Heidi - Awaiting the Delivery

This thread is part of a series that began here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/603944/

The previous thread is here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/701269/

and there are 3 to 4 threads in between.

This is the story of a raccoon Heidi who came into my life one day last spring when she came down the fence and into my yard in daylight and more or less refused to leave. In the beginning, I was afraid of her, and I tried all manner of violent pretense to frighten her away. In time, however, she won a place in my heart. Last summer I helped her feed her babies, and she in turn let me enjoy watching the adorable little ones grow up before my eyes. All winter I waited for her returns. A month or so ago she arrived again, and is now quite visibly about to have a new family.

We are awaiting the delivery of this year's raccoon babies.

Go, Heidi! I was more than a bit worried that HRH was more than she could tackle in advanced pregnancy, but sounds like she has the matter well in hand. Yes, I believe it's true; there's no more fearsome force in nature than a mother protecting the young. Here's to a peaceful arrival for the new crew....

The characters this season are: Heidi the female raccoon who started it all, Trouble her adult [male we think] kid from last year, HRH aka Romeo the big male who showed up this spring, and 2 other unknows atleast 1 of which appears to be his current girlfriend.

Heidi has known me for a year or more and will come up to within 3-5 ft of me to eat. Trouble has known me more or less sense birth and will come right up to me at times, but he is still wild, and I have never touched him. The others are newcomers and until very recently viewed me with extreme distrust and kept there distance.

Last night, after Heidi and Trouble left, HRH came up very close to me (tentatively at 1st) to eat. He was roughly as close as Heidi usually gets. Since we've established that he's not likely to leave, I figured there's no real benefit in shuning him. I fed him and his girlfriend who eventually joined us.

I was very surprised that he came to me at all and even more so when he allowed me to take a few photos. By that time it was quite dark out. The camera (3-5ft away) motor made a whirring sound as the lense extended and retracted each time I turned it off and on. In the dark it shown a bright red light on him to adjust the settings for each photo and then set off a chain of some 4 or 5 flashes in rapid succession for each photo I took. I thought it amazing that any wild raccoon would stand still for that let alone 1 that until yesterday had viewed me with extreme distrust.

I suspect that he has become friendly so quickly in part by observing Heidi and Trouble, seeing that they spend time so close to me, get treats, and no harm comes to them.

Below is a photo of HRH and his girlfriend. HRH is on the left. The orange blobs are pieces of cantaloupe. There is also some honeydew behind them. I was hoping to get a photo of them eating the melons (which is very cute), but for someone the melon was not a popular menu item last night, nor was the bean with bacon soup or the baked potatoe skins. Last night everyone ordered the dog food entree.

Oh, and again last night Heidi was quite unwilling to allow Trouble to approach the water in either birdbath. I find this odd because once again she left without using any of the water herself. However, we have been experiencing a considerable drought just lately. It seems an odd coincidence that only recently and during the drought has she become so greedy about the water supply.

I felt a little sorry for Trouble. I had given them dry dog food. He was thirsty. The night before he was able to drink the water that had collected in the food dishes when the sprinkler ran. Last night I had emptied the water from the dishes to put table scraps in them. When Heidi left for the evening he waited just long enough to be sure she was gone, then made a bee line for the copper basin where he drank his fill.

See? No reason to feel sorry for Trouble; he found a way to get the water he needs. And as long as he doesn't challenge Heidi in the process, that works well all around.

I'm surprised that Romeo and Juliet are still hanging out together; perhaps those forest sounds were not "the act" after all?

I had a wonderful time with them tonight. Everything just seemed to go particularly well. Despite Widget's (my dog) insistance on going out just before dark (jealous I think), this time Trouble and Heidi waited in the trees over the fence until he came back inside. As soon as I closed the door behind Widget, I heard them coming over the fence. Food in hand, I headed across the yard. It was still quite light out.

Trouble and Heidi rushed toward me, racing, each trying to outdo the other. This time I was not at all afraid of them. I had no difficulty identifying Heidi. She seems to double in size each day now. Tonight she was a bit comical as she all but rolled toward me looking a bit like a cartoon character that only moments before had been accidentally inflated by a helium pump. She was so adorable.

This time I walked right past them, sat down on my bench, and then tossed them some food. These days Heidi eats like she hasn't seen food for weeks. She reaches out with her front paws, rakes the dog food in to a pile in front of her and scarfs it down like she is famished. As long as the food is plentiful and he obeys all of the rules, she and Trouble are able to eat in relative peace even at fairly close quarters; but she still won't permit him to go near the water.

Part way through the meal, HRH arrived. I could see the hairs on Heidi's neck bristle at his approach. In an effort to keep the peace, to keep her eating and not fighting, I tossed a bunch of food to her and Trouble and then tossed a few handfulls way back to the fenceline for HRH. It took a little maneuvering on my part, and there were a few tense moments when I had to talk Heidi through it in the beginning. She was already anxious about HRH's presence behind her so the sound of the dogfood pummeling the ground back there was more than a little alarming for her. For a brief interval, it looked as though she would bolt. I was barely able to talk her down. At the same time, it was essential that I get some food back there for HRH who was already on his way toward the food Heidi and Trouble were eating.

Luckily, it all worked out. Heidi calmed down and ate. HRH saw the dog food raining down in his area and stayed there. Everything went incredibly well for a while, and then shortly before she left, Heidi decided to test the food in HRH's area even though she still had plenty of her own. As I saw her heading back there I had been quite concerned but was unable to disuade her from going.

In an amazing turn of events, she went back there, snarled and spit at him, and he moved out of her way. She walked around back there eating his food. He moved up closer to me and ate the food I had given her earlier. The 3 of them got along nicely - as long as everybody did what Heidi wanted. Shortly after that she left for the evening.

It was incredibly dark by then, and I had not left any light on inside or out. Trouble, HRH, and Girlfriend who arrived about that time continued to seek out and eat the remaining food, and in Heidi's absence to help themselves to the water in the copper basin.

And then they were gone.

Last season when she had the babies, how often did she leave them to come out for food? Still wondering, do you think Romeo is the father? Not much here, but something similar seems to be going on. My raccoons are getting used to me shining a bright light out to see who is all there. Tonight there were three feeding at the bowls (I have 4 bowls) and one in the squirel feeder eating shelled nuts. Also Little One was at her tree and I talked her down and she started eating her bowl of food. All seemed pretty quiet until all of a sudden ALL of them took off. ???? A single raccoon came out of the forest and sauntered down to the food bowls to start eating. Everyone hid from him (including Little One). I wonder if he is the one I referred to last year as Meanie. Can't wait to get my IR lights back up!! That's about it for tonight. Karen

Ruth,

Somehow I think it is over. All of the photos are from Thursday night. Juliet did show up shortly after Romeo that night, and they were able to eat "together". Tonight he came stag. She showed up much later. Is it possible that they are now just able to eat in the same area much like Heidi and Trouble do?

If you recall, during the couple of days including the one when I heard the noise, Romeo and Juliet did not show up for dinner at all. Thurs night when I shot that photo was the 1st night either of them came back to eat (I think or maybe the 2nd).

As of tonight all 4 of them were able to eat together. HRH is much calmer now, and everybody seems to know it. Everyone - well except Heidi - ate peacefully, but she has a very acceptable excuse for being a little testy.

Karen,

Last year in the beginning when the babies were nursing they all lived in a tree just on the other side of the fence. Every day I would pack one of those edible compost pail liner bags with food for her, loosely tie the end in a knot, and toss it over the fence for her at about the same time of day. She didn't really have to leave them (for more than a few feet) to get the food. As far as I know she was there daily for the food. She needed her food so that she could make food for them. A few times when I was late she was standing on the fence waiting for me.

I guess it is very possible that Romeo is the father, but I really don't know. Given the difference in their coloring, if he is it seems likely that some of the babies will have his coloring and we will know then.

Tonight as he descended the fence, Romeo again made that sound that (with respect to the raccoons in my habitat) is so unique to him. The sound just doesn't sound like anything you would expect to hear coming from a land dwelling mammal. It is almost impossible to describe in part because it is so unlike any sound I've heard anywhere else. The closest I can come is to say that it's like a combination of three known sounds: the barking of a squirrel (but higher in pitch/frequency), the chirping sound made by some birds, and the sound of a dolphin (esp the sound Flipper made). If you combine all of those, you get something similiar or atleast as close as I've been able to get.

The more I think about it, I think Heidi must be very close to delivery time. She gets noticably bigger daily. I only noticed this the past 2 or 3 days. For about a week now she has been eating like a raccoon on a mission. I have never seen her or any of them eat this way, not even last fall when they were gone for a week or more. It's like she's on a feeding frenzy, and it becomes more noticable daily even though each day she is encouraged to eat her fill.

Her obsession with the water in the birdbaths is odd. The drought here has been so bad recently that we are under fire alert. I wonder if she is staying close enough nearby that she comes back here to drink. I have to admit that I've been so busy I've forgotten to keep the birdbaths full. For days they have been bone dry. They only had water the last few days because it got so dusty here that I turned on the sprinkler system. I need to try to keep the water filled for the birds as well as the raccoons and any other creatures back there.

If there's one thing I learned from working with animals, Cheryl, it's that anything is possible. In the typical order of things, Romeo would move on to other girls/areas if he's mated with Juliet; but the ready availability of great food might well change that. In the typical order of things, Heidi would not allow Trouble in her territory, much less near her feeding station, when she is again pregnant; but again, readily available food, and her maturity, might change that. The drought makes water a particularly valuable commodity, so her defense of it makes good sense, especially if it hasn't been available every day.

If the crowd of four or five raccoons early in the season - when you first saw them this year - places her mating date then, around St. Patrick's Day, she should not be due until mid-May. She does look really huge, however, to have another several weeks of pregnancy to go. Wherever this year's nest site is, she may well not show up for a day or two after she delivers; typically mothers in the wild will eat all they can hold for a day or two before delivery so they don't have to leave the young for the first day or two. This may be your only clue as to actual delivery date.

I guess what I'm saying is that you're creating a very unique and very special habitat/situation through your interaction with the coons. I find I'm learning along with you as I hear about raccoons in unique situations, and can only try to help interpret for you based on my experiences with them in other situations. You have great instincts for how to interact with them; I'm amazed that so many situations, which "should have been" a prescription for disaster, have gone peacefully and well. You really missed your calling, you know; a career with animals would have been ideal for you. Though I'll be the first to say that the pay leaves a whole lot to be desired...

Ruth,

For a long time I didn't realize that we were experiencing a drought. Even when I saw signs of stress in some of my plants, I attributed it to the recent untimely cold and the storm. The few times that I did fill the birdbaths they were bone dry again almost the next day (probably every creature in the area came for water). Often I only noticed the bone dry birdbaths when I was out there with the raccoons. At that point it was too late to add water both because it would scare them all away from their food at a time when I was trying so hard to build trust and because I'm a bit warey of going to the dark area around the side of the house to turn on the water at night for fear of encountering a snake (I've had a copperhead visit or 2). It wasn't until I received emails from an emergency alert service about the fire danger in my area that I first became aware of the drought. Shortly after that I noticed areas of dust in my yard where dirt should have been. Now I'm running the automatic sprinklers daily so that fills the birdbaths.

Thank you so much for the compliment. To me that is a very special compliment. It's not too late for that "job". I don't believe in retirement in the sense of no work, just a change of work. As a teen, I painted in oils. My paintings sold faster than I could produce them. When I put that aside to become an engineer, I always planned to return to painting in my retirement. I am trying now to work my way toward that purpose (and maybe a little writing). Somewhere during the Heidi saga, she and kids and you gave me the (quiet) idea that someday when I have more free and flexible time, I might like to consider doing some rehab work myself.

I have always loved animals and respected all creatures. As a very small child, if I found a moth or cricket or something like that in the house I would catch it and take it outside so my parents wouldn't kill it. Even though I couldn't see its face I still understood that it wanted to live as much as I did.

Animals have also helped me, however. One of my most heartwarming such stories came in the form of a mid size, mixed breed dog that someone had dumped near the large converted plantation and dairy farm where I boarded my horse many, many years ago. I had a free standing box stall with attached utility and tack room and small attached pasture. When the dog showed up, the other riders said he was a stray.

No one lived there. People just came to feed and ride their horse and then left. I bought a large bag of dog food, stored it with my horse food, and fed him each day when I fed my horse. I didn't take him home with me, but I was there for several hours each day, so apparently he still thought he was my dog. When I rode my horse through the 1000 acres or so of trails he always went along.

Late one evening as my horse and I were on our way back to the stables, it was getting particularly late. I didn't usually ride that late. The sun was going down, and I was already a bit concerned about getting back before dark. It took some 4-5 hrs to traverse the trails. I was almost within sight of the stables when a pack of wild (stray) dogs appeared in the dirt road in front of me. There were maybe 5 of them, fairly large dogs. All I saw were teeth as they stood in the road snarling threateningly.

I stopped my horse not knowing what to do. That section of road (which I had to traverse to get back) was raised. There was a river on one side and a steep drop of maybe 30ft or so (covered with boulders) on the other. Forward was the only option. Going back would require riding 5 hours in total darkness through narrow paths in pastures and forests and even through an area populated by alligators.

My horse was very spirited and at times a bit of a handful. I feared that if I went forward and the dogs attacked us, I might be thrown from the horse in the ensuing battle. Just as I was trying to decide what to do, and this all happened in minutes, that little "mutt" (I say that lovingly) who had been riding with me but who would often get diverted at times and catch up later, came thundering up from somewhere way back behind us, rushed right past me and my horse, and plowed headlong into the pack of snarling dogs (where he was so clearly outnumbered).

While he and the leader went rolling and tumbling and fighting, I was able to ride past the remaining dogs. When I was well out of harm's way, the little dog with the big, big heart caught up with us! (He had only a few scrapes and scratches, nothing serious.) When I took him in, I never knew that some day he might save ME.

What an inspiring story! If you take up writing, you could make a wonderful children's story from your experiences with that dog. I love dogs. I have 4 who "adopted" my husband and I. I also have 5 cats who adopted us. Now that my kids are grown and on their own, our critters are like kids to us.

Hold that thought about looking into rehabbing when you retire: you would be great! Don't know about your part of the world; but everywhere I've lived/worked, the rehab community is always short-handed during baby season (spring and summer), and in real need of motivated newcomers.

What a great story about your stray dog friend, and so true to life! Until I adopted the first stray dog I'd "rescued" at work, I don't think I really understood the meaning of gratitude. Thank heaven for companion animals: they give us our only real experience and understanding of unconditional love.

Thanks, NatureLover, I'll have to remember that. Wow, you folks really have a lot of "kids". My Widget likes to think that he's an only child. Don't tell him that I also have atleast 4 raccoons, a flock of birds, a bunny, some turtles...

Ruth, I guess it hadn't occurred to me that there might be more rehabbers than animals in need. I was thinking of it as a volunteer thing, to help the animals. I guess when the time comes, if they don't need help, I'll be happy to know that all the animals are being cared for and if they do need help, I'll be there. I have no idea what the need level is around here.

About that unconditional love...another time I was at a busy naval shipyard in the industrial area in the early AM. It was a noisy place with grinding, welding, and all manner of equipment all around. A tiny, frightened kitten wandered out from under some equipment looking so lost and so terrified. I bought milk from the cafeteria, caught him, and took him home with me and named HIM Muffin. I made him a bed in the corner of my bedroom. Every night from that day until he was huge, I would wake up because something was tickling my nose. Half asleep, I would literally have to peel this tiny kitten off my face and put him back in his bed...over and over and over, all night long. It seemed that the only place he felt safe enough to sleep was draped across my face directly under my nose - I guess my breath reminded him that he wasn't alone anymore.

It's lucky that I was young then because for weeks I couldn't get any sleep. I can remember one night when I'd peeled him off my upper lip for the nth time, when, well into the night, groggy, half awake, half asleep, through partially opened eyes and with the aid of the small amount of street light that came through my closed blinds, I awoke to see the hazy silouhette of a tiny little "soldier", crouching low, slowly, stealthily creeping across the bed...on his way back to the spot where he was so determined to sleep.

Tonight Heidi was a bit annoyed with me and justifiably so. She didn't show up - nor did anyone else - until well after dusk. I was afraid she might not show up at all. As I was quite tired, I was tempted to leave, but given Heidi's current size and hunger level I hated to leave without making sure she was fed.

Late this afternoon, around the time that Heidi and Trouble are inclined to be hiding in the trees just over the fence waiting for me to open the back door and walk out with food, I took my noisy string trimmer back there to clear the weeds in that area where they eat and all the way up to the fence. Even as I was doing that I knew it wasn't going to make me very popular with my raccoon friends, especially Heidi who hadn't been in such a good mood lately anyhow.

While I was waiting, I put some dog food in each of the dishes and rinsed and filled all of the birdbaths including a 3rd copper basin which I added to the area today. When she finally did arrive, Heidi went over to the newest feeding station, the one that is far away and isolated. By then it was so dark that I could not see her well enough to be sure that it was her, but I could identify her because even though she was the only one there at the time, almost immediately she started making that angry, wild boar sound which she would end up making almost the entire evening.

I soon saw that she was issuing threats to the other raccoons in the forest. One rather small raccoon with coloring similiar to Heidi - this may have been Fraidy - was 2nd to arrive. Heidi refused to allow her to set foot on the ground inside the yard. Romeo was next, followed shortly by Trouble. The smaller raccoon came back. This time making it all the way to the dish before being chased back up the fence, this time by Romeo. At the top of the fence post and with Romeo standing below, Fraidy (I'll call her that just for ease of reference) made a crying or wimpering sound similiar to that of a dog but only one syllable and then over.

For the remainder of the evening meal, the smaller raccoon paced along the top of the fence crying from time to time and occasionally making her way down a post here or there only to be chased away again by either Heidi or Romeo. A few times they allowed her to stand on the ground but only as long as she hugged the fence. The moment she got up the courage to leave the fence in search of food they would again chase her away.

As mentioned, Heidi grunted and growled almost non stop for the entire meal. She picked fights with anyone who came near her, and was quiet only when everyone gave her a wide berth. A few times she stopped to cough. Her cough is starting to concern me. No one else has it so it doesn't appear contagious, and it certainly hasn't adversely effected her appetite. Still, given her age and the stress of pregnancy, it worries me.

She never came near me, but one time when I accidentally threw a handful of nuggets such that they rained down noisily on a group of nearby flower pots, the raccoons scattered and ran for the fence - except Heidi who contined eating. She might have been a bit annoyed that my noisy gardening had roused her from her afternoon nap earlier, but she clearly still trusted me quite a bit. Frankly, hearing the sound of the shrapnel as it hammered the flower pots, I was very surprised to hear her over there still eating calmly.

It was very dark and I struggled even to see hazy outlines. Were it not for Heidi's constant fussing, I would not have been able to track her whereabouts.

Trouble came over to me a couple of times and ate very close to me for most of the evening. At one point he walked up to within a foot of me while searching the ground for kibble. Then he lifted his head, looked at me for a minute or so (hoping for a treat I guess), before turning to walk away. He went over to the heavy cement birdbath, pulled himself up onto it with a single leap, and then stood in the large cement bowl to drink the cool, clean water I had put there only about an hour earlier.

Later, while I was distracted by the commotion with Fraidy crying atop the fence, Trouble caught me off guard and walked right up to me such that by the time I became aware of him (in the darkness), his nose was only an inch or 2 from my hand. I moved and he backed away still looking at me. His face and body language seemed to say, "Ok, ok, I didn't mean any harm. I wasn't going to hurt you. We're still friends, right?"

Tonight there was more contention for food for some reason. I guess I didn't take enough out. The crying sound tonight was yet another new sound for me. They do have an incredible collection of unique vocalizations, perhaps second only to the mockingbird.

Hunger seems to be the rule for these guys at this time here, too. Last night I put out my usual amount of food-4 bowls each with 3 cups dog food in, and a small bowl with about 1.5 cups. Then I add any extras, graham crackers lately. Then I also make sure there are peanuts in a shell in the squirrel feeder, because they will empty that, also. Then they were hunting for any birdseed the birds left (not much). One came up very near the house (in the front yard, looking for bird seed and whatever. I felt sorry, so came in, looked around, found a bag of cheese puffs. Took some of those and a few dog biscuits and put them out front where the birds usually look for seed on the ground. Came back inside. A little later I checked-all was eaten. When I just got up at 5:30 am to let the dogs out, there was still one raccoon left, scrounging the ground for any bird seed not eaten. I felt sorry for him, but he left when the dogs went out. I am surprised with the hunger they seem to have that they have not gone for any of the bird feeders-yet. Little One surprised me. Early when I went out she was down in the woods. I called to her softly, and mainly made clicking mouth noises which she recognizes. Slowly she came out and went to her special dish. Good girl. It seems now that my "regulars" aren't afraid of hearing me or seeing the bright flashlight. They look up and go on eating. Even the one who knew I was on the porch and walked up to the front yard to look for food. I had 4 at the feeding bowls + Little One at her bowl. I could see the eyes of two more in the distance--ones not comfortable with me yet. But I do have a funny tale. At night/dusk, the squirrel peanut feeder also is attractive to the flying squirrels. I had seen one occasionally going into the feeder, getting his nut and taking off. Well, a coon came along, went up to the feeder when a flying squirrel jumped out--scared her, she screamed and jumped down to the ground so fast. I had to laugh out loud. I guess she didn't expect a jack-in-the-box. Later, Karen

Love the story of the kitten from the naval yard. The last of my shelter adoptions, Mister Impossible (because he is the supposedly impossible tricolor male cat), had a similar habit as a kitten. I typically lie on my back in bed when I first retire, to relax, and also when I first awaken. As a kitten, he thought it was reassuring and fun to plop across my face, rendering breathing completely impossible. First you dream of various scenarios involving suffocation, then you awaken inhaling fur.... Every time, multiple times each night, I would move him down to my chest: not ideal, but at least I could breathe. [Since he has grown up to be a 14-lb. boy, I'm really glad we worked this out while he was young and small.] This has remained his nightly habit: plopping down on my chest when I first lie down, for affection; after a few minutes, if I stir, he'll move beside me so I can actually sleep in comfort: very civilized. Every day I awaken to his face beside me; he'll look at me and purr, and then again plop across my chest for his morning affection before we both get up. Actually a wonderful way to start and end the day, now that we've worked out a system that works for both of us.

Don't feel bad about needing to run the trimmer; life must go on, after all, and the fact that everyone still showed up to eat shows they weren't truly traumatized about it. Heidi is likely to become even more grumpy in the next few weeks; it's actually amazing that she tolerates them around her at all at this stage of pregnancy. Do feel bad for Fraidy, if that was the crying coon; but don't know what you could do to get food into her area. Heidi is probably becoming too pregnant to be very effective in a real fight (though I have no doubt she'd give it her all and then some), so is employing the strategy of "best defense is a good bluff." Very few animals will mess with a mother putting up that kind of front, so hopefully all will continue to go well.

The rehabbers I used to work with would often raise a hundred or more birds, or fifty or more mammals, each spring and summer of their chosen species; not all at the same time, but that was a typical total for the season. Since most babies need to be fed every few hours from dawn to dusk, help was vital and most appreciated; there were phases where they would feed the last youngster, only to have to start all over again. Since most were volunteers supplying their own food and supplies at their own expense, not to mention their time, this was a genuine labor of love and an incredible contribution to wildlife.

Trouble continues to be a charming and really intelligent little troublemaker, doesn't he? Impressive that he manages to get past Heidi and her grumbling to still make his way to you for food.

Great story about the flying-squirrel-in-a-box, Karen, and you're making great progress with your guys. Glad to hear they're still beating a smart retreat when your dogs go out; shows good survival sense on their part.

Any more news on Heidi? Wondering when her big day will be. Karen

Wondering where everyone is? Including the raccoons around here. Last night I had 7 out there eating away, including Little One. Tonight (so far) I have seen TWO-Little One and another at the feeders. I wonder if it is time, or they just didn't like the earlier wind, which is gone. Wish I knew. Is is baby time in Valencia??? Karen

Could well be baby time in zone 5, Karen, especially for young mothers who have two litters a year. Time will tell...

It's raccoon baby time in south-central Ontario already. A local guy took his boat to the lake at the weekend. When he pulled off the cover, he found tiny baby raccoons curled up in the boat - but no mother raccoon. He called the local humane society for advice, and they told him to take the babies back home and leave them in a safe place in the area where he kept the boat, so their mother could find them. After taking them home, he made a straw bed for the babies in his garden shed, and left the shed door open. When the babies got hungry that night, they called for their mom, and she came and got them. In the morning, all the guy found in his shed was an empty bed and a big pile of raccoon poop!

Hi guys,

I've just been a little "under the weather" for some reason, just so exhausted. Slept most of the day Sunday; came home from work Monday for a midday nap and then went straight to bed again after work as soon as I fed the raccoons.Hopefully, today will be better.

My crowd seems to be thinning out a bit. HRH was a no show last night. His girlfriend hasn't been around for 2 days, at least not while I was there. I don't leave any extras, so if they don't make the feeding time they don't get fed.

Heidi isn't very friendly these days. She doesn't feel at all well. You can just see that by looking at her. The past 2 days she hasn't been growling constantly like she did the last time I wrote. She did take out after Trouble Sunday night when he came down the fence. I was surprised to see that she could still move that fast, but it wasn't fast enough. He ran out to one side such that she just grazed him. As a result, he got around her fairly easily, and came over to eat.

She's coughing still, especially if she tries to grumble a lot. Now it's becoming more like wheezing. I'm really worried about her, wondering if it could be a sign of something more serious like heart or circulatory problems complicated by pregnancy and fluid retention. Also my last dog who died of cancer had what seemed like a minor cough shortly before he died. Since then I don't take coughing for granted. Anyhow, I hope she has them soon because I'm very concerned for her health.

That's about it. Have to get to work.

Good to hear. I was worried about you. Also, as an old retired nurse, a bit more worried about Heidi than before. I don't know what would happen if you talked to the local rehab person for coons. Maybe they have an idea what it is. Maybe you could spike the food with whatever antibiotic she might need if it is treatable. Just sprinkling it in some yogurt, etc. might do it. We CAN'T lose our Heidi, it is just too painful to think about. Karen

I'll be going out soon to feed the raccoons for the day. While I'm waiting, I thought I'd take advantage to the opportunity to show you a few of the picks that I took last night. Once again, they are not the greatest, but I figure they'll give you some insight. If nothing else, perhaps they'll help to illustrate the story.

The problems with my camera are getting worse, so I need to get another one very soon. The biggest problem right now is figuring out which camera. The current (broken) one is the Nikon 8800. Does anyone have any ideas for a good replacement or alternate camera? I'd like something that gives me the ability to take good closeups of my flowers. The Nikon can focus when placed up to .5in from item. It takes pics with such incredible detail that I often see things in the pic that I did not see with my bare eyes - I am able to use it as a magnifying glass. BTW, I know almost nothing about photography, just want to take high res and ultra realistic photos of my flowers and other things. I am considering the Cannon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D40 or D40x. I would love to hear your ideas on this.

The past few days Heidi has been rather aloof, preferring to eat at the new station off to one side. She doesn't stay long and is a especially skidish about noises, etc. I can understand that, however. When I don't feel up to par so to speak, I'm not in the mood to take on any challenges. While carrying all those little ones she can't run as fast or get over the fence as easily or fight as well, so it's no wonder she's feeling easily threatened.

Last night shortly before she left I was able to call her over near me briefly. I had just tossed her a greenies dog biscuit, which she seemed pretty exited about, when she apparently had her fill of the noisy neighbors next door. She grabbed the biscuit, and just as I was looking forward to getting a photo of her eating it, she turned and fled for the forest biscuit in hand. Here she is eating over beyond the compost pile.

Hi, June

What an adorable story! I read it this morning before work and then in my haste (to be on time) forgot to comment. I'm so glad the mom was able to find and retrieve the kids. I saw something on a nature show where they took some babies out of an attic while the mom was away, then sealed the hole she used to get in, and left the tiny babies in a makeshift nest in a cut-away bucket hung near the opening (still on the roof) so mom could find them and move them elsewhere. They watched via camera to see that she got them.

Your story made me all the more eager to see Heidi's babies.

Karen,

Hopefully, the cough is due to something non-fatal, and my concern is unwarranted. I don't think anyone could make a diagnosis without seeing her; likewise, I doubt that any competent medical authority would be inclined to prescribe treatment from afar. I'm just a bit concerned because of (1) the length of time the cough has lingered, (2) her age, (3) the fact that the others don't seem to be catching it - which is good but which also seems to imply that it is not comunicable, and (4) the fact that she can't seem to do much growling/grumbling without breaking into a chorus of hacking and wheezing. The latter makes it all the more difficult for her to look very ferocious when trying to defend her space, BTW.

Above all, as I mentioned, I'm probably a bit hyper sensitive about a lingering, unexplained cough, even one that appears relatively mild. My last dog was 11, but as small dogs generally have a longer life expectancy than do larger dogs, supposedly had some 4 or more years left. She appeared healthy and vibrant and was so active that people were still surprised to learn that she was not a puppy. Worse, she had just returned from her annual wellness check only a week or 2 prior to the onset of the cough. I was tempted to think that she had caught some "bug" from one of the other patients at the vet's office.

The dog's occasional, dry cough was so mild and appeared so benign that I decided to take a "wait and see" approach. Roughly 2 weeks later when the cough had not changed, neither for the worse nor for the better, I decided to take her in for an eval. At the vet's office she was so "well" that the vet was unable to invoke the cough in order to analyze it. We left with "just in case" treatment for kennel cough, and directions to return if there was no improvement in a few days. 3 days later she was dead from hemangosarcoma (sp?) a cancer of the blood vessels which had apparently effected her lungs. Hemangosarcoma is a very aggressive cancer that is virtually 100% fatal. It effects mostly larger breeds, and is common in older dogs. The time from onset to death is roughly 2 months during which there are few if any symptoms. Most owners don't know the dog has this disease until it dies. If they do get a diagnosis it is usually only some 2wks prior to death. Taking her in sooner would not have helped. Still the experience has forever changed my view of the unexplained, mild cough.

Hopefully, my concerns for Heidi are exaggerated.

Tonight was one of the good nights.

I gathered a bag of black, seedless grapes and a few large flour tortillas along with the usual dog food (always a favorite) and was waiting at the back door for the male cardinal to finish his evening snack when I caught a glimse of raccoon ears beneath the feeder. It was Trouble. When I opened the door, he loped away toward the forest. I stepped out and called to him.

It was still daylight. Visibility was excellent. Although I haven't mentioned it, I've managed recently to extend my ability to call them back when they are afraid to include Trouble and HRH. Still, I reached the back of the yard just in time to see him disappear into the trees. Bummer. I walked over to dish #1 and was just about to start putting food into it, when I heard a stir in the trees. I looked up to see Trouble coming back over the fence - enthusiastically I might add. The dish beside which I was crouching was just 5-6 ft from where he was re-entering the yard so I was a bit surprised.

I remained where I was, and he walked up to within about 2 ft from me. He had arrived before I'd had the chance to put any food in the dish, so I reached slowly into the bag...this frightened him and he turned and ran back to the fence. I called to him. At the fence, with his back to me, poised to jump onto the fence and retreat, he paused for a moment, listened to my voice, and then turned and came back; but again as I tried to get the food out of the bag he fled.

We were to repeat this same process some 4 times before I was finally able to withdraw a handful of luscious, black grapes. I held them out for him to see. With that he seemed to understand, and so while I continued to take out a few more handfuls of grapes and of dog food and put them on the ground near the dish, he waited about 2 feet away.

When I had put down a sufficient starting amount of food, I slowly rose to my feet. This did not frighten him even at such close range. I backed slowly away toward my bench, backing so that I could detect any sign that he might be about to run and might, therefore, be able to take corrective action.

As I sat down, he put his nose into the empty dish. Pushing it around a bit, he seemed clearly disappointed by the empty dish even though it was surrounded by food. I found this most interesting since I've long found that while domestic dogs understand the dish and are willing to eat from the dish, they've never truly embraced the concept of the dish but will all to frequently opt to drag food out of the dish, especially anything larger than a bite or 2. Raccoons, on the other hand, even wild raccoons seem to really "get" the dish idea and to prefer their food thusly contained and seperated from the ground.

Being flexible, once he got over the initial disappointment of the empty bowl, Trouble began to eat the items on the ground around it. The grapes were an immediate hit. He walked around picking them out from the dogfood nuggets, turning them each over a few times between his paws in an apparent attempt to clean the dirt off before popping them into his mouth. This time I had left them out of the fridge over night so they were not cold.

It was still light out, and I was kicking myself for my failure to drag the camera along. A few times when something scared him, I was able to reassure him. One such sound, that of neighbors arriving home, slamming car doors, and talking loudly caused him to raise up onto his hind legs to look. I offered verbal reassurance, and he resumed his meal.

Then, very abruptly, he cast a glance toward the forest, listened for a moment and then started to leave. He was not running away from any sound in the yard(s), was not "frightened" but was, none the less, determined to leave. He seemed to "know" what he was doing, and no amount of cajoling would change his mind. At the top of the fence, he paused, his hind legs resting on the top horizontal bar of the fence, his front paws braced on the other side of the fence a bit lower. It was a very catlike position, and he remained there for several minutes, his head low on the other side of the fence, very clearly looking at something on the ground beyond the fence. Moments later he disappeared into the trees and was gone.

No sooner had he departed than I saw a brown patch of fur moving on the side of the old, rotten, hollow tree just behind the Heidi tree. I called to it, and Heidi emerged at the top of the fence and climbed down into the yard. This, I thought, was a most interesting development for even though Trouble had managed to get past Heidi when she charged him last night and had managed to eat with her there, tonight he had clearly opted to leave before he was through and while there were still lots of yummy grapes on the ground - and apparently because he had heard and seen Heidi's approach and had decided to leave her to dine alone. It seemed that even sweet, ripe grapes were not enough to warrant putting up with her grumpiness today.

Below is a picture of Trouble from last night.

This message was edited Apr 24, 2007 10:27 PM

Heidi went over to dish #2 which, because Trouble had interrupted me before I could fill them, was empty. She then came over to dish #1, and much like Trouble seemed visibly disappointed to find it empty, again despite the quantity of food on the ground around it. She even turned the dish on its side before walking around it to eat from the ground.

Once again, the grapes proved to be the clear choice of the evening menu. Even Heidi who usually prefers the dog food chose grapes for tonight's meal.She handled the grapes in much the same manner as Trouble, turning them between her 2 paws to brush away the dirt that adhered to the moist exterior before popping them into her mouth.

Heidi I have learned is quite afraid of the plastic bag. Bowls and boxes are fine, but the plastic bag seems to represent to her some terror that I cannot imagine. I 1st learned this one evening last week. That night I had taken out the last 4 slices of bread still in the bag. There were 2 bags with that particular type of bread, a sealed inner bag and the usual outer bag closed with a twist tie. The 1st 2 slices I took out were only contained in the outer bag. When I reached deeper into the bag to remove the last 2 slices from the inner bag, the look of terror on Heidi's face was undeniable. It was a look that belied the fear that she had been wrong to trust me and might now be about to pay a heavy price for that mistake. Immediately she had fled, and had run all the way to the top of the fence before she would even stop to listen to me and to reconsider her retreat. It had taken a lot of coaxing that day to bring her back down.

That initial moment of terror I'd seen on her face when I 1st reached into the bag was such that I concluded my movements had recalled some frightening moment from her past, perhaps something someone else had done or had tried to do to her.

Tonight I had to be very careful in my efforts to get more grapes from the bag for her. Each time I reached into the bag she became visibly anxious. I would speak to her and show her the grapes. A few times she walked away a bit and I had to call her back. The bag is a convenient method for me to carry multiple dry foods but I will try to remember to use something else from now on.

I have also noticed that while they are willing to come near me - and in the case of Trouble sometimes even curious - it seems that our relationship is with respect to hands at least, much like that of cops and robbers. My hands must remain visible at all times. If they disappear too far into a bag or box and for too long a time there may be cause for concern.

I'm happy to report that Heidi seemed to feel a bit better today - and it was, in fact, still daylight even as she ate. She ate at a normal pace and without coughing.

After a while, and as with Trouble, before there was any evidence of waning appetite, she looked toward the forest for a moment and then left abrubtly refusing to even acknowledge my attempts to call her back. Minutes after she left, HRH appeared.

Below is another photo of Trouble from last night when he ate from station #1 near me. It was so dark out that I could not see anything but blackness through the camera's viewfinder and was forced to guess about the subject's location. As you can see, Trouble is less than thrilled by the rapid series of flashes set off in the darkness before him.

LOL. The look on his face is like he is thinking "Hey! Why isn't the food here???" Too cute. Do you know who the local wildlife rehab person is for your area? Maybe they would have an inkling of what could be going on with Heidi. 10 years of my nursing career was spent in head-and-neck surgery. Many things can start with a cough. Could be as mild as a sinus infection-which could cleared with antibiotics (ones which wouldn't hurt the babies, like amoxicillin) or as bad as cancer of some area anywhere from sinus down to lungs, or congestive heart failure. Now this is humans, but mammals have similar cell types in their organs. I sure hope she is ok, for her and the babies sakes. Karen

You are so blessed to have these experiences...very cool.

June, what a great story; and kudos to your local guy for following advice and allowing mom to retrieve the babies. When I worked in animal shelters, we had so many babies every year - coons, squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc., etc. - brought in by citizens who flatly refused to take them home and give mom a chance to retrieve the babies. This created a huge and unnecessary burden on the rehabbers, who with the best of intentions and training could not do as well as mother.

Cheryl, for what it's worth I'm a firm advocate of Canon cameras. Only have one of their simple digitals, but spent years doing semi-professional photography with their old workhorse SLR, the F1. That camera survived years and years of use and occasional accidental abuse without ever breaking down. Their digital SLRs are supposed to be excellent, and equally durable.

Great stories and photos from the last few nights. It would be great if the coons could continue to eat in shifts, thus avoiding face-to-face encounters and conflicts. Yes, they definitely get the dish concept, and have a real thing about clean food. I'm sure you've seen them "washing" their food by dipping in water prior to eating it; always loved watching this. [One of these days, after my very old and very predatory Chow has gone on to the rainbow bridge, I hope to be able to enjoy raccoons again. Love him dearly, but miss being able to invite the wildlife.]

Heidi's cough concerns me, too, but realistically there is little you can do; no one will prescribe for her without an exam, which is clearly impossible. Although it's natural to worry about something serious, especially given that really sad experience with your last dog, it could also be something pretty innocuous like an allergy or old lung damage from a previous infection, exacerbated by her pregnancy. Let's all hope for the best; between everyone who follows these threads, there's a lot of power of positive thinking.

Karen,

Here's a (nursing) question for you. Is it possible to get a [main line] caffeine drip? Since 9AM I've had a cup of the quad strength mud my coworkers brew up along with a Monster (that's one of those high caffeine energy drinks), a box of choc covered espresso beans, and a handful of VoJo Energy mints w/caffeine and guarana (you're supposed to take 2). Right now I could curl up on the desk for a nice spring slumber - maybe a week of zzz's would be good. I really think I could use that caffeine drip right about now - or maybe a cattle prod. :-)

No such luck. There are dangers to too much caffeine--heart arrhythmias. I hope we don't hear about you going to the ER with your heart beating too fast. That has happened to some people who have tried things like Volt or other high caffeine drinks. So just be careful. Tell you what. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and just got my machine a few weeks ago. I am still making up for lost sleep. Maybe you need a sleep study to see if that's the problem?? Or, maybe you're just working too hard with work, the house, the raccoons, etc.??? IN any case, take care of yourself. Go home as soon as possible and take a nice long nap. K

Oh, I forgot to mention the psuedoephedrine I took for my allergy/sinus issues. At the very least you would think the pounding sound should help to keep me awake, No?

Seriously though, sorry to hear that you have sleep apnea but glad that you are getting it treated. I've considered checking that out. Anything is possible, but I was up until almost 4AM this AM so that might be a big contributory factor in my case. oops! too many fun things to do and too little time.

Edited to add that sometimes I think maybe I need adult supervision. ;-)

This message was edited Apr 25, 2007 12:23 PM

GiddyMoon, Thank you. Yes, I am most blessed. When I stop to really think about it, it's hard to believe that they come to me, and even more incredible to realize that I never really did anything to "make" this happen. They just came to me, or atleast Heidi did. The others learned from her. It is all sort of surreal, isn't it?

Not only did I not "make" it happen, but in the beginning, I tried very hard to stop it. I am so very glad that my early attempts to get rid of Heidi failed and that I was caused to see the magic in this gift before it was gone. I wonder, however, how many other such gifts in my life I have happily chased away, and how many times I've taken a bow and a sigh of relief after "resolving" and eliminating some other such "problem".

And that, I believe, is the single most important thing to take from this story, the realization that maybe sometimes the things we view as problems are actually gifts that we have failed to recognize and that if we just change our perspective a bit we may find incredible blessings in many of what we thought were frustrations.

Yes, GiddyMoon, I am very blessed, in deed. Thank you for reminding me of the magic and the wonder of this blessing.

I got out my two Natural History of the Raccoon books. I never should have read about all the diseases, especially all the worms...yuck. Anyhow, I have a couple quotes relating to coughing. In Raccoons, A Natural History by Samuel Zeveloff, he writes, "Raccons are periodically affected by several diseases, including respiratory ailments such as pneumonia and chronic pleurisy, an inflammation of the membrane around the lungs." Ok, so there are two causes of cough. Boy, if she has pleurisy she should be really cranky. I had it once and it hurt like heck. In the second book, A Natural History of Raccoons by Dorcas MacClintock, she writes, "When pneumonia occurs it is most often a secondary complication of a heavy infestation of roundworms whose larvae have invaded the raccoons lungs." Swell. Also, "Persistent coughing and wheezing may be symptoms of lung worm infestation." That does give you some idea of why she may be coughing. I do recommend her book, as she has had a lot of experience with raccoons and I believe even living with some. Her book is a little more personal including facts, where the other is more factual. So, wait and see what happens. If the coughing seems to go away, maybe it is pleurisy. If not, wonder what they treat raccoons for with worms?
IN any case, I sure hope you are feeling better, and ask your doc if he can recommend a sleep study. If it's normal then at least you don't have to worry about that part of being sleepy. Hope you are off to sleep by now. My coons are still out eating like crazy. Karen

Ruth,

Even as I read the words it is difficult for me to imagine people refusing to take the babies back and give the moms a chance to reunite with them. I am reminded of a friend with whom I am STILL annoyed because one day she called to say that she had found a baby rabbit. She was SO excited. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't have taken it; that its mother may have been nearby. She was certain the mom was dead and that she was going to save the baby by raising it herself. I tried in vain to persuade her to call a veterinarian who would help her to get in touch with a trained rehabber who could raise the baby, but she was determined to do it herself. A few days later the baby was dead. Of course, she insisted it wasn't her fault. I'm STILL angry with her.

Thanks for the info on your experiences with Canon cameras. I chose the Nikon after seeing the incredible work of someone who owned the same model. She tried to disuade me from the purchase. She said she hated the Nikon, and that she also had a Canon which she used far more often and which she loved and recommended highly (and which may well have actually been responsible for the photos I so envied). Naturally, I would not listen. Those same sentiments about Canon cameras have been repeated over and over by so many people since then. It seems unlikely that so many people could be wrong.

Oh, yes, having the copper basin so close by the feeding stations, I've been lucky enough to see them wash their food many times. Last summer I got a brief video of Trouble washing a dog biscuit in the basin. Unfortunately, it is (also) obscured by weeds but I enjoy it still. You can even hear the clanging sound as the biscuit repeadedly strikes the bottom of the basin and the swishing sound of the water.

Just this week I was looking on line for a small baby size plastic pool to put back there for them since they enjoy water so much - and so I can put the fish in it when the babies are old enough. Haven't had much luck. Everything I found was inflated, not the thing for creatures with such claws. I may have to go to WalMart and get one in person (or maybe I'll try ebay).

I'm afraid tonight the raccoons were back to communal meals. I think it is difficult for them to work out the logistics of seperate meals considering that I am only out there for a brief time each evening and anyone who misses the official meal gets only a handful of leftovers if that. Because of problems with rats out there I'm afraid to leave lots of food out. (I caught another rat Sunday and tossed him back there figuring if the raccoons didn't want him Snowball would. By Monday morning he was gone.)

The last 2 nights I haven't heard Heidi cought. She has been eating more slowly, and has not been doing so much growling. The growling almost always results in coughing. She also doesn't seem to be eating as much lately. For one thing she's been very anti-social lately and seems to opt to leave once she has consumed a modest amount rather than interact with the others.

I like the idea about all that good will and positive thinking out there for Heidi. Tonight let's all join together to think happy, healthy thoughts for Heidi.

Hi Karen,

Good info on the coughing.

I'm up now, briefly, but slept from the time I got home until I got up to feed Heidi and the gang and am now off to sleep again. I'd be a little more concerned about my sleepiness if it weren't for my habit of staying up past 2AM all too often and then getting up at 7AM, and those are the good nights.

Most of my 30 years of nursing was on the night shift. So I don't think I really ever got comfortable sleeping at night and being up during the day. At least I get to watch the raccoons this way :-) Karen