside her, maybe 2.5ft away. Clearly uncertain about what this new creature was, the yearling stood upright to look at Kitty. At this point, I thought it a good time to go. I stood up and walked toward them (and the house). The yearling didn't back away immediately as I had expected her to do but continued to stand there looking at Kitty.

"No!" I said calmly but firmly to the raccoon as I continued toward Kitty. Finally the raccoon back away and headed back toward the buffet (and forest) while Kitty and I headed for the house.

I'm not sure what prompted Kitty to come up and sit so close to me tonight. She had been sitting much farther back where her presence did not seem to bother the raccoons. But tonight Heidi, who was standing at my feet to eat, had been grumbling and growling and fussing pretty much non-stop the whole time, fussing at the young male who kept sneaking around and trying to pop up in a different location every time Heidi ran him off from one and later fussing at all of the yearlings. About the only time all night when Heidi wasn't fussing, snorting, grumbling, and growling was when she stopped to cough - yes, it's allergy time again here.

Although Kitty kept quiet this time (not growling until she felt threatened by that one raccoon who went back there to look at her up close), I can't help but wonder if it was Heidi's fussing that had caused her to come up so close behind me this time to sit. I wonder if she felt, due to Heidi's constant fussing, that I might be in danger and had come up closer behind me for backup if needed. She is a strange one that Kitty.

If you recall, after that 1st incident in which Kitty kept growling and hissing (at the raccoons), I had begun keeping her inside while I was at the buffet. That worked for maybe a week, but lately Kitty has begun escaping from the house within that last hour before I go to the buffet, running out when I go to walk Widget or to feed Cocoa. She then quite reliably shows up at the buffet each night (or nearby) where she sits watching and waiting. When I leave the buffet she comes back inside with me (having only been outside some 30min to an hour). I am actually starting to think that she is doing this on purpose, escaping around 9 or so just to be sure she will be out there to watch the going on at the buffet - and she probably doesn't mind cutting buffet time shorter if she can.

It might be Kitty's presence that caused Heidi's grumbling, rather than Heidi's grumbling that caused Kitty to move in closer. Two matriarchs who don't care for each other; that's just what you need.

I agree Kitty could feel like you could be in danger from the raccoons. And she wants to save you from your self. She seems like a possessive and somewhat protective cat. My cat Missy sometimes follows me when I go to the house next door to feed the cats there. I suspect she just wants to make sure I come back...I doubt that she thinks I'm in danger or anything.

Ruth,

Once I realized Kitty was there, I questioned whether her presence may have prompted Heidi's fussiness. I decided against that because of Heidi's body language. She is very clear as to who she is directing her fussing toward. She will turn and look at the yearling that she is targeting much like a person turning to talk to a fellow diner. If, as in the case of the young male, the target doesn't yield to her bellowing orders to leave, she will turn her entire body around to face that raccoon as she continues eating and grumbling. If this continues long enough w/o the other raccoon moving away, she will lunge at them and return to her food. If that same raccoon goes around the area and tries to sneak up 'to the table' again, she will again turn to look at them in their new position while fussing, bellowing. It's very easy to see who she is addressing at a particular time.

I have no doubt that she was targeting the individual raccoons and telling them to stay away from the buffet - and the food. Are you suggesting that, although she was going after the yearlings and running them away from the food, her mood may have been brought on by the stress or frustration of having the cat nearby and in her territory?

Like I said, Heidi is very clear in her body language as to whom she is directing her anger. At no time did I observe her either looking at something beyond me (I pay attention to this visual cue from the raccoons because it often heralds the approach of a young raccoon sneaking up on me) or directing her grumbling that way.

Contrary to what people often expect, Heidi usually avoids conflict with other species (unless cornered) choosing to retreat back to the fence rather than fight even when confronted by small dogs like Widget and Sassy. I figure it is a sign of Heidi's wisdom that she opts to avoid a fight whenever possible even one she could easily win. She has probably been injured or seen others injured and knows it's better to avoid conflict than risk injury - and even when you know you can win, something could always go wrong.

Given this information, do you still think she was angry or frustrated or upset by Kitty's presence?

Linda,

Thinking like a cat is difficult, but i'm trying to learn. Kitty definitely seems possessive. I'm still unsure about the protective part although she certainly appears to be at times.

My kitties definitely rule over the racoons when it comes to the food dishes. Most of the time they eat peacefully side by side, but once in awhile, a racoon gets a little greedy and tries to nose the cats aside. The cat hisses and the coon high-tails it for the woods, lol.

LOL, KyWoods,

That a cute image. Not exactly what I would have expected at 1st, but it does fit my view of raccoons mostly avoiding conflict (except with each other).

Cheryl, I can't remember if Heidi was present the night Kitty carried on bitching at the raccoons at great length and volume. For some reason, I'm thinking Heidi wasn't there; but in either case, I'm sure she heard all about it from the yearlings at those forest strategy meetings...

Yes, my thinking was that if Heidi knows Kitty can be a troublesome presence, that might have caused Heidi's irritated mood; and since Heidi does avoid conflict whenever possible, especially with other species, she was directing her pique at the other coons, especially the male, rather than at Kitty. This might be far-fetched.

It is tough to think like a cat, isn't it?...especially a female cat. To think like a male, once you've covered food, soft beds, fun toys, soft petting, and love of all types, you've pretty well covered it.

I got my copy of the geek's guide to cats today; and from a quick browse, it looks like a riot, and will be a perfect gift for the cat person for whom I chose it.

Hi Ruth,

No, Heidi wasn't there that 1st night when Kitty was behaving so badly at the buffet. The other night was actually the 1st time that Heidi had ever been there when Kitty came around. I can see your point. Makes sense. I don't think it's far-fetched at all. The more I learn about raccoons (and many other creatures as well), the more convinced I become that they really are far more complex creatures than we are accustomed to thinking.

There was a program on recently. I can't recall now if it was on Nat Geo or maybe Science, but it was about some of the latest finding regarding animal thinking and feelings. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I did record it as it sounded quite interesting from the commercials. This was something new that aired for the 1st time a few weeks ago, the night I recorded it. I look forward to watching it when I have time to devote to it fully. One thing suggested by the commercial was that parrots showed the ability to count - not like the horse Silver but to actually understand what they are counting and what it means.

So true about the female cat. Kitty displayed amazing intelligence tonight, but I will report that over in the pets forum a little later after I rest a bit. Lately, I find that I almost have 2 many critters all wanting attention at the same time. They are absolutely wearing me out. I have enough love for all of them, but not necessarily enough energy.

Glad to hear that you are pleased with the book. I'm still waiting for my copy. I got the Thinking... book blindingly fast, 2 days, but they seem to be taking their time with this one. You know what would really make for a great book, "Thinking Like a Raccoon".

Oh yeah, I would definitely buy a copy of "Thinking Like a Raccoon!" I think you're going to have to write that one, however; as I keep pointing out, you get to observe their actions/interactions in the wild much more closely than any of the "experts." The Dian Fossey (sp?) of raccoons!

That TV show sounds promising; wish I'd also recorded it. I've read the studies of parrots counting, and it is both fascinating and mind-blowing. Our humancentric assumptions constantly assume limitations for other species, and in so many cases they simply aren't accurate.

>>Lately, I find that I almost have 2 many critters all wanting attention at the same time.

I was thinking that very same thing after I read the Kitty thread....

between Heidi and the Gang, Widget, Miss Kitty and Cocoa ... all who want their own personal attention -- it's amazing you have any free time in the evenings. [though i'd think Widget would enjoy the 'mommy and miss kitty' play time.,

I definitely have too many critters...and way too little energy and time. Age and too many responsibilities are wearing me out. I have 4 of my original cats, one almost grown kitten (from next door) that decided to live in my yard, the remaining kitties from next door, the birds I feed, a lot of butterfly caterpillars that I raise and right now there's a grown male cat hanging around. I am hoping that last one is just visiting. Seems very nice, but I need another cat like a hole in my head. Oh, and I have the garden and a disabled husband to care for.

Hey, Terese,

They definitely have me running. It starts when I step foot out of bed in the morning. Widget has to go out immediately as he as been waiting by the bed for me to 'come back to life'. Whether she is outside or in, Kitty is waiting for breakfast and expect to be served 1st. If she is inside, she will be trying to lead me Lassie style to 1st the fridge where she knows I need to go to get the good stuff and then to her dish. Because she knows I get confused easily, she will stop to look back and check on me every few feet along the way. If I have gotten off track, she will backtrack, find me, and start over leading me on the route necessary to get her food and put it in her dish.

Of course, the whole time this is going on I am rubbing my eyes trying to shake off the early morning fog and wake up completely and stumbling over dogs and cats while trying to make MY way to that place all humans must go upon awakening each morning. All the while I am ever mindful of the race to get to the front door to feed Cocoa before he runs off.

That's the early morning race. Then, if I manage to get out there before Cocoa leaves, I stop to play with him for a little while. Now that Cocoa is starting to venture out more at noon and after, he often takes up as much of my midday time as he can get. The whole thing starts all over again in early evening except this time add in the raccoons and the need to play with Kitty and still try to make it out to spend a few minutes with Cocoa before I stumble to bed.

Widget, who is accustomed to being the recipient of all of my play time, would love to get in on my time with Kitty and Cocoa - and would prefer I just not spend any time with the raccoons at all. How about Buddy & Charlie? Do they play well together? Does Buddy want you to play with him 24/7 as Widget does? Do they take up a lot of your time? In your case, it likely helps that your fur friends have others family members with whom to play.

Ok, now I am vindicated. I know some people thought I was crazy thinking Heidi would be coming around earlier when she knows I'm feeding at 10PM, but...

Heidi hasn't been at the buffet a lot lately. She probably misses as much as 2 out of 3 nights and, until tonight, had been missing since the other night when she was so fussy. It's just not the same w/o Heidi. Last night, for instance, there were only 2 yearlings at the buffet.

I really was starting to think maybe Heidi had found another person willing to feed her some of the time. Honestly, if true, I was happy for her. I could use a few nights off, so having another person helping me out would be a good thing for me and the raccoons.

Then this evening I was out front. I had played with Cocoa a bit. When he ran off for the near dusk bug chase, something he clearly enjoys very much, I grabbed my gear and pruned the roses around the front door and mailbox. I had just finished pruning and come in for the evening. It was still quite light out as I made my way through the house. I was headed to the kitchen to grab a drink trying as I went to figure out where Kitty might be hiding or if she had somehow slipped out unnoticed.

As I passed the back door what I thought was Kitty caught my eye. I stopped and backed up still trying to figure out how she had gotten out there. Then, as I took a second look I realized with a smile that the figure standing at the back door was actually Heidi. I was somewhere between 8 and 8:30PM and still sufficiently light out to read w/o artificial light. Heidi stood there her body perpendicular to the patio door, her nosed pressed up against the glass, looking in as though searching desperately for a glimpse of me somewhere inside.

Naturally, I grabbed my bag and ran out to feed her. She was out there alone. Even when we reached the buffet and I had given Heidi her food, it was still early enough that I could see the tiny bits of cat food on the ground well enough to make out the individual bits of kibble.

So you see, Heidi really has been coming around each night before dusk in the desperate hope that I would see her and come out to feed her and that she would be able to eat early enough to get back to her kits before dark or as soon after as possible. She knows I come out at 10PM, but she is hungry much earlier. Who wants to eat breakfast 2hrs after they get up? Most of all, during those 1st couple months when her babies are young, she really doesn't like to be away from them so late at night if she can help it. She knows I feed at 10, but she also knows I can be talked into changing my schedule - if it's for a good purpose. She knew all she had to do was wait for me to see her out there.

I can just see her with her little hands cupped around her eyes - peering thru the glass,.

that must have been a real treat to see.

LOL, Terese!

That really is about what she looks like out there. I'm so glad to see that the image came across. They so remind me of children peering in with their faces pressed against a screen door (in the old days), hands cupped around eyes as you mentioned. I've always wondered if I've succeeded in getting that image across - because it really is the image they evoke out there.

A few minutes ago I heard the yearlings outside arguing. I hadn't intended to make TWO trips out - like I need yet another animal related chore - but I felt for them, so I ran out there quickly, passed out a round of kibble and 2 cookies w/frosting, said a quick goodbye, and ran back in.

I still haven't found Kitty. I don't know if she is hiding somewhere in the house - she does that sometimes when she's sleeping and doesn't want to be disturbed - or if she slipped outside unnoticed. It's a sizable house with more than enough hiding places to make a cat giddy.

Too cute that image of Heidi looking for you at the patio door; and you were right on target, as usual, in thinking she's arrriving earlier in the evening. In all your copious free time between feeding and playing with animals, you should start in on the "Thinking Like a Raccoon" book.

Weird that Kitty didn't surface for evening canned food, if she's in the house.

Ruth,

Maybe we could write that one as a collaborative effort.

If mine were on a transferable media, I'd give it to you after I watch it, but it's a dish dvr recording, a tivo type thing, so it's not on vhs or dvd. I dbl checked my info. The show aired on the Science channel as Episode 118 of a series called Sci-Trek. The name of the episode is "What Animals Think". The subtitle is "Do animals have thoughts and emotions like we do?" It's a 1hr show. I was wrong about it being new. The original air date was 06-08-09.

Do you have the Science Channel? They always repeat the shows. I entered it into my 'tivo' searching both for Sci-Trek and for the episode name separately. It is not scheduled to come on in the next 2 wks; however, I left the search active. If/when they run it again, it will show up on my tivo schedule (ahead of time). Then I will post the day/time/channel info for anyone who might be interested in seeing or recording it. (I should have posted the date to start with. Sorry)

The one other thing I recall from the previews is that they did an experiment with different species to try to give them a currency and see if they 'got' it. I think if was in connection to this that the parrot was counting.

Ruth,

Kitty had her afternoon canned food before she disappeared. Frankly, at this point I'm thinking she must have sneaked out unseen. However, a time or two in the past she has gone missing (inside the house) for so long that I thought surely she was outside, and then she would show up again doing one of those long stretches.

I appreciate the compliment, Cheryl, but you have far exceeded my knowledge of raccoons at this point, so doubt I could be of much help. I'm pretty sure our DirecTv includes the Science channel, so I'll check for that show: thanks!

Aren't you lucky?? You now have two species who can appear and disappear like ninjas, without your noticing them passing by: congratulations (snickering quietly in the background)...

Awwwwwwwww. Glad Heidi caught ya to let ya know she coming earlier. Besides the babies, wonder if there is something else moving out in the dark that has her afraid to come later?

Hi starlight,

I really don't think so. She does this every year when her babies are born. She always switches to just before dark and prefers to come by herself after the kits are born. If you recall, as soon as she went missing or stopped showing up at 10, I mentioned that she might be coming at 8-8:30 instead. I think I mentioned that even when it took her so long to show up after the kits were born. At the time, I know it sounded silly and people thought me nuts, but I knew that because she always does the same thing every year.

Heidi is just uber careful and protective when it comes to her kits. Just look at her success rate. In the 4 yrs we've been watching her, she hasn't lost one yet. That defies the odds. If you go back to the very beginning of the Heidi threads, I 1st met Heidi when she was nursing newborns. The day I 1st met her she came down the fence in front of me in broad daylight probably a good hour before sundown.

This is Heidi's MO. When she doesn't have young kits to worry about, she prefers to come to eat after dark when it is safer for her - because in the dark she is less visible to predators, dogs, humans, etc. Then the moment she gives birth to a new set of kits, she switches to feeding at dusk or earlier because she puts the welfare of the kits above her own. She is afraid to leave the vulnerable newborns alone in the forest - as any of us would be afraid to leave our baby alone in the dark that way. While she is safer traveling in the dark when she is less visible to others, the babies are less safe sitting alone in their nest after dark since that is when many predators (that are not a threat to her but would easily eat the babies) are out looking for a meal: foxes, owls, possibly even snakes, gators, and opossums.

I've seen snakes that are on the small to normal side eat full size rats which would appear to large for them, so they can probably also eat helpless newborn kits. The intense heat here forces snakes to hunt after dark when things cool down because snakes are as vulnerable to heat as they are to cold. A snake ate the newly hatched cardinals in a nest in my garden a few years back. It's a very real threat to tiny, defenseless newborns and one that is much greater an hour or so after dark.

A US gov site specific to wildlife lists foxes as a top predator of raccoons. Since a fox has little chance of killing an adult raccoon, they must be referring to predation of kits while the mother is away. Here again, foxes appear to be most active after dark. Likewise, there are definitely owls in the forest back there as I hear them hooting and screeching at night.

I'm thinking even a relatively defenseless opossum would likely be able to snatch a defenseless newborn kit from an unguarded nest and would enjoy the meal. For that matter, in many species, the young are vulnerable to attack by adult males other than the father. It is believed to be a way of increasing the chances of success of their own offspring by reducing the competition for food and other resources. Here again, as we all know both opossums and raccoons prowl the forest at night.

There may well be other threats beyond those mentioned, threats unknown to me but which Heidi would likely know about. Another possibility I can think of is alligators. It's quite likely that alligators are in that mucky, swampy, marsh area behind my house. This entire area is in what is called wetlands. They had to build the area up where the houses are even to build here. Although most people think of alligators as creatures of the water, they are quite capable of traveling considerable distances on land and are most likely to do so at night. People also tend, quite erroneously and often to their peril, to think of alligators as slow and ungainly on land. In fact, although usually seen dragging their bodies slowly along the ground, gators can stand up on their toes, lifting their bellies well off the ground. In this position they can run some 30mph, considerably faster than the best Olympic sprinter. Young kits would be at serious risk from a hungry gator out looking for dinner.

No, judging from her own behavior as observed from year to year, I am convinced that Heidi herself feels safer traveling at night and venturing into backyards at night, but when she has young and relatively defenseless kits to care for, she feels safest leaving them to feed in the late afternoon. It is, in fact, during this time of year when Heidi has newborns in the nest that I took all of my raccoon videos which I can only take in daylight. During this time Heidi prefers to eat before dark, and if I switch my schedule so as to feed her early, the others naturally switch their schedules, too. Except for the video I got of the kits at dusk that one year on their 1st visit to the buffet, I never get videos of the actual kits when they are young. This, I'm convinced, is because once the kits are old enough to safely navigate the forest and come to the buffet, Heidi switches back to coming after dark because there again, it is safer for both her and the kits to travel after dark. It all makes a lot of sense once you think about it, but then everything Heidi does makes sense. She's one smart raccoon that Heidi.

To all of the mothers out there:


Happy Mother's Day!

Oops. Today I got busy and forgot about the new feeding time. It was after 9 when I remembered by which time Heidi had already left. I fed a group of 5 yearlings. That one yearling, the one that frequently stands upright and puts her hands on me did so again, this time resting her hands on my hip to let me know she was there - and wanted some food. She is always very sweet and gentle, so I don't mind. I rather enjoy the contact.

Linda,

It definitely sounds like you have your hands full with so many critters plus a garden and a family member to care for. Caring for an adult human can be quite demanding in itself and a labor of love. I cared for my mother who had Alzheimer's, and that was a full-time job itself.

Hi goldfinch!

Sorry it has taken me a little while to catch up. It's nice to see you with us, and I wanted to say, "Hi" - even if belated. I don't know how I missed this earlier.

starlight,

I don't think I addressed one of your earlier posts, the one about whether that baby opossum might be a descendant of one of the ones that had been here in earlier years. I think that is very likely. It seems like most of the animals who come here in search of food have territories they work along with members of their extended group. For several years back when the opossums were coming to the buffet, I saw the same ones coming every time, so it seems very likely that the new one is probably one of their offspring. I do also still see Snowball every now and then although I don't always mention it.

Heidi already takes exception to her food touching if she gets any 'wet' food types. She likes yogurt (sometimes) and she likes cat food. One day I emptied a container of yogurt in the side of her container of cat food. She was not happy about that. She ate all of the dry, non-contaminated cat food leaving behind a line of yogurt soaked cat food. Then she flipped her dish over quite intentionally, something she does when annoyed by her food, and proceeded to paw through it lightly in search of any remaining 'dry' cat food. She looked for all the world like a picky, recalcitrant child sifting through her plate for anything 'edible' (by her standards). She left without eating the 'line' of yogurt/cat food along the interface where the two had touched. There have been other such incidents as well, all of which end in Heidi tossing her dish upside down.

Ruth,

DirectTV does have Sci channel, but I don't recall if it's part of the basic set. My guess is you probably have to buy a higher level package to get it. I find that several of my favorites (like NatGeo) are always in those more expensive packages. If I find out when that show is coming on again, I'll post it for all to see.

I want you to know that last night I went out to the garage just to be sure I didn't lock Kitty in there by accident. A time or two I've 'lost' Widget that way. He will go in the pantry when I open it to look for something. Then I'll shut the door not realizing he's even in there. Poor thing. He will sit quietly in the dark pantry until I miss him and start back-tracking in search of where I might have left him.

This morning when Kitty still had not shown up and I didn't see her outside when I let Widget go out, I started to get concerned. I just wanted to be sure I didn't shut her in some where by mistake. After a thorough inventory of places I had been in the house and any doors I had opened and then closed again, I again went out to the garage to look for her. Then I walked around the house calling her. Finally, when I went back to the patio door and called, "Widget!" to get him back inside, Kitty came galloping across the yard at full speed. She had definitely been outside, having slipped out unseen at some point the night before. But she has tricked me before, showing up inside after a prolonged "absence" during which I was convinced she must have gone outside. Yep, she is another Ninja for sure.