Heidi Watch '07

Perhaps a little off topic, but as we have been discussing the pet food crisis, for anyone who hasn't heard the latest:

(1) Gov't tests have found a chemical (melanine, I think) used in making plastics and have been unable to confirm the presence of the rat poison (which doesn't mean it isn't there in some batches)

(2) Now they are trying to determine if any of the tainted wheat gluten may have gotten into DRY pet food.

(3) AND the FDA is trying to determine if any of this tainted wheat may have found it's way into HUMAN foods.

Clearly, we were right to observe maximum caution by avoiding dry as well as canned foods.

Tonight's installment of the Heidi saga comes early, and even as I type this I am so excited that I can barely contain my enthusiasm. I think that I am starting to see the pattern now. It's one "good" day, followed by one "bad" day, repeat. Last night having been a "bad" Heidi day in that she failed to come out for our eveing visit, then tonight was destined to be a "good" Heidi night, and it surely did not disappoint.

As we have discussed in a prior Heidi thread and as many of my photo's attest, raccoons will, in fact, venture out in daylight sometimes. I have to assume, though, that they must be a bit more cautious under such circumstances, having forgone the cover that darkness provides them. If that statement is true, then we are surely moving forward in leaps and bounds this year.

Around 6:30ish and while it was still so "light" out that I had been at first tempted to grab my pruning sheers and run out front to get a few more roses pruned before dark, I walked through the great room only to catch a glimpse through the windows of what seemed a little like a volley ball with legs and a furry tail draped atop the birdfeeder. (Heidi seems a bit "fatter" in certain such positions than when standing. The 07 brood maybe?).

I "cracked" the door just barely and paused to call out her name, gently. At the same instant, given that the very sound of the door opening is her cue to make a run for it, she dropped to the ground landing on her feet, catlike, and make a mad dash for the fence. I continued to call after her, "Heidi, Heid, wait Heidi!" in a tone that was still soft and low enough so as to avoid unwanted attention from the neighbors. Most incredibly, about 2/3 of the way to the fence and still in daylight adequate for reading, she came to a stop and turned to look back at me as I stood there still calling to her through a small gap in the door, Widget at my feet looking for an opportunity to get out for the chase.

Quickly, and because in my customary tardiness I had not yet made that treat bag, I scooped up 3 cups of dog food (Jim Dandy, 2006 vintage) along with the box of Eukanuba puppy biscuits (also 06 vintage) and a bag containing an end section from each of a ham and a block of Gouda. The latter was probably a 4oz piece. As I opened the door to hurry out, I could see Heidi standing there in broad daylight at the back of the yard at the designated feeding area, apparently waiting for me. Moments earlier, upon seeing her stop near the back of the yard, I had been concerned that I had no way to communicate to her that I would be there in a minute as soon as I grabbed the food. It now seemed that she had, none the less, understood the unspoken message.

As I approached her (in daylight remember) with the food, she was apparently unable to resist the survival instincts that had kept her alive this long and so despite the fact that I continued to speak to her softly, she slowly but steadily climbed the fence and exited onto the limb of a tree that I have long since dubbed the Heidi tree as it is the one from which she and the kids emerged so many times last summer and the one directly in front of the dead tree trunk in which I suspect she and the kids lived back then. And then she was gone.

Undaubted by the apparent snub and encouraged by everything that came before, I poured the food into the dish and sat down in my usual spot, calling out to her. No response. As it had worked many times with her and the kids last year, I tried the "trick" of tossing a few of the puppy biscuits over to the dish as well, just to increase the appeal. That worked, and almost instantly she reappeared on the same limb (still bare of leaves) and unceremonially and without further hesitation climbed back down the same path where she had exited only moments before.

Once again at her dish, she took a few quick bites of the dog food and then walked over to pick up a nearby bisuit. As I reached into the box for more biscuits, I found 2 more slices of that bread I had taken out a few nights ago, the "crunchy", chewy one I like so much, made with 14 whole grains and lots of amply sized chopped walnuts. I tossed the bread, a heal slice and a regular slice, about 1/2 way between us along with the ham, the cheese, and some more biscuits.

When quessing what she will like, I am often wrong, and this was no exception. With great exhuberance she picked up the heal of bread, held it between her 2 front paws in an almost vertical position and proceeded to take bites from the top in a manner not unlike you or I might eat a sandwich. It was so adorable to watch, and I was reminded that I must also remember to keep a camera in my pocket at all times as that would have made a great photo op. I appeased myself with the knowledge that the summer looms ahead and I can always take more bread out when I do have the camera.

After she had eaten the heal of bread, she leaned over to sniff the ham and the cheese, and then, choosing neither for tonight's dinner, picked up the other slice of bread and ate it in its entirety before going on to eat the puppy biscuits. During all of this she was a mere 5ft from me and in good light, the kind in which I would not have hesitated to read fine print.

While eating, she paused a few times to listen to the sounds nearby. In the adjoining yard, a neighbor was speaking on his cell phone. A dog barked. Widget made noise at the back door. Each time, I spoke to her, "Heid, it's alright". The words seemed to reassure her and each time she resumed eating.

After a time, she stopped eating the biscuits, passed up many of those still on the ground near her, and walked back over to the dish where she grabbed maybe 2 more bites before once again disappearing into the forest. Even then it was still "broad daylight".

Edited to remove the many typos overlooked in the initial draft.

This message was edited Mar 30, 2007 9:20 PM

how awesome !! as mentioned earlier up in the thread.... we can literally visualize the images as you tell your story!!
I can just see her eating the bread.

fabulous.

So glad Heidi is "trusting" you this early in the season.

Terese

Thank you so much, Terese, for the lovely and much appreciated compliment. I wish you all could have been there to see and enjoy the moment. I will do my best to get a photo of that soon (as much as she seemed to enjoy the bread, I feel sure I can get her to hold the pose again.lol) In the mean time, I'm glad that [it seems] I was able to convey the image verbally.

Ironically, I had intended to tear the bread in small pieces as I thought she would have difficulty managing a whole slice. I have much to learn. She walked right over and picked it as though she had been lunching on sandwiches all her life.

Through my experiences with Heidi (et al), I'm beginning to realize that prejudice (as the word means "to pre judge") and prototyping extend well beyond such human concerns as race, gender, age, etc. So much of what I thought I new [for certain] about wild animals in general and raccoons in particular was based not so much in reality as in beliefs passed down through generations of humans who likely had little interaction with actual raccoons or other wildlife.

I've just returned from a quick trip out for some groceries. This time I went to the "new" (new to me as it was built during my convalesence from knee surgeries) WalMart Super Center. NOW I finally get the Wally World label. It is a mini-mall for goodness sake.

Anyhow, if you haven't noticed, Heidi is quickly earning a place in my heart. Last year I started out feeding her after the nursing babies crisis was over I justified [to myself] continuing to feed her and later the kids by feeding them mostly from my leftovers, the huge collection of outdated food in my fridge, and an assortment of freezer burned meats and cheeses pulled from the deep freeze to make room for more stuff I'll forget to eat in a timely manner. I'll still continue to give her those things. She likes them, and it seems an effecient use of them, but I find myself starting to pick up little things for Heidi at the grocery store now. Tonight I bought her a quart of peach yogurt, another bag of peanuts in the shell, a bag of almonds in split shells, a bag of dried fruit and nut blend, a single serving bag of peanut butter filled peanut butter cookies, along with 2 cantaloupes, a honeydew, and a watermelon for us to share.

She's still quite willing to eat that cheap dog food, but seems to be indicating that it's not really her favorite. Now I'm trying to decide what to do with it. I guess until the dog food crisis is over, I'll keep it. Who knows how long it will be before I can safely by more/better dog food for her. I'm still feeding her from last year's cache BTW. When I run out of the 06 stuff, assuming there is no new information indicating toxins in the dry food, I will probably feed her the Purina One I bought a few weeks back. T

hat leaves the question of what to do with the large bag of Hunter's Choice I also bought recently. I think I'd like to donate it. Any ideas or comments? I read something on line that seemed to indicate that many people donate that stuff to shelters and they'd rather not use it. Ruth, is that the case? In my area we have other pet related charities such as Pet Helpers. They try to avoid letting any animal be put down. They try to find even foster homes for severly disabled animals, etc. that they haven't otherwise been able to place. Pet Helper's supplies food for the foster animals. Might they be able to use the Hunter's Choice? Or should I just take it back to the store?

And now, amidst all of the recent good news [on the Heidi front], for lack of time to write it all, it seems I've been holding back a bit of bad news. I'm hoping the good news will somewhat nullify the bad.

One of my neighbors has a female pit bull, 2-2.5yrs old and a part shitzu. They don't seem to spend any time with either dog, and neither is even remotely trained in any way. They tie the latter out sometimes and he quite literally barks non stop all day until they take him back inside. No one makes any attempt to stop him from barking. Thankfully they always take him in for the evening so he's not a big deterent for Heidi.

The pit bull (a very powerful breed that probably shouldn't be in the hands of people who don't train it or exercise it or spend time with it), used to be tied on the side of the house by day - until the day that she broke free and chased my Maltese down in my backyard - luckily I was there to intercede. After that the pit bull was moved to the garage, closed but for a gap at the bottom for air circulation.

They plan to put up a fence to connect to mine and then put the pit bull - and maybe the other one - in the back yard. I hadn't given it much thought until last Sunday when I heard them out there working on the fence. At the same time, they had the pit bull tied out along my fence - on their side, of course - and the dog was plunging and carrying on and making sounds I can't describe, not barking, more of whine/snarl with a bit of howl. Anyhow, now I'm more than a little concerned about (1) whether the presence of the dog will deter Heidi from coming to visit and (2) whether she will go elsewhere in the forest in search of a safer and quieter place for her babies if the dog is put out before the birthing occurs.

On the plus side, Heidi's tree is closer to the other neighbor's side than to the one with the dog. I should add that their fence, like mine, will have to be a 6ft privacy fence so it is unlikely the dog will get over or under it (mine extends some distance underground). Gosh, that last thought is even worse. As much as I'd hate for Heidi to put the babies elsewhere, I'd hate even more to think of the pit bull getting out and and hurting them.

I've pretty much decided that since Heidi will still have to eat, dog or no dog, she'll probably come back once she gets used to the dog being over there. By now she probably already knows the dog is there [in the garage] anyhow. I just hope the dog isn't doesn't bark, snarl, whine, whatever when Heidi comes around and/or even when I go out there at night.

I don't know how long it will take them to complete the project but it's hard to discount the threat this poses to what has begun as such a promising new season with Heidi.

Good evening all. Cheryle--GREAT NEWS about tonights visit. I had a good night, too (for us here). All our raccoons are wild and hustle away when I shine a light out or they hear me.....usually. Tonight, about 8:30 I went out with the dog food, filled the bowls, partially filled the peanuts in the shell in the squirrel feeder...(have to save some for tomorrows squirrels), and had set a container of tapioca pudding in each of the 4 bowls. I started walking away and got about halfway to the house when I heard leaves rustle. I turned around to see a raccoon licking up the tapioca pudding in one of the dog bowls. (I only had on a small head lamp). But when she saw me, she started backing up, so I began to talk to her. The usual "it's ok, come back and eat." And I was shocked when she DID. I would say I was about 20 feet away from her-the closest I have ever been to one of ours. I talked softly and she continued to lick at the tapioca....all of a sudden something spooked her and she left and went over to the tree line. :( So I got a chair and sat down, all lights out and was very quiet (a bit cold though). Finally I could see a shadow at the bowl again, she appeared to take the tapioca container over away from the dog bowl and must have licked it clean. The she came back to nibble at the dog food. Neat. By then I was freezing and came into the house. My movement scared her, so she climbed up a tree, but was back down when I got into the house.
The one thing that was apparent tonight, is that I think this one raccoon was actually WAITING somewhere for me to deliver the food. The others don't come until later at night or early in the morning. I don't know if this is Heidi or not....but it was nice to be so close to a live one finally. As the weather gets warmer, they will probably decrease, but I hope that I can still see one or so by sitting outside quietly. We are still trying to find a good source of light so I can see them via the cam without chasing them away. Any suggestions? Karen

Edit: I meant to say Sadie, not Heidi.



This message was edited Mar 31, 2007 1:05 AM

Question: Do you know if non-members can read the threads on this list? I think that Lyn Hancock might like to read this one. Karen

Also, I wanted to add that my NEW home email address is: liebran@zoominternet.net Thanks.

This message was edited Mar 31, 2007 1:08 AM

I am so excited about reading this, and I can't wait for pictures. I've been reading it daily and l'm loving it. I find that when I'm outside working, I'm now looking for wildlife to befriend. :)

The Wildlife forum is a subscriber only forum. http://davesgarden.com/place/
Under Leisurely Pursuits, note the asterisk beside the forum name. That denotes it as a subscriber only forum. :( Sorry

Karen, wow, you are making so much progress with your gang.

Thank you so much, JoanJ, it's so good to hear feedback and learn that people are enjoying the thread.

This made my heart especially happy ;-D

BTW, I've been meaning to mention that I'm watching this movie (in bits and pieces despite the fact that it's only 1.5hrs long). I think the name is "Over the Hedge". It's a kids movie, but Pixar got me started with some of their hits - this, BTW, is not a Pixar film.

It's animated. The main character is a raccoon named RJ, voice by Bruce Willis. RJ tells all the other forest creatures about all the food the humans have in the suburbs, shows them that he also knows how to get the food from the humans, and convinces the gang to go over the hedge with him to get food. It's no Ice Age or Shrek, but it is cute, and I mention it here because in that RJ knows where the food is and how to get it, he has some very realistic raccoon characteristics.

The pet food news just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? Since wheat gluten is a more common ingredient in dry food than in wet, I've been worried all along that dry formulas will begin to be implicated; which is why I suggested avoiding all grocery brands for the duration. Most shelters will accept food donations, Cheryl, but they rarely use it for the shelter animals. Even if they can't afford to feed a high-quality formula (often the case, especially in urban, high-volume areas), they usually try to keep the animals on just one brand/formula of food. With all the other stress shelter animals are experiencing, constant diet change is one more stress and one that's usually preventable. At my old shelter, we passed donated food on to the wildlife rehabbers; other shelters often donate to the programs you mentioned, that help feed pets of needy families. The problem is, even if these programs would accept and pass on the food, a family that can't afford to feed their pets certainly couldn't afford the immediate and expensive vet bill if the food turns out to be contaminated. I would honestly return the food to the store, simply explaining that you don't feel you can trust any of the foods currently on the market until the recall issue is resolved.

What a shame about the neighbor's pit bull: both for the dog, who has no life, and for concerns with the wildlife. I have no doubt that Heidi will recognize the dog as a potential threat, and may be less visible at first when the dog begins to live outside. Eventually, though, hunger will convince her to test the waters in your yard; once she learns that the dog is contained, she should return to her normal patterns. The sounds probably will continue to be off-putting, and to give her pause; pits have quite a vocal range, and even for people can be a bit awe-inspiring on occasion. The interesting question is how she will teach the kids that Widget is not a threat, but the dog next door definitely is.

Awesome progress from both of your adventures today: Heidi in daylight, and Sadie finally allowing Karen to watch her eat. Congratulations to both of you! Have to smile at the image of both of you grocery shopping for your visitors. Reminds me of a funny grocery episode from years ago in my shelter days. We had a large number of cats suffering from upper respiratory infections; with their noses stuffed, they had no interest in eating, which is the worst thing for them. So I did a grocery run for massive amounts of all-meat baby food, which even sick kitties usually find enticing. Pretty well cleaned out the shelves, and as I piled the endless line of little jars on the checkout belt, the checker was visibly puzzled. When I moved up to pay, she asked me curiously, "How many do you have?" Being totally in work mode and not thinking things through, I calmly said, "Twenty-two at the moment." The expression on the checker's face was priceless!

Loved "Over the Hedge!" RJ's wiliness about suburban living definitely rings true, doesn't it? Also liked that the film sends a good message to kids about destruction of habitat, and how adaptable and non-threatening most wildlife is.

Well, they got the tapioca pudding because I didn't like it. I got "no fat" and it just tasted flat, so the kids got it. But I do buy them big bags of Stauffers animal crackers because they seem to really like them. When we get the coon cam going again, I like to stick the animal crackers up sideways in the dog food so I can watch them--Sadie will pick them out and eat them all first. But I do admit to (sometimes) getting things they might like--don't tell DH. ;-) Karen

OMG, Ruth, That is a precious story! You had me quite literally laughing out loud. That cashier is probably STILL wondering about you with your 22 babies!

You know, about the pet food, you are right. I should take it back to the store, not only to protect the animals but also so that they can return it to the mfg where it belongs. We should all send the stuff back - by the train car loads - and dump it all on the steps of the companies that made it.

I was surprised yesterday when I got the latest email news from HSUS which is always championing some cause or other, to see that while they listed all matter of links and info relating to the pet food debacle they did not take on the cause of improved regulation. It was, BTW, Peta, despite all the negative press they get, who initiated and pushed for the probe to have the dry food investigated. According to the initial news reports the veterinarians (actually some vet network) opposed this move.

Some years ago the local ASPA shelter anounced via the local news outlets that they had run completly out of funds for food for the shelter animals and were in dire need of food without which they would have to consider putting some animals down prematurely. They launched a food drive asking people to bring dog and cat food to the shelter. My (then) fiance and I went to the pet store and bought several of the huge bags of food and then loaded up on various dog biscuits. When we took them by the shelter, the outpouring from the community was astounding. We had to (briefly) get in LINE to unload our food. They had a "stack it here" spot labelled and people were coming in in droves to unload massive quantities of food. And even as we were driving out, vehicles, often trucks were streaming in. It's a shame we don't do these things more often, but when asked, we can sure rally behind the cause.

My friend and I got such an infusion of seratonin and endorphins from our little shopping spree to help others that we went back for a 2nd shopping trip and took those bags to Pet Helpers. So, do you think the shelter really didn't need/want the food for the animals? While we are on the subject, when my last dog Sassy died I took all of her unopened medication which included 6mo supply of Sentinal and Advantix (sp?) as well as a full course (less one dose she took before she died) of individually wrapped antibiotics, Remydil (sp), and a prescription antibiotic eye ointment to the shelter. They seemed happy to receive them, but even then I wondered if they actually use those types of items on the dogs in their care. Do they?

The thing about the dog has been heavy on my mind since last Sunday when I saw them putting up the fence. I'm glad Heidi has become more comfortable with me BEFORE the dog complicates things. It seems like it would be much harder to win her confidence with the dog on the scene. I probably should add that I don't think the dog will be permitted to bark incessantly like the other one does. Lately they haven't been leaving the shitzu out. As soon as it starts barking it goes inside now. (It was last year that the dog barked so much I couldn't even enjoy my garden.) Because of the drastic change, I think someone must have complained about the barking dog.

Oh, and even though the pit bull was tied up and making a "low" fuss right beside my fence last Sunday right up until dusk, Heidi came to visit anyhow. I believe that was even the night that she 1st came out to eat with me there.(Desperately trying to convince myself that it will all be ok...even though I know that we'll get the real answer soon enough.)

About shopping for Heidi, tonight I was tempted to buy her some shrimp, but given her unexpected disinterest in my catfish fillets, I thought I'd ask your opinion before buying the shrimp (as a treat).

Karen,
Your secret is safe with us...as long as DH doesn't subscribe to DG, that is! Animal crackers, hmm, another good idea for me to try.

Actually, despite all the negative things people say about raccoons eating out of garbage cans and such, I've found that given choices Heidi has very impressive taste in food. Unlike most humans and unlike my dogs, I've noticed that Heidi allways seems to prefer the healthy food and bypass the sweets and junk food. She likes yogurt, chicken, veggies, fruits and melons, whole grain bread, nuts. She showed a surprising lack of interest in chocolate chip cookies, cheese puffs, corn chips, and even ham and cheese. She ate them, but given a choice, she prefered peanuts or dog biscuits.

As I was shopping for her tonight I steered away from the "bad", fake foods that we are inclined to like - because I've found she doesn't like them - and concentrated on the healthy fruits and nuts and yogurt. (That said, pudding sounds like something she might like because it has milk and animal crackers are among the "healthier" cookie choices so she might like them, too.) I WISH I had her food preferences!

Don't we all wish we had the wild ones' sensible taste in food? Her preferences in food show clearly that she is an omnivore and can tell the good stuff from the junk. Hard to guess on shrimp: my guess is that she would like it; but given that it would be an expensive mistake if she didn't, maybe better to pass on it.

Probably best for me not to get into the subject of the national humane organizations like HSUS, ASPCA, PETA, et al. They all have good intentions, somewhat different focus and goals, and all accomplish many good things for animals in different ways. My opinions are probably a bit slanted from many years in the field. I wouldn't hesitate to donate to any of them if I had any disposable income; let's just leave it at that.

If your area shelter put out a media blitz asking for food donations, especially backed with an implied threat of euthanasia as an alternative, you can be sure they used the food [said with the proviso that, if they received the bulk of food you indicated, I doubt they could use it all in a timely fashion]. My response, again, must be taken with the understanding that I spent many years in sheltering, and may have a very different view from others. I wonder what is wrong with an organization's funding or budget priorities if they cannot afford to feed the animals in their care; surely this must be one of the first budgetary priorities. If they routinely house more animals than they can afford to feed, as a way to avoid euthanasia, this sounds good but is shortsighted; housing too many animals for the space available leads to disease, stress, and a world of other problems. You didn't mention if this was a public shelter or a private "no-kill" facility. I personally feel that life in a sterile cage in an institutional environment is no life at all, in the long term, for a companion animal who needs and craves human attention and interaction; this is not a popular view in the general population, but I've seen many shelters and far too many animals who have become catatonic or hyperactively insane from years of confinement. Euthanasia of physically healthy animals is tragic and inexcusable, but an inevitable necessity in a society that views precious companion animals as disposable. After many years, I came to believe that euthanasia can be a great kindness for animals who have nowhere to go, and no one willing to care for them for life. I would not choose to live the rest of my life in solitary confinement, through no fault of my own; would you? Again, this is just a personal opinion, derived from many years in the field; many people, inside and outside of sheltering, disagree, and I respect their opinion as well. It's a very difficult subject, and there are no easy solutions.

Shelters vary widely on their policies re donated medications, so it's hard to give you a certain answer on Sassy's meds. At the shelter where I spent so many years, we routinely used flea products and heartworm preventive (after heartworm testing) for the shelter animals, so donations like Sentinel and Advantix were very welcome and certainly used. Antibiotics and arthritis/pain meds like Rimadyl are more difficult; in many states, shelters are prohibited from using prescription meds unless they have a vet on staff, or a vet prescribes for a particular animal. It all depends on the state's laws and the individual shelter's policies.

On to happier and less controversial topics. I really think it will be okay in terms of Heidi and the pit bull next door. Wild animals, who must rely on really keen instincts to survive, seem to know a real threat from a good bluff; for example, Heidi has long since figured out that Widget is not a threat to her or her kids. They also quickly grasp the concept of territory and confinement; I've seen raccoons walking along atop a privacy fence, with a dog going crazy below, trying to levitate. Seems like tempting fate to me - after all, one wrong step would be disaster - but sometimes I've been sure the coon was teasing the dog. If the pit has already been outside and carrying on while Heidi was in your yard, I'd say she has things under control. Besides, why would she - or her future kids - have any interest in venturing into an unhappy dog's territory when there's an all-you-can-eat buffet in your yard?

Ruth,

It was the local SPCA shelter that ran the emergency food drive some 5yrs ago or so. I was under the impression that they receive some funding from local gov't source as well as donations. I've only seen them make such a request that one time, and the community response was impressive. I believe the indication was that they were near the end of their fiscal year and would be receiving funds soon, but had run out of money for food short of that date - still not good, I realize, but it happens to the best of us at times - at least they were quite successful in generating more than enough to meet their needs. Since you mentioned that shelters often pass donated food on to rehabbers, other shelters, the poor etc. I guess many animals ate well that year. No harm done, really, if all the other donator's were moved to feel as good as we did for their efforts, then it was almost a community service.

The shelter in question is a facility that euthanizes animals. I understand that they keep some animals a bit longer than the "limit" if they believe them to be highly adoptable. From time to time they have been known to house an aged horse or 2 - which can be a bit costly - while looking for someone willing to pasture them for their waning years. That facility is oddly inclined to permit visitors to rather freely take dogs and cats out of cages and "play" with them in the either the rather large inclosure around the cages or other fenced areas nearby. I have a friend who goes there routinely to spend time with the dogs. I went there with her during lunch a few times. We played fetch with some puppies, etc.

The local Pet Helpers that we visited was located at an actual small house with a medium sized fenced backyard. They had no less than dozen dogs, many of them large breeds that were calmly and freely walking around the house where the 2 people were working. The dogs sniffed and greeted us as we entered. Some followed us around the "office". All seemed well adjusted and acted much like pets in someone's home. They had more dogs roaming freely about the fenced back yard. We went there once when we were considering adopting a dog. They had a book with info on numerous other animals that were living temporarily in homes about the community awaiting a permanent home. Thankfully, I am not aware of any facility in the area that keeps animals caged and alone for extended periods.

Oops, laptop just hit the 12min battery warning. Gotta go.

More news on the pet food recall. Now Alpo canned dog food - only cuts and slices at this time I think - and the 1st dry food to join the list is, of all things, Prescriptions Diet, sold by veterinarians - only the m/something formula, and I think for cats. I didn't get the specifics on that last one since I'm not using it. But that last one is a biggie for 2 reasons: (1) 1st dry food to join the list and (2) now the problems extends beyond the grocery store. It's getting very scarey out there. Now, I don't know what to do when all the 06 stuff is gone. I'm almost scared to trust ANY pet food at this point, esp if it contains wheat gluten.

wow -- I know what you mean about not trusting... I may switch to eggs, chx breast, brown rice and veggies.

pretty scary stuff.

Now, back to Heidi.

Well, I did predict a bumpy ride, didn't I?

Based on the Pattern, I knew that I wouldn't see Heidi tonight. In addition, the neighbors had that annoying non-stop barking mut outside. Still I packed the end piece from the watermelon, a container of Beneful dog food (wet, contains veggies, also 06 lot), a few cups of the Jim Dandy, 2 slices of the whole grain bread, and a few of Widget's favorite dehydrated liver chunks. I must admit though that I can no longer use Widget's preferences as a guide. He would have LOVED that ham and cheese that Heidi passed up. On the way out the door I grabbed the camera. It was not quite dark yet, and the camera would surely clench the deal. Heidi would never show up now.

I went out, put everything down except the bread and liver treats, then filled 3 containers with water and sat on my bench to wait. The dog next door barked endlessly. It was no use.

And then, just as I was about to leave, Heidi appeared, this time from a different location, perhaps varying the routine a bit to throw off any predators, I thought. It was twilight now and my eyes were having difficulty making the adjustment. As she descended and dropped to the ground, I strained to see.

She stepped up to the "plate", sniffed each item in turn, washed her hands in the watermelon, took one bite of dry dog food, stopped to toss me an oddly suspicious look, and then started walking over in my direction, sort of. Thinking that she was again looking for treats, I reached to toss her a slice of the bread. Instantly, she recoiled with fright, looked at me as though she had never seen me before, and turned to head back for the fence.

Not sure what I'd done to prompt this strange reaction, I called out to her, but she didn't pause, didn't look back at me, didn't respons at all, just rushed back over the fence and into the forest. Too late, I realized that she had actually been going over to the water container when I'd moved to toss her the bread. But why the strange reaction? I had tossed her dog biscuits, bread, and other treats so many times before. Never with this reaction. It made no sense.

Was it the barking dog? Maybe making her extremely tense? The landscapers had been here most of the day with loud tools. Had that frightened her? But that look she shot me...like I was a stranger...no, it was worse than that, almost disdain, loathing, total distrust. What had I done? What happened to my Heidi? It was as though she had multiple personality disorder.

Was this it? Was she gone for the night?

I called to her a few more times. I tossed the 2 bread slices over toward the dishes. One landed almost on the dishes. The other landed about 1/2 way. Still no reaction from the forest. A little later and just as I was again contemplating leaving for the night, she reappeared. At the feeding area she again looked at me most suspicously. It was as though she had suddenly gone mad, had forgotten everything. She was acting very strange.

I was wearing my camera, a somewhat clunky Nikon, around my neck. Was that bothering her? Did it make me look somehow different, scarey? Was the moonlight possibly reflecting off the lense in a threatening manner? Tonight I'd added DEET, which I'd not worn in our previous encounters, to ward off mosquitos. Was the chemical smell masking my own scent, such that she could not recognize me? There were numerous strange sounds in the air this Saturday night, dogs barking, people talking, what seemed like a party farther down the street, and even the far off sound of fireworks. Was it just to much for her? I searched in desperation for something to explain this odd behavior.

She ate some of the melon and then just as she picked up the bread and started to eat it, I heard a familiar sound from the forest behind her. Even as my mind was trying to make sense of it all, that sound of claws on board morphed into a 2nd raccoon. This one appeared from the end of the branch on the Heidi tree and descended the fence. A 2nd Heidi?

No sooner had 2nd Heidi's feet hit the ground than it became abundantly clear that these 2 would not be able to eat together peacefully. 2nd Heidi stopped some 2 ft short of where 1st Heidi was eating. 2nd Heidi growled menacingly, and even from that distance it was sufficient to send 1st Heidi scampering away bread in hand, back to the section of fence from which she had appeared.

Even as 1st Heidi sat by the fence post eating the bread, 2nd Heidi sat down in front of the dishes and started to eat the Jim Dandy dry dog food. She looked up at me as she ate. THIS was Heidi. This was the look I knew, the face I knew. As I looked more closely I realized that even the coloring of the 2 was slightly different. Heidi was more of a distint brown black and white. Next to Heidi the interloper's fur had a yellowish tint, with less contrast between the beige-white, beige-brown, and the dk brown. The colors and mask on the face were not so clearly dilineated. The cheeks were narrower.

Heidi ate the dog food with her usual enthusiasm. When the interloper had finished the bread slice, she walked back around Heidi to get the 2nd slice which was nearer to me. As the other raccoon drew near, Heidi again growled to broadcast a warning threat. The other heard and abided by the message, walking around Heidi in a wide arc to get the bread. Still, there was an brief and somewhat frightening interval during which I feared a nasty fight might ensue, frightening because I knew nothing about this 2nd animal and the fact that Heidi didn't like her/him gave me pause, frightening because I was awfully near and did not want to end up in the midst of such a brawl, frightening because the words "collateral damage" suddenly had new meaning for me.

As this new raccoon approached me in pursuit of the bread, she did so with extreme caution, stopping short of the bread and reaching way forward to retrieve it never taking her eyes off of me the whole time. Bread in tow, she ran back to the fence to eat it.

A few minutes later, someone in a neighboring yard walked near the fence and both raccoons stopped eating to assess the threat. The new raccoon dropped the bread and departed over the fence. Heidi dropped her head calmly and continued to eat. This was Heidi. This was the "sweet" face I knew. I reached into my pocket to take out a treat. Even as I raised my hand to toss it over to her, she showed no sign of fear, didn't even flinch, didn't stop eating as the treat fell on the ground near her. To her this was not a threatening movement. She had seen me do this many times. It was normal for us.

The dog next door barked for long intervals as Heidi ate. She seemed mostly immune to the sound of this particular dog. When she had finished the dry dog food and without touching either the wet food or the watermelon, she left.

Do you think the other raccoon was one of her previous kids that she has now told to get lost since she is either expecting or mothering? Time to send the other kids to new areas, but the old kids know your yard, so showed up. His mother's admonitions would keep him/her in line. Karen (not much going on at my feeding station tonight, but it is raining and don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.)

What an interesting night you had! Tempting to think the first raccoon was one of last year's kids, and Heidi's reaction to him/her would fit that scenario; but I doubt one of that crew would have perceived you as threatening. The treat-tossing motion would have been familiar, etc. Whoever it was, Heidi has clearly staked claim to your yard as her territory, and is not willing to share; if she is in fact pregnant, this is a wise and essential approach. Sounds like that whole-grain bread is a huge hit with everyone!

I've struggled to make sense of this new development, and to figure out the identity of the other raccoon. The fact that this new raccoon was so apprehensive around me seemed to preclude identification as one of last year's kids, with whom I had spent so much time and whom I had fed up close for weeks. And your point, Ruth, which I'd not previously recognized, that for the new raccoon to show fear when I tossed food also seemed to rule out the possibility that this was one of the kids.

Still, the one thing I kept having diviculty reconciling was that it also seemed, to me at least, unlikely that some new raccoon having emerged on the scene for the 1st time would be willing to descend the fence and approach the food in the 1st place with me sitting so nearby in the darkness. Likewise, it seemed unusual to me that this apparent stranger would have approached me, however obliquely and however cautiously, to reach 1st the water and later the 2nd slice of bread.

The one possibility that might resolve all of these apparent inconsistencies is the chance that the other raccoon may be Freidy. Freidy, due to her extreme fear, is the only one of last year's kids who might both remember coming down to grab a morsel of food with me nearby and yet not have positive memories of me tossing food to her. She had not even shown up last year for many of the early feedings. Recall that I was surprised to eventually learn that their were 5 kids. When she did show, she was - but for what I believe was the last time I saw them - always last to come over the fence and had always hung back near the fence where she could make a quick escape. Seeing this, early on I had begun tossing some food way back by the fence for her even BEFORE she actually joined us in the yard, so she alone might NOT remember me tossing food to her while still having some memory of having come down to eat with me in the vacinity.

In fact, something in the manner in which she ran back to the safety of the fence post to eat that bread when Heidi threatened her seemed oddly reminiscent of Freidy's behavior last summer when dealing with her siblings. On the other hand, I didn't notice that look she had of the mismatched tail being so out of proportion to her body, but I wasn't looking for that characteristic and it is also possible that she may have outgrown that look.

Ruth,

Yes, that whole grain bread does seem quite popular with all. I checked the ingredients. In addition to whole wheat flour and walnuts it contains (not necessarily all and in no particular order save how my mind recalled them): molasses, cracked wheat, corn meal, cracked corn, triticale, barley, oats, rye, millet, amaranth, quinoa, flax seed, sesame seed, pumpkin seed, hazelnut meal, and (this may be the hot one) sunflower seeds.

Seems to fit with the observation that when given choices, raccoons seem to gravitate to the healthy foods.

I meant to take out some crudite. I had bought one of those party trays. Last night when I opened it, Widget surprised me by eating ALL of the cauliflower along with a ton of broccoli, and by doing so while acting like he had been given steak. I thought I'd give raw broccoli and cauliflower pieces a try with Heidi - tossing them so as to retain the remainder if the 1st few don't go over well.

Also forgot to mention that I bought her some grapes while on my shopping trip last night.

Oh, and just when you thought that surely everyone on the planet knew about the pet food recall, at least all who would care. Nope. Back when the whole thing started I left a voice mail to warn a friend of mine, PhD math, loves his 2 dogs like his kids, keeps framed photos of the dogs on his desk even. So tonight he left me a voice mail saying essentially, "What do you mean about not using the pet food? I checked CNN today and they just mentioned Alpo and Prescription Diet, so if you don't use those it's not a problem, right? Let me know if you have other information, but that's all I saw on CNN." I could not believe my ears.Obviously, he just caught the latest update and thought that was the whole deal - and clearly he is smart enough to process this. If he's still in the dark, there must be others out there.

Good point, Cheryl; it's just possible that the first coon you saw last night might be Fraidy. I almost hope you're wrong, though, because in the natural order of things Heidi should be driven by instinct to chase her away, especially if she is pregnant with a new brood. Of course, the other way of viewing last night's event is that Heidi will allow her in the area as long as she clearly recognizes Heidi's dominance and doesn't threaten Heidi's food supply. That would presuppose that Fraidy is female; I can't imagine a female coon allowing a male to hang around in her area when she is pregnant, even if it is one of last year's kids. And if it is Fraidy, and she is female, she should soon come into season; and I can't quite imagine two females with litters sharing a territory. Will be fascinating to see how it all develops, and try to figure out what's happening as we go along.

Have no idea how the cauliflower and broccoli will be received. I, too, have known dogs who LOVE them, but never tried either with raccoons.

I'm sure there are lots of people still in the dark about the pet food recall, or who (like your friend) have seen one news clip, and think the mentioned brands are the only problem. The whole situation is simply tragic; please take a minute to check out PetSage, so you'll have a source for food you can trust.

I decided that the other raccoon must be female. She is visibly smaller than Heidi, perhaps only an inch shorter but quite a bit thinner. Heidi is plumping up possibly due to a combination of good food and pregnancy. It's very good to get your input on this.

Random thought: have you ever tried giving Heidi raw eggs (in the shell)? One of the most frequent complaints about raccoons is their raiding birds' nests for the eggs, so it might be a big hit: also a relatively inexpensive source of high-quality protein, and calcium if she eats the shells. Would also be fun to watch her eat them: messy!

Never thought of that, even though I was concerned last spring that the raccoons (that was before we were on a 1st name basis) might eat the eggs of the cardinal nesting near my back door. Raccoons were cited as a top predator for cardinals and their eggs. Great idea. I don't have any eggs right now but will get some on my next grocery run.

BTW, yesterday I visited petsage. With so many choices, I decided to email her for suggestions. I'm very impressed. From the ingredients list of the item I looked at it didn't appear to contain wheat gluten - which isn't all that great for dogs even w/o the toxins.

Last night I just put the food out and left because I new the sprinkler was on the way. They would have had about an hour to get in there and eat before the backyard zones started being activated. Had to water in the weed & feed the landscapers put down on Sat.

I, too, agree that the new raccoon is someone Heidi knows or she would have been more likely to run her off entirely. Fraidy sounds like the likely one. Too bad she's so thin. Must not have had much over the winter. Wonder if she will watch and come out when Heidi is gone? Let us know. Karen

Two things. Go to the wildlife list and click on the "caught at high noon"--pic of raccoon out during the day, really cute. Read the entries, they are few. I added on. Secondly, what do you know about red squirrels? I have up to 4 SMALL red squirrels that haven't grown in several months. My husband said he found a site that said that some juvenile reds won't fully grow until later in spring for some reason (maybe need less food??) I can't find any site that says that. Considering I have about 14 squirrels that are driving me crazy. The squirrels eat the squirrel feeder food and the bird food; the birds eat the bird food; the chipmunks eat the bird and the squirrel food; the raccoons eat the peanuts in the squirrel feeder and some seeds if I don't leave enought food for them. And, lastly, the flying squirrels (at night) also eat shelled pnuts out of the squirrel feeder. No wonder I am going broke JUST trying to feed the BIRDS. Sheesh. Anyhow, any info on those small red squirrels? I'll try to find a picture. Karen

This message was edited Apr 2, 2007 4:54 PM

Here is one in a feeder I used to keep on the porch. It is hazy since it is through the bilayer windows. Karen

Karen,

He's very cute. Sorry, I don't know anything about red squirrels. As far as I know we only have one kind here, grey or brown, definitely not red.
In know what you mean though. Those darn critters just do not abide by our clearly defined boundaries like bird feeder, squirrel feeder, etc. It's a free for all out there. I've gathered that in nature everything must belong to whoever takes it first.

I've had very good luck keeping squirrels out of the bird seed by using the Squirrel B Gone feeder. It uses springs to close the ports based on weight. However, I've read that one type of squirrel - and I think it might be red - is light enough to eat from it without closing the ports. Not a problem here. The squirrels jump on this feeder, the ports all close, they look around trying to find a way in, then jump down and leave. Eventually, they don't even try anymore. However, the raccoons tend to stretch the springs and mess up the whole works.

I read somewhere that nothing is raccoon proof. I'm beginning to believe it.

Well, folks, the ride is getting bumpier all the time.

Lately, I've been running so far behind schedule (and am so exhausted) that i've just been grabbing quick food for me and for Heidi. Scooping up some dogfood on the way out the back door is the easiest, so that's what I did again tonight. I also stuffed my pocket with a generous handful of puppy biscuits, grabbed 2 slices of the bread they like, and - after considering Ruth's suggestion about eggs - grabbed a couple of dried egg shells left from my weekend omelet (in which I used the last of the eggs). I was planning to crush the dried egg shells around my roses. Just for kicks I thougt I'd see if she might eat them (until I can get to the store for more eggs).

I set the bread and shells beside the dish of dog food, called a few times and sat down to wait. I had no problem knowing when she was on the way. It sounded much like a small bull stomping around on the other side of the fence. I thought that was odd because Heidi is usually amazingly stealthy, and as quiet as the best cat burglar, or more so.

I had gone out at dusk and had not turned the spot light on. Moreover, I had forgotten my glasses. Consequently, I was unable to see very well in the murky shadows, illuminated only by the small amount of light that escaped from the back windows of my house.

A raccoon that I assume was Heidi came down from the branch of the Heidi tree, entered the yard in "her" usual spot on the fence, and took her position at the "table". It was so dark that I could not even make out the details of her face, and so could not identify her. However, I strongly believe that it was Heidi, for even later when I stood up to walk back to the house for supplies and return, she did not stop eating.

As soon as she started to eat, a 2nd raccoon appeared on the fence. This 2nd raccoon came from the region where the extra raccoon had appeared 2 nights ago. Heidi (while I'm not absolutely certain it was her, for the purposes of this post, I will continue to refer to the 1st raccoon as Heidi), growled at the 2nd raccoon but allowed her to come into the yard. The 2nd raccoon was absolutely NOT permitted anywhere near the dish of dog food or the bread. I had moments earlier tossed 2 biscuits over near Heidi. These biscuits had stopped maybe 3 ft short of the mark. The 2nd raccoon walked around Heidi and searched out the biscuits. Heidi permitted this.

Seconds later yet a 3rd raccoon took shape on the fence! Heidi was quite a bit more upset by the appearance of this 3rd raccoon. She kept looking over her shoulder at this one on the fence and issuing warnings that reminded me of a wild boar. Over the next few minutes, even as Heidi allowed the 2nd raccoon to hang around a few feet from her and eat anything OTHER THAN her designated food, she remained quite fixated on this 3rd raccoon and determined to keep him out of the yard altogether.

Several times he (and he may well have been a she, but the change in pronouns at least helps to keep them all straight) came down the fence only to be ushered back up that fence again by Heidi's menacing tone. During all of this she never left her food or even stopped eating but she kept one eye on him at all times and clearly articulated her threat each time he dared step foot on the ground. Even as he walked about atop the fence, she kept turning to watch him. It was very obvious from her demeanor that she absolutely did not want this 3rd raccoon to eat here.

Eventually and in spite of all her threats, he succeeded in slipping past her and into the yard, having taken care to give her a very wide berth as he did so. It was clear that Heidi was not about to share her food with him, and the 2nd raccoon had already eaten those 2 stray biscuits. He joined the 2nd raccoon - no arguments there - and sniffed about a bit for biscuits before turning to look at me. He approached me, came right up so close that I began to sweat a bit. He showed almost no fear of me, walked right up to me with relative ease. I tossed him a biscuit, as much to keep him back a bit as to feed him. He was already only 3 feet from me and his body language communicated that he was planning to come closer. The 2nd raccoon joined him and while I tossed them the puppy biscuits from my pocket, they ate peacefully.

Heidi continued to eat her food and did not pursue them. However, as she had already made her position quite clear, I felt as though she must be more than a little annoyed with me for encouraging these other two to stay. In time the biscuits, which had been my defense sheild, ran out. As long as there were biscuits at the 3ft mark, he wouldn't come any closer. Now there were no more.

When my pocket ran dry, I knew that he would come to me, and so he did. He was so close that even in the darkness I could see his face. It was a nice face with sharp contrast and well defined features. Every thing about him, from his features to his behavior cried out "Trouble"! The manner in which he strode right up to me had "Trouble" written all over it.

Last year I had been so sure that Trouble was male because of his extreme fearlessness and assertiveness. But, who knows. Maybe "he" was actually a she. Maybe I had been a bit sexist in my thinking. I don't know.

Just like last summer, he got so close, right up to my feet, that I lost my nerve, especially since I had no more food to offer him. I moved gently but with intention of sending him back just a little. At the moment, I needed just a wee bit more space. He was absolutely adorable, and I was so happy to see him again, but still I needed just a little buffer zone.

He scurried back over toward Heidi, but some 6-10ft to one side so as to give her plenty of space, and I got up to go back to the house for more biscuits. My standing up caused the other 2 to run back to the fence, but Heidi continued eating. When I returned, I tossed 3 biscuit to Heidi who was still eating and defending her meal. This time I overshot my target and almost hit her with them. I heard them strike the side of plastic dish from which she was eating. Even then she did not even seem to flinch, never even picked her head up from the dish. I felt all the more certain of my assessment that this was Heidi.

Trouble (I'll call him that for now just to make them easier to keep up with) tried to come back to me. Fraidy (same with calling her this) did not return, but rather chose to disappear into the forest from which she had come. Again Trouble circled around Heidi giving her lots of space. This time, she would have none of it. This time she left her food for the 1st time and met him as he tried to sneak around. She issued that same wild boar sounding threat. He tried to walk farther around. She attacked him. When she did so the two were so far into the shadows that I could see nothing of what transpired. I saw her jump him. And an instant later I heard a sharp cry of pain. In all of the little family spats and friendly confrontations that had come before, I had never, ever heard this sound. This had been for real.

I don't know who did what after she jumped him, nor do I know who cried out in pain. Both raccoons ran in opposite direction, each to a different fence post some 20 ft apart. Both departed. I did not stay any longer to see who would come back or what would happen next. With that, I turned and walked back to the house.

The one other thing I must mention is that Heidi (or at least the one that I will call Heidi for tonight) coughed a few times during the meal. I thought that I heard her eating the egg shell, but don't know that for sure. It was afterward and about 1/2 way through the meal that I heard a few dry coughs. I wondered if she might have gotten egg shell caught in her throat much like we get those popcorn kernels stuck sometimes. All the while that she had been eating dry dog food and (I think) egg shell, and bread, she had not ventured over to the water bowl, perhaps for fear of giving up her "plate" to the trustpassers. I also wondered if she might be sick...or worse...Ruth? Help.

At this point, I think it seems pretty likely that these are the kids from last year. Until now, I've always had just 1 raccoon, Heidi, except for the annual kids. I guess I altered things. As much as I enjoyed the kids and as nice as it is to have Trouble back, I had hoped, for obvious reasons, that the kids would not return. I can't keep all of the kids and all of the kids' kids indefinitely. My little habitat won't support that. If too many raccoons start accumulating here, the neighbors, the community, the authorities are sure to find out. Still, I should have expected that by treating the kids so well, I would make it much more difficult for Heidi to run them off.

Elsewhere they would be own their own. No one would meet them in the evenings with treats. Some days they would be hungry, having failed to find enough to get by. People would yell at them and chase them away. Dogs would pursue them. Here, in addition to serving up kindness and treats, I also grow all manner of fruits and berries in my backyard garden: several varieties of crabapples and apples (all of which they scarf down before I get them), peaches (which they eat green), strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes (something ate all of these green last summer), cherries, 3 varieties of grapes plus a large vine of wild muscadine growing well up into the trees along the fence, etc - not to mention the 24 hr birdfeeder buffet always stuffed with black oil sunflower seeds. Why woundn't they sneak back when they got hungry enough and remembered the bounty of their childhood?

"....and remembered the bounty of their childhood?" Childhood memories are hard to forget. I'm actually glad that Trouble came back to say hello. I think the way his mother treated him that he won't come back too often anymore. What do you think he would have done if he got up to you? Smell your hands for food? Interesting. I saw that one video on one of the sites that had the wild raccoons that came in the peoples dog door, and jumped right up on the guys lap, while the wife went to get them some food. He even had a name for the one and would tell it to get off or up when he wanted and the coon did it. Now here there has been a change. The coons have been eating all I gave them and more if I put it out, until last night--only two of the four bowls were empty. Two other bowels were practically full-but the animal crackers were gone ;-) I am wondering IF some of the earlier coons were pregnant and now they are out giving birth. I can't imagine the drop in food otherwise. I'll have to see what happens tonight. These guys are such interesting creatures. Karen