Heidi Chronicles 2012 - A New Chapter Begins?

What kind of cookies do the kits get? I'm partial to Golden Oreos these days. ;)

They like vanilla s/w cookies - basic cookies w/vanilla in the center. I think that's pretty much the same theme as the golden oreos - but not the same quality. I buy the store brand or Murrays or whatever is on sale or priced best. They LOVE vanilla frosting and also strawberry frosting. Sometimes I buy the plastic 'cans' of frosting for them and pile, I mean spread, it on simple cookies (vanilla wafers, animal crackers, etc) or even put it between bread slices (cut or torn into small pieces) to make frosting finger sandwiches.

Heidi is on a health kick and thus will not partake of sweets - except frosting. It's the one 'bad' food she cannot refuse - well, that and syrup, hummingbird nectar, simple syrup, koolaid, or pretty much any sweetened water. For her, I take whatever, pile as much frosting on it as it will hold, and then hand it to her. It doesn't matter what I put it on, as it's just a vehicle for the frosting. I can pile frosting on the plastic lid and hand that to her. Doesn't matter. She just wants the frosting. She will actually reach out her hands to take a giant frosting covered cookie (or whatever) directly from my hands. She also likes to lick the can when it's 'empty' and apparently sees that as her right as matriarch. I usually give it to her. If I give it to one of the others instead, she will chase them down and take it - a behavior she does not otherwise display with any other food.

Well then that's an excellent choice of cookie. Truth be told, if I'm feeling VERY guilty about my Oreo habit I will buy the lesser brand - still a treat - and OMG if I bought frosting to put on them . . . don't give me any ideas!!! :/

You're a lucky girl. Thanks for sharing as it's easy to imagine Heidi reaching out to you for a frosted cookie or empty tub of frosting. What fun!

Not the same, but I eat a lot of peanut butter and save the "empty" plastic jars to give to the dogs for a PB party. Hours of enjoyment. :)

Amanda,

Same idea w/pb jar. The frosting container provides quite a bit of fun for the raccoons, too, although not hours, as they are eager to eat and get back to the forest. Usually Heidi eats her fill and when she is done, one of the yearlings will get the can next and spend another 30min or so off in some remote corner of the yard licking it. That can may make the rounds several times before they decide the plastic has given up all its flavor. Have you seen the pic of the raccoon standing on hind legs and holding a tall frosting can, her head partially buried in it? I'll try to find that one. I know it's on here somewhere. It's one of my favorites.

Raccoons prefer their peanuts in the shell and unsalted, raw if possible. They don't show the same excitement for peanut butter, although I've no doubt a hungry raccoon will eat some if offered. My info as to their preferences is based, not on what they will or will not eat if hungry - as they will eat anything if hungry enough - but on more 'scientific tests' in which I offered them various items and made note of which they ate 1st vs which they only ate if nothing else was available. I orchestrated the 'tests' a lot like sports playoffs.

Gotta run. Very busy day today. Will almost surely have to work tonight, too. Here is a very quick pic to tide you over. I haven't taken time to look at any of the other pics, so have no idea what's in there. As for this one, get a load of that front kit. That's my little boy/girl! That's the one that sat there in that same spot and let me put a handful of food in front of it - possibly a behavior learned from watching Heidi do the same.

In this shot I had just walked out the door to take them something. Is it just me, or does that one kit look like a 5yr old waiting to see what I brought him this time? That's Heidi trying to eat from the empty watermelon shell. (sniffle, sniffle) That's not a cut on Heidi's head/neck. Looks like I dropped kibble on her and it stuck in the fur. 2 of the 3 kits farther back are Heidi's. Not sure who the 4th one belongs to, but there were several other raccoons on the patio. I was standing right their in front of the picture plane. It's a very small patio, so I was really very close to them the whole time.

Later when I have more time I will work on cropping and chopping to provide better closeups.

close up of that kit

group of kits. I think this is not the best positioning with me so close and standing over them. Not optimum for photos. Live & learn. I'll have to take a folding chair out with me next time. Think they may be far enough along now to allow that.

One more then, argh, back to work. Same kit that was looking up earlier - my new little buddy.

One more again. I don't want to work! This is Heidi starting to eat the egg I gave her. You can see she has cracked it and is about to 'drink' the contents.

I LOVE the beaming close up of the critter. :D

xoxo

Thanks, Amanda!

Isn't that little one SO cute. I love the way he was sitting there looking up at me sort of smug like when I went out there. I think that might have been when I went out to give Heidi the egg. I had already been in and out several times. That time, that little fella stopped eating momentarily and looked up at me with an expression that seems to indicate he's waiting to see what I brought him this time.

That one has a lot of personality. He/she is very outgoing and assertive, so he/she got over the fear of me much faster than the others. In every litter, there is always the one like this one who is bold and fearless, the one most willing to take a chance and come over to meet me. There is always that one bold kit in every group, and that's the one I get to know best and even sometimes get to pet, because it is so fearless.

If that one is a boy, it will be run off very early next spring when breeding begins. Then we [probably] won't see it again - unless, like Trouble, a prior male it is bold and fearless enough to 'dis' the females (and Heidi) and come to the buffet a few times before they finally run it off. If, on the other hand, it's a female, and there is a 75% or so chance it is, it will be with us for a year or two in the future and will feature big in future stories, because it will continue to be unafraid of me and thus interact with me much more than the others. I'm waiting for a name to appear in my mind for this one.

I knew there was something I forgot to tell you earlier. Ever since that time I told you about when I got Heidi to step off to the side to let Kitty come inside, the two have been getting along much better. They don't love each other or hang out together, but they have called a truce. Kitty has stopped hissing and growling at the raccoons and trying to chase them away. Heidi has stopped chasing Kitty the moment she appears on the scene.

For many months now Kitty has been coming to the patio door to be let in while Heidi and the others are nearby eating. Kitty only does this while I'm outside, and she goes way up against the house to stay as far away from them as she can, but the patio is only maybe 10ft long in that direction, so with both on the patio, Kitty at the door and Heidi somewhere between the door and the end of the patio (10ft away), they can only be just so far apart.

Lately Kitty has become sufficiently comfortable to go up to the door on her own (with me out there but not knowing right away that she is even there) and then wait for me to see her standing there and let her in - as apposed to before when she would wait at a distance from the patio for me to get between Heidi and the door, open the door for her to dash inside, and then call her. This new way means that Kitty is more vulnerable as she has to stand at the door where Heidi can see her (and could attack her). She has to stand there until I see her and open the door for her to go inside.

Last night while I was out there taking pics, Kitty did this. She walked up to the door and stood waiting, even while Heidi was on the patio WITH her 3 kits. Incredibly, although it was Heidi and the kits who let me know Kitty was there (by looking over at her), Heidi made no attempt to pursue Kitty nor did Heidi growl or otherwise show combative behavior. When I saw Kitty I opened the door and let her go inside.

It seems like now that Kitty has stopped hissing and growling at Heidi, Heidi no longer sees the need to chase her away. When Kitty stopped going on the offensive and trying to chase the raccoons away, Heidi stopped feeling the need to go after Kitty. Seems like they may be calling a truce, like maybe the war is over. Hoping.

I told Court I was going to set that picture of the closeup of the beaming kit as my desktop and he said, you can't because it's copyrighted. So.

Cheryl:

May I have your permission to use your copyrighted image to view as the desktop image on my Dell Inspiron computer? :D

xox

Awwwwhhhh. Just came back from feeding the raccoons. No time to stay out with them tonight. Work to do still - and getting tired.

Tonight while I was scooping up kibble, Heidi was sitting against the door waiting, her kits and that 4th one (seems to belong to one of the other raccoons but more independent) huddled around her on and around the door facing waiting. When I opened the door, instead of looking surprised or running away to hide as they did in the past, tonight the little tykes just stood there in the doorway looking up at me, some standing upright hands in the air as though excited to see me. Except for being at the wrong door and on the wrong day, they looked for all the world like they were saying, "Trick or Treat".

Seriously, the kits all looked SO happy to see me, as if they were out trick-or-treating (and expecting candy) or going to see grandma (and expecting goodies. all grandmas have goodies). This is the 1st time I've ever had kits waiting at the door for me, so the 1st time I've ever quite seen this. Instead of being afraid of me, they all looked so happy to see me. Apparently even the little tykes appreciate a good kibble meal - perhaps as apposed to having to follow Mom for miles through the forest in search of tidbits, their little tummies hungry and their little bodies getting tired. They really did look happy to see me open that door! :-D

When I went out with the food, the kits all stayed right there around me, even the shy ones. Yep. They are definitely getting comfortable with me - and they do appear to have connected me with good things like food and toys. (and they have been playing with their toys, both the ones I've given them recently and the old ones handed down from prior generations and apparently still stashed somewhere in the yard where these guys have found them. I see all manner of little toys up around the patio and between that trunk/seat and the house where the kits used to hide and play before they were comfortable coming out to eat.

Oh, well, back to work.

Amanda,

Yes, you may. I appreciate you asking, and I'm very happy that you like it that much. My only caveat is that I would appreciate it if you wouldn't share it with others. I'm hoping to use the better pics in the book, so I don't want them to get distributed on internet.

They have left already tonight. Last night, if you recall, Heidi and the kits were out there from 9ish until 12:30 or so. Last night they were probably very hungry having missed the night before. Also last night I gave them the watermelon shell piled to the top with melon and juice, which took Heidi a while to eat. They really had one heck of a party out there last night. I guess all things considered they were not as hungry tonight after eating for 2.5hrs last night. :-)

Just ate the last end of the watermelon. On my way back to the kitchen, I stopped off at the patio door to check for activity. Can't see through glass panes in door tonight, because everything is fogged/frosted up due to humidity. Opened door to look out and found 2 kits out there alone, eating. These kits, while still small, were a tad larger than Heidi's. When I opened the door to look out at them, they just stood there looking back at me but didn't run away.

I took a chance on walking out there to give them the rest of the melon. Unfortunately, that did cause them to walk away. They didn't run, just walked behind the flower pots to hide. Oh, well, put melon down near where they had been eating and left. They will almost certainly return for the food. I'm sure they must have a parent out there somewhere, too. At least, I hope so. Few parents are as careful as Heidi, unfortunately.

Edited to add: No, I'm not getting any work done. At this rate I'll be up all night. Just tired and want to do something else, something more fun. Ok, must work now.

This message was edited Aug 6, 2012 10:15 PM

Kit eating

Edited to add it was rainy last night; hence the wet patio. For the past few weeks we've had rain/storms every afternoon and/or evening. I'm not complaining though. It beats drought, which we had for a while before the afternoon storms started.

This message was edited Aug 6, 2012 10:22 PM

I'm really good at not working. It's just too bad you can't make a career out of that (sighing). I would have been a natural.

Notice the body language of the kits in this pic. These are Heidi's kits. The raccoon they are looking at is NOT Heidi. Heidi is the one whose back appears at the bottom of the pic. They are behaving in a cautious manner because the other adult is getting too close for comfort. Heidi apparently knows and trusts the other adult, but the kits are unsure, thus their demeanors. (and, yes, I do need to pressure wash that table - and the patio).

That container with the dirty water in it is one I gave Heidi last night with her food in it. It was CLEAN then. It filled up with rainwater, and the raccoons then tried to make a pool out of it; hence the accumulated dirt. Just didn't want you to think I was serving them filthy water - I just don't give them water at all lately. Those who have been with us a while may recall that I used to provide a dish of water back in the old days before I got the pool (kids wading pool I bought for the raccoons, currently out of order). The funny thing I learned is that raccoon SO love water that they will try their best to get into ANY container of water no matter how small. I've seen them somehow manage to get 3 out of 4 legs into a Cool Whip container. They will make a pool out of anything - and that's how the clean container full of clean rainwater ended up so dirty. A half dozen adults plus 3 or 4 kits each all tried at one point or other during the night to 'swim' in that tiny container.

OMG. Heidi is such a PET. I went by the patio door a minute ago on my way to check something I have in the crock pot for tomorrow. There was Heidi's familiar face up against that one same pane at the bottom of the door, the one where she always sits when trying to get my attention. I could just barely make out the faint outline of her face in the darkness.

I went to the door turned on the outside light and opened the door. For a moment or two, I was perplexed. I had already fed her, so what was she doing out there on the patio with her kits again now? I stood there, door open, looking at her for a minute or so, asking what she was doing here even though I realized she wasn't going to answer, not in a language I understood, at least.

Then I decided she must, for whatever reason, be still hungry - even though she had eaten earlier. I went to get the food. When I returned she was watching for me through the bottom door panes just like she usually does. Sure enough when I got out there with the food, she began to chow down. She was hungry and she had come back and sat there at the door hoping I would see her and bring her more food - all the food I had put out earlier was long gone now.

In years past, whenever Heidi arrived, if she smelled any indication that I had been out earlier that afternoon to put out any food, even to put stuff in the compost bin, she would figure she had missed the meal and would leave. She did this so reliably that I had learned to be careful about not putting anything at all out in the afternoon lest Heidi see/smell it and leave w/o getting her dinner. But now, something had changed. Now even though I had clearly fed her earlier, she had returned and waited hoping for a meal. Now she seemed to actually realize that I was not just putting food outside on some mysterious schedule (and then she just happened by to eat it). She seemed to understand now that I was actually giving her food and doing so because I saw her at the door.

I've no idea why she was hungry still. She did seem to leave early the 1st time and leave a lot of food behind, food which was eaten by others. Who knows. Maybe she had to leave in a hurry for some reason. Maybe the kids had to go pottie or she suddenly remember she had an appointment. Maybe she got an emergency call on her smart phone and had to run to take care of things. Who knows.

Or maybe earlier she was forced to surrender her food to another hungry mother with kits. Maybe after she had eaten her fair share of the food (which had been sized for one), another mother with kits had pulled a 'Steal', you know, the deal where the other raccoon slowly backs up to the food. The rules of their society are clear. If one raccoon has eaten enough to get by and another hungry raccoon (from this group) has none, the 2nd raccoon can execute the Steal, as a safe, legal, way of requesting some of the food, and the former owner of the food is required to back away and relinquish it. It's an absolutely beautiful method they have devised for maintaining order, preventing fights, and yet making sure everyone eats. It's a method not unlike some of our own societal rules for polite behavior.

Since Heidi left so much food behind earlier, and since I found another raccoon and her kits out there eating it after she was gone, I'm guess it was a 'Steal' situation, a situation in which Heidi needed to leave a good portion of her food earlier in order to allow the others to eat. So I gave her some more food and poured the container of watermelon juice I had in the fridge into the empty watermelon shell for them.

The watermelon had been well eaten by earlier raccoons, but when I opened the door this 2nd time for Heidi, I saw the one kit out there trying to find something inside the melon shell - thus I added the juice for him as it was all I had left. That one little kit was out there strutting around me as though he were a preschooler trying to get attention. The other 2 kits were hiding behind the patio trunk, but this time they were clinging to the back side of the trunk and peaking over the top at me, only their 2 cute little, furry heads sticking up over the top of the trunk. I spoke to them, and they came over to join Heidi and the other kit.

I'm finding now that a number of the kits, like these 2, are responding to my voice, showing a reduction in fear and turning around to come back toward me when I speak softly to them. This is big, because, notwithstanding our expectations to the contrary, raccoon kits are NOT normally comforted by the sound of human voices no matter how sweetly or softly we speak. Their natural reactions to our voice are terror, fleeing, and hiding in that order. Early on I learned this and learned to keep very quiet until after they got to know me and/or had a reason to trust me (such as a good reference from the parent).

(Yes, I did get some work done earlier. Not enough, but some. The work I have to do is stressing me out tonight. I need time to process it and figure it out. Sometimes answers come to me when I do other things and don't try so hard.)

Just came back from feeding the raccoons. When I got to the kitchen, I didn't see the familiar outline of Heidi's head through the bottom pane where she sits. I opened the door slightly to see better (due to humidity condensed on door). A yearling was standing upright a few feet from the door looking at me. Her kits were huddled against the door but quickly scurried off to hide when I opened it slightly. I didn't see any sign of Heidi out there.

Earlier today I had stopped off at the store to pick up a bag of store brand vanilla s/w cookies for the raccoons. I quickly opened the bag and grabbed two and broke them into fourths - hoping to give them to the kits only. By the time I got back to the area near the door to scoop up some kibble, Heidi was sitting in her usual spot at the door, having apparently seen or heard me open it earlier and come quickly to make sure i saw her. Once again, her young kits were huddled about her on and about the door facing. When I didn't see her earlier, I had assumed she wasn't there. Now she had quickly moved into position at the door in keeping with my theory that she knows I need to see her or I won't bring food. (Actually, I need to see any raccoon, but it now looks as if Heidi may think I will not bring food unless I see her.)

I opened the door again, cookie bits in hand. My goal now was to get the cookie pieces to the kits w/o the adults grabbing them - harder than it may seem. Heidi's kits were standing up close to the door still, looking up at me as though I might be Santa. Before I even stepped out of the doorway, I tossed a cookie piece in front of that one assertive kit (from the pic above), because he/she is always out front. The kit grabbed it immediately and ran over under the table to eat it. Yay! Success. (A few days ago the adults were grabbing things I tried to give the kits.)

I went out onto the patio, food bag in one hand, cookie bits in the other, determined to find opportunities to give cookies to the other kits. As I poured the kibble which kept the attention of the adults who were jockeying for position, I tossed cookies to kits. Of the 8 cookie pieces, I managed to get all but 1 into the hands/mouths of kits. A quick thinking adult grabbed one while the kit for which it was intended was busy eating kibble. I can get close enough to Heidi to put handfuls of food in front of her face and I can get my hands within maybe 8in of her kits now, too, (w/o scaring them) so I was able to easily deliver cookie pieces to them. There were several other kits out there, too.

I got cookies to those that weren't hiding from view. A few minutes later when I returned to the patio to see how things were going, I was met by a confusing sight. Heidi was in her usual spot, but now she was surrounded by 7 kits. Seven kits in a circular pattern around Heidi, all eating her kibble and that I had scattered about for her kits - but 7? For a moment, confused, I wondered if I had been mistaken about the number of kits Heidi had this year. All the kits were eating so close around her - and so far from any of the others - and all seemed to be getting along so well - like siblings and a parent. While I was still scratching my head trying to figure it out, one of the kits began sort of spitting at Heidi.

It was then that I saw the look of exasperation on Heidi's face as this kit which was clearly not hers tried to tell her to get away from 'his' (actually her) food. Whew. Thank goodness, all 7 of them were not Heidi's after all. Now it seemed a little humorous. Heidi is such a good mom that even kits belonging to other raccoons want to hang out with her. I had given each adult female her own pile of food - and scattered some around any kits I saw. You would think the kits would be eating with their own Mom, but, as we have learned, many raccoon moms are not such good parents as Heidi is. Many don't watch their kids at all, and some will even try to keep their babies from eating their food. Bad parents seem to be well distributed about the animal kingdom, human's included.

To rescue Heidi from this kit problem, I tossed food to one side of the kit who was arguing with Heidi over her food. Seeing this the kit moved away from Heidi and over to the new food. I tossed more food near the other kits which I was now able to identify as not-Heidi's based on their positions and behaviors. The extra kits moved away, leaving Heidi with her real kits only, at which point I left.

Just came back from checking on the raccoons. This time I was again befuddled to find that Heidi and her 3 kits had left. She had left quite a bit of food behind just as she did the night before. I don't know if she's leaving early like this so the others can eat (the Steal thing) or what. She may be leaving to get her kits away from a raucous and potentially dangerous environment with too many adults around. Heidi won't stick around if there is too much going on and she thinks her little ones may be at risk. It was raining lightly at times, but I doubt that would have caused her to leave.

I guess it is also possible that she may be leaving to take the kits about the forest for lessons, but I doubt she would do that w/o finishing her meal first. So why she is leaving early these last few days is something of a mystery. I may try to sit out there with them Fri or Sat nights if it's not raining - so I can see the dynamics and possibly prevent her from leaving if the reason is combative others. Lately it rains pretty much every night now. I don't care for all the super high humidity or the relentless wetness, but I'm not going to complain about rain - not for a long time. Also, the rains seem to be keeping the temps down a little.

I'll try to remember to check for Heidi later tonight, to see if she returns with her kits after the other adults have left. As last night, she may want more food then. I hope this is not going to be a habit as it will get costly fast if I have to feed her twice and basically feed countless other female raccoons that show up. I used to provide food for as many as 20 a night plus babies, but these days I need to keep costs down to save money for whatever hard times may come.

Here is something I didn't have time to tell you from a few days ago. That night I had taken the food out in a plastic container, the one seen in one of the pictures above now filled with dirty rain water. Seeing only Heidi and her kits out there at the time and remembering how Heidi prefers to eat from a dish, I had put the food down in front of her dish and all. Before I could even stand up to leave, another raccoon emerged from behind the flower pots. Now what. I needed more food for this other adult, so it wouldn't be coming over to bother Heidi and her kits for food, even while I was on the way back for more food.

Even though Heidi already had her face down in the dish eating, I reached my hand in to scoop up some food for the other raccoon. As I reached my hand in, Heidi moved her face out of the dish. She put her nose to the back of my hand as I was scooping up food (from her dish). She seemed to be trying to figure this out, to understand why I now had my hand in her dish. It was probably also confusing to her as to how to act. Being the queen bee, she doesn't allow other raccoons to stick their mouths in or even near her dish while she is eating, but she knows it's important to maintain a good relationship with me. I reached in 2 or 3 times, each time scooping up food while Heidi stood at her dish, sniffing my hand and trying to figure me out. She made no attempt to growl or bite me or otherwise try to take the food back, neither did she run off. She still had more than enough food left after I gave 3 small handfuls to the other raccoon, after which I moved away to let her eat in peace.

Her reaction is my testament as to how non-aggressive raccoons really are - unless trapped and forced to fight for their lives, of course.

Edited to add: It's ironic how most people who think of dogs as 'friends' consider raccoons vicious and aggressive. I'm not saying dogs aren't are friends, just that if I had done the same thing to a dog (put my hand in the dish while it was eating), there is a good chance I would have been bitten. Probably 40% or more of dogs would at least have growled menacingly at me and some percentage of those would have bitten me. Just something to ponder.


This message was edited Aug 7, 2012 11:11 PM

Phew!

I have been thinking about shipping you kibble. Or cookies. Or just starting a college fund for the kits.

Thanks for filling us in. I couldn't possibly go to sleep (and yes, sleep I must) without finishing the thread. Really - I get tired when i log in and see all there is to read, but have to come and check on you and the critters.

Thank you for letting me post that smile on my desktop. Of course, the DG pre-printed copyright is on the image and you needn't worry about me using it or sharing it elsewhere. You have my word.

Get yer work done! Or go to sleep. Or hang out on the patio. Or tell us a story. ha ha ha.

Goodnight.

Thank you, Amanda,

Are you saying I should write less, so both of us can get to sleep earlier? :-)
That may not be possible for me, btw.

Glad you are enjoying the pic of the kit. I have total confidence in you. When I asked you not to give it to others it was only so you would know the situation, not because I lack trust in you. I always feel that people need to know what you want, before they can give it to you. In the early days of the threads, I used to email some of the cuter raccoon pics to my sister who also enjoys raccoons/animals. I hadn't considered the ramifications of my actions. Then one day I found out that she was forwarding the pics to all of her friends, just wanting to share. She didn't mean any harm, and I hadn't asked her not to do this, hadn't even thought about it at the time.

I did a double take when I realized how far the pics might end up being distributed once my sister sent them to her friends and they to their friends and so on. Email and the web have given us mass distribution capabilities once only dreamed of even by professionals. I was incredibly humbled and complimented to think that she enjoyed them enough to share them with her friends, but it also gave me cause for concern, since I hope to use the better pics in my book and/or for advertising, etc. This is why I added the line asking you not to share the pic. Also, please note that I often include sentences directed at everyone, even in posts for a particular person. I do this because I've learned that most people read all or most of the posts, including those directed to others, and I know that there are people out there reading but not posting. I like to include things, caveats and disclaimers aimed at everyone, including the silent/hidden readers (who I also appreciate very much, btw).

Off now to wind things up and get to bed - but check for Heidi 1st.

Hmm, that is a disturbing thought....So, I looked around a little bit and easily found Heidi and Fraidy's pics on the web. I am sure that there are more as I didn't look for more than 3-5 minutes. There were a bunch of hits at World News (wn.com) in their children's section. Google images didn't have any that I recognized, but I probably missed them...


I am so tickled that this year's kits are so calm and sociable with you☺☺☺ Every year I think that this year's group is the Most adorable, but this year I am sure that These are The Cutest!!

Yes I realized some time ago that my posts were visbile worldwide.

Can't hide anymore. Can't save my credit cards or social security numbers, how am I going to protect myself?!

I think a book is a fantastic undertaking, and I would certainly include the pic of the kit beaming at you. Sentient, feeling, happy? Hmmm.

Cheryl all the best - you know I'm a trial lawyer - you don't have to explain your reasoning. ;)

A.

Bummer. Something is wrong with Heidi. I don't know what. She's moving her backside in small, strange, repetitive movements when she should be standing still. It doesn't look good at all. I 1st noticed it earlier tonight. Saw it again when I went out there a few minutes ago. She is not otherwise acting weird. She isn't having any difficulty walking. She is eating. It's just that she keeps repeating the same movement over and over and over.

I have no idea how to describe the movement, but I'll give it a try. Imagine you are standing upright, knees slightly bent, hands on hips, ready to do some exercises. Now tighten you glutes and tuck your butt under, tilting your lower pelvis forward momentarily. Hold for 1 count. Release. Repeat over and over ... If you got the move right, you will recognize it as something you wouldn't do in public, at least not outside of an exercise class unless you were say Madonna, Britteny, or J Lo. That's the basic move - except, you know, Heidi doesn't have her hands on her hips. She just keeps repeatedly tucking her butt under. Returning to the starting position and repeating over and over. It's a small movement just as when you did it (or imagined doing it). For Heidi it's a move of maybe 1in start to finish, not more than 2in.

It looks like it could be neurological, and, of course, the 1st thing that comes to mind in that category is the dreaded rabies - but, again, so far she shows no sign any of the signs I know like lack of coordination, salivating, inability to eat or drink, rage, fear, etc. Aside from the neurological, other things that came to mind as I watched her constantly repeating that motion while eating include:

(1) Constipation or blockage, since the butt tucking movement in quadrupeds also looks like the beginnings of moving into 'the position'.
(2) Lower abdominal pain and/or cramping. Even possibly back pain or almost any pain. I know from the several years I spent in severe pain that pain can cause you to act down right crazy, definitely weird. Rhythmic movements can me an attempt to sooth or distract oneself when in pain. When my hip/back/leg hurts a lot, I move my leg back and forth, over and over in a manner which might look strange to onlookers.

I don't know. I doesn't look good. It reminds me that she getting up in age. I always imagine the end occurring in the form of Heidi just never returning one spring, or maybe not coming back after a bad birth. Naturally, I prefer Option 1 if it must happen. I sure hope this is not it, because if something were to happen to her now, those kits probably won't make it - unless they somehow come back here w/o her and I'm able to take them in - or better, if they eat here and hang with the other adult raccoons in the forest, although I doubt the other adults will take them in, so that probably leaves me, and then only if I can get a hold of them - and if Heidi isn't coming down with the dreaded rabies, since that would mean they are likely also infected.

I sure wish Ruth were here now to advise us. Sorry folks. Hopefully, this is something minor, and she will be back to normal tomorrow, but as we have learned nature can be very cruel.

I was thinking constipation or blockage...or just something stuck back there or she got stung???

I would try giving her sweet potatoes or squash....to maybe get her moving in there. Our vet has us give it to the dog when she has issues.

Maybe some extra water out there too.

Those are good ideas DebbiesDaisy. Sounds like she is eating a lot of kibble.

Something I use with rescues is clear pedialyte (or generic form) to help increase electrolytes and rehydrate. Maybe Heidi could get some of that in her watermelon juice.

Cheryl I'm sure you've got a good eye on Heidi and if something can be done to help I'm here for you!

Let me know.

A.

Thanks, Debbie,

I sure hope you are right. I'll get a sw pot tomorrow just in case. She probably won't eat it, but I'll give it a try. Heidi has always been very careful and limited about what she will eat. The list is very short. I think I will also offer her a small piece off one of these Metamucil Apple Crisp Fiber Wafers. They taste like cookies but have that psyllium fiber in them. The human 'dose' is up to 6 wafers a day. I'll offer her 1/4 of a wafer to start. As for water, there is a TON of water out there right now. It has been raining every afternoon and/or night for about two weeks now. Our entire world is a soggy mess, and every flower pot saucer, food container, wheel barrow, cart, and other nook and cranny is full to the top with rain water.

Thanks for the ideas and for sending me more positive thoughts.

Thanks, Amanda!

Pedialyte in watermelon. Now that is brilliant. I'll bet even picky Heidi would drink it in watermelon - or even syrup or sugar water. Good idea. Thanks.

Although, I really doubt if she is dehydrated - unless maybe she's too sick to drink, but since she is eating fine, I'm guessing she is also drinking. Like I mentioned above, there is no shortage of water around here right now. We are like a wet sponge right now. Also, it was just day before last that she ate a LOT of watermelon plus juice. Hmmm. Maybe she has the, how do you say, scoots from eating all that melon. It doesn't usually cause her problems, but we all have those days when we overdo it, and she did stay out there a long time eating that night. Ok, I'll try the pedialyte. I have some on hand (purchased for emergencies after my bout with flu and resultant, severe dehydration requiring a full bag of IV fluids). Seems like something that wouldn't hurt anything even if she doesn't need it.

Hi June,

Thanks for checking on the raccoon pics. When I get some time I'm going to check the one's you mentioned and some others and insist on removal of any pics I find - the ones which aren't mine, that is. I think I have some out there on at least one other site. I put them out there before I became aware of this issue - either the rate at which pics spread on the web and or the fact that I want to use the pics for the book and book related activities and thus don't want them to become 'old hat'. While I'm out there, I'll check 'my' sites and make sure the pics are either 'private' or removed.

I'm glad to hear that you really like this year's kits. I think they are especially cute, too. The one in that pic above is not only cute but really seems to be very outgoing and expressive and to have loads of personality.

Regarding the issue of photos being distributed across the internet, (I'm sure you guys know this already, but) I just wanted to add that I'm sure my sister was [by far] not solely responsible for the problem. She was more the one who helped me to see the problem. In the very early days when I was so excited to be interacting up close with the raccoons and before I realized the many reasons why it was better to keep it quiet, I also sent a few pics to friends and colleagues. I was incredibly naive in those days.

It doesn't stop there, either. several people on DG (also in the early days), spoke of regularly printing out and otherwise saving the posts and pics to share with non-DG members who were also enjoying the serial 'episodes' of their favorite characters. At the time, I was just incredibly happy to hear that people were enjoying it so much that they would want to share it with friends. One elementary school teacher said she was taking the posts to school regularly to share the story with her kids. The list goes on. It's the same method by which everything moves across the net, the method by which videos of piano playing cats go viral.

Well hey.

I'll take credit for anything if someone says it's brilliant. Thanks. Made my day. :)

Now I'M the one beaming.

xox

LOL, Amanda!

Heidi's list of 'eats' is very short, and it's all but impossible to get a wild raccoon to eat anything they don't want to eat, but Heidi LOVES watermelon. Hiding those beneficial things, especially liquids, in the watermelon/juice - wow - that might actually work!

Disclaimer: I'm forced temporarily to type w/o my glasses. Basically, I'm blind, so if this post is a messy jumble of senseless letters, my bad. I'm touch typing the words and hoping it comes out legible as I cannot actually see any of it. :-D

Hey Cheryl - hope your glasses are in a safe place.

I was about to go for bike ride with Court - he's off today - but I went out back to look for tiny Monarch caterpillars.

I was viciously attacked by mosquitoes. I have to sit still so the blood flow stops pumping up these bites. And wait for the benedryl to work its magic. And then probably pass out until sometime after dark. ha ha!

Have a great day. Take some time for you over the weekend.

A.

I hate to have to say this, but I haven't seen Heidi since that night when I reported her strange movements. She has missed dinner for 3 nights now. Let's hold off though before we get to worried. Unlike the old days when I used to sit out there for an hour or so, these days it's much easier for us to just miss each other by arriving at different times. Hopefully, I will see her soon.

I was thinking that night but didn't want to start worrying...wonder about a prolapse uterus or bowel with her doing that.
I hope nothing more than sitting or stepping on a pricker that cause irritation. SURE hope that our girl is Ok.