Heidi - Awaiting the Delivery

Below is a photo from tonight (well, actually now yesterday) of Heidi (back right eating dog food nugget) and Trouble (front left eating a Hardee's biscuit).

Tonight's special was 2 Hardee's plain biscuits. Given her well established preference for the healthy fare, Heidi passed on the processed carbs. Trouble, however, scarfed down both biscuits. It seems that biscuits are particularly yummy when dunked in the birdbath.

As I must rush off to get a few of those "z's", more on tonight's part of the saga later...

Edited to provide the missing ')'.


This message was edited Apr 26, 2007 8:13 AM

Heidi was 1st to show up both last night and tonight. Tonight I saw her face peeking out at me from under the foliage that hangs over the fence from the Heidi tree. She's been coming from over there a lot lately, so I'm really hoping that she will use the hollow tree behind the Heidi tree for her nest again. Last summer I really enjoyed being able to walk out and call the kids when they got old enough. Seeing the little heads pop up on the other side of the fence and watching them stream down the fence to meet me are some of my favorite memories from that time.

Tonight (actually this afternoon, still light out) even after Heidi ducked down to peer out at me from under the foliage, she still didn't come down right away. I called her name, and she responded immediately by coming down to eat. The behavior, both of peeking and of responding to voice, caused me to wonder if she had been uncertain if it was me. I had expected her to identify me by odor as a dog would. (Maybe all humans smell the same to them.) Then again, perhaps she was checking to be sure the dog wasn't out or just to be sure I was in a favorable mood. Who knows.

Lately she seems to be feeling better. She hasn't coughed [during a visit] for atleast 3 days now. That positive thinking sure is working well, everyone. She's still very skidish. She runs away more easily now, and sometimes won't listen to me when I try to tell her it's ok, like tonight when the motorcycle went by. I suspect that, given her condition, she is just feeling particularly vulnerable these days.

She's not scarfing her food down so hurridly lately but is eating at a more normal pace. Tonight she ate considerably more than usual. Knowing that she usually eats there, I had put more food at station #2, maybe 2cups or more. Still she consumed everything at station 2 and maybe 1/2 of what was at station 1. Tonight she also consumed a lot of water. Earlier I had cleaned and refilled the water in all of the basins. She made some 3 trips over to drink from the larger copper basin that's at ground level.

I like to watch them drink. They don't lap the water the way dogs and cats do. They drink more like horses, putting their faces almost horizontal above the water, their lower jaw below it and then just pulling the water in as though drinking from a giant straw.

Juliet came down to eat, and Heidi managed to send her back over the fence. When she 1st came down, Heidi growled menacingly several times. Still Juliet stayed on the ground a foot or so from the fence. When Heidi resumed eating, Juliet made her way over to the unused feeding station. Heidi growled and snarled again. Juliet thought better of the whole thing and walked back over near the fence post. Then as she stopped to test a dog biscuit I had tossed there earlier, Heidi charged her. From what I could see, it appeared as though Heidi stopped just short of Juliet, then turned and walked back to her dish. Just as I was wondering why Heidi had stopped short of the actual attack, Juliet walked over to the post, climbed it, and disappeared into the forest. I guess that was my answer. She had gotten her point across without actually fighting.

A little while later HRH showed up followed by Trouble. Heidi and HRH seem to carry similiar authority these days. Like 2 super powers, the mostly stay out of each others way. When he arrived Heidi had already finished the food at one station and was working on the other. This left HRH to wander about in search of "crumbs", but it was not until Heidi left the dish to go for water that he took her spot. When she returned, she did not try to take it back. I've noticed for a while now that raccoon ettiquette seems to dictate that whoever has something at the moment owns it. For instance, I've seen that when others are around the raccoon that "owns" the feeding station will hesitate to leave it even to retrieve a tasty treat nearby; an abandoned feeding station is fair game; one cannot retain ownership from afar.

A little while later HRH's newly acquired dish was empty. As he went out in search of food on the ground, he edged a little too close to Heidi. She snarled, and he beat a hasty retreat.

Ok, last night I was bad. I just couldn't help myself. To know Trouble is to love him. He's friendly and energetic. He has a lot of personality. He's that popular kid in school, not the snobby one, the one who's poplular because he's so much fun to have around, because something about his presence just seems to make everyone else feel good.

Trouble is very curious about me. He comes to me for food, but he also seems to want to know what's up with me, who I am, why I behave this way. He's just so full of vitality and curiousity about the world around him, and from the time he was a baby, I've been a part of that world.

Last night it was clear that he like the biscuits. I'd torn the 1st one into several pieces and tossed them about with the dog food, and he had walked around in search of them. Then I held the remaining biscuit out at arms length in front of me. At first he seemed to ignore me. Eventually, he came over. Again I held the biscuit out. He put his nose to it, sniffed it, but did not take it. He tried to move his nose around it as though to snif my hand closer. I moved my hand, and he stepped back a bit. In my other hand I extended a large dog biscuit. Again, he sniffed it but did not take it. Again, he seemed to want to get past the treat to sniff my hand.

He kept looking at me, at my hands, at my feet, and at the container beside me. It seemed as though he really wanted to come over and rifle through my stuff to see if maybe I had something else that he'd like even more, like maybe some of those yummy grapes or something. I dropped the biscuit on the ground, neither closer nor farther away but right where my hand had been. He reached down, retrieved it, and ran back a ways to eat it. He had had his nose pressed against it when it was in my hand but had not taken it. In his world I guess maybe it's considered rude to take something out of another animal's paw; afterall, the one who has it at the moment owns it.

Tonight since I had filled both feeding stations I had purposely avoided tossing a lot of food about on the ground. I still had a few cups of dog food in my container and 2 pockets full of dog biscuits, however. By the time that Trouble came to dinner, Heidi had already eaten the food from 1.5 of the stations and was rummaging about for the handful of nuggets I'd tossed to her, and HRH was eating from the only station that still had food. He sized up the situation, checked the empty container just to be sure, and then without further hesitation, RAN around the compost pile to me almost as if he were my pet dog of many years. He stopped about 2 feet from my side, I tossed him a few handfuls of food, and he remained there eating for the duration.

As I mentioned earlier, HRH has recently started coming closer to me, not like Trouble, more like Heidi. He no longer looks at me with distrust like when he 1st showed up. Incredibly, considering that he's a new comer, I am now also able to reassure him about 85% of the time with "It's ok". Tonight when he 1st arrived on the scene, Heidi was still in possession of the only remaining dish, so he walked about in search of the dog biscuit I'd tossed to her earlier. I'd missed by a mile, and it had come to rest some 1/2 way between us. HRH picked it up and then, without eating, stood upright to peer at me. When he remained poised upright, looking at me for what seemed a rather longish time, I said, "It's ok". Immediately, and without further hesitation, he dropped down to all fours and began eating. Just as with Heidi earlier when she did not come down to eat until called, I wondered about HRH's odd behavior. Had he been uncertain that it was "me" until I spoke? Had he required voice to complete the Id? Or had he just wanted reassurance that I was in a friendly mood, and was inviting him to eat with us?

As to my decision last night to offer Trouble the biscuit from my hand, I know that was a bit risky. The biscuit was pretty large, and I held only the very edge between thumb and forefinger so that my hand and fingers were well out of the way. Above all, when dealing with them I am always, always careful to make sure that they always have an easy avenue for escape. I never allow myself to get between them and the forest, not even when there are miles of open space on either side for their retreat. And I never, ever try to touch them in any way, nor will I.

Cheryl, the usual reason citizens gave for refusing to take babies home to let mom retrieve them was, "my dog/cat will hurt it." Asked if they couldn't keep the dog or cat inside for a few hours, no, that was impossible. And then there were the citizens who didn't want to have to come back to the shelter if the mom failed to pick up the babies; they were not reassured by the statement that if the mom is alive, she will come. They had done their good deed by bringing in the animal/s, and they were done. I'd like to say that at least they were trying; but the fact is that in most cases, the babies are much much better off left where found.

I would also be very angry with your friend about that baby rabbit. Wild rabbits can literally die of fright simply from being handled gently, and this is true from the day they are born. Makes sense when you think that when they are picked up, it is usually by a predator and the picking up is the last thing they'll experience in this life. Unfortunately, baby bunnies are also unbelievably cute. At the shelter, we received wild baby bunnies almost daily in spring and summer; many would die very shortly after arrival, simply because the finder, the finder's spouse, friends, children, etc. had all cuddled the cute baby.

Good information on the coughing/worms, Karen, and it's certainly a possibility. I know the rehabbers used a livestock dewormer (because a very low volume was required) disguised in a favorite food to treat the coons. I can email a rehabber from my past for specifics if you want to try it, Cheryl; but I would not give it to Heidi until after the babies are born. If memory serves, deworming is safe at some stages of pregnancy but not others; better to wait until she's delivered.

If you have ToysRUs down there, Cheryl, they're a good source for inexpensive hard-sided kiddie wading pools. Shipping would cost a fortune and probably damage the pool in the process. KMart and WalMart usually have them also, but typically not until after Memorial Day. I just picked up a 60" pool at ToysRUs to use as a basis for a raised bed in an area that cannot be dug (enormous slab of underground rock): cost me $12.99, and they had a smaller version that was $9.99, I think.

I understand that you have a special soft spot for Trouble, and who can blame you? You know that I can't in good conscience recommend hand-feeding, but it sounds like you attempted it very carefully; and Trouble's wariness is a very healthy sign for all. Glad to hear that everyone is deferring to Heidi when she growls them off; and you're right, she wouldn't outright attack Juliet when the charge alone was effective. That's one of the lovely differences between the animals and our species: they only fight when nothing else works!

That encounter with Trouble is so sweet. Wonder why he wanted to smell your hands, feet? Maybe just because you are a different species and that's what animals do-smell each other. Interesting. Have you seen Fraidy lately? I received a new book today, The World of the Raccoon by Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III. He had had pet raccoons ever since he was young. I have only read short portions of the book, but it is written in readable (not scientific) style, so goes fast. I was reading the breeding and whelping section. He mentioned that at this time, children from her last litter, ie Fraidy could also be pregnant at this time. When this happens, the mother definitely runs the pregnant youngster out to find her own nest. That's why I'm wondering if you have seen Faidy? And if she might look pregnant. Might get a bit crowded if both Heidi and FRaidy bring new kits to visit. But we don't know that yet, so only time will tell. Not much else going on here, same visitors, same food. Little One still stays up in the tree now when I come out since on of the older ones came over and lit into her for her food, so I think she's afraid to come down now when I come out. We have the summer to work things out. Such interesting creatures. Karen

As to the idea that if Mom's alive she will come to get them, it never ceases to amaze me that people think only we (human's) have the capacity to love our children with all our hearts. Any time the subject comes up I am reminded of the cat some 5+ yrs ago - some of you may have seen this as it was on the news - who was seen by firefighters as she was dragging her last kitten out of a burning building. All of the kittens were safe. The mom was burned so badly she couldn't see, but she lived, and her story was so incredibly heart warming and inspirational that people were lining up to pay her vet bills and adopt her. My eyes still well up as I fight to hold back the tears every time I recall the story.

I guess you and Karen are right about de-worming. I was so sure that no vet would prescribe anything without seeing her, but I forgot that worm medicine for horses and such is readily available without prescription. If you get the info, I'll try to give it to her after she deliver - and weans them. I'll probably have to worm "everybody" since it's hard to control who gets what, but they probably all need it anyhow. I'll also have to pay attention to see what she likes (other than dry dog food) that it can be mixed with. (I'm recalling my horse who despite the size of his lips in comparison to the tiny granules of de-wormer was able to eat every spec of his sweet feed and leave every granule of medicine behind.)

Yeah, I fully expected to get fussed at for offering Trouble the biscuit by hand. You know I started out by admitting that I was bad. I don't plan to make a habit of it. The biscuit was so large, it seemed a calculated risk - every now and then in life you have to live a little bit dangerously - so you know for sure you're still alive. Anyhow, he'd already been closer to me - a few nights ago when he sneaked up on me while I was watching Fraidy and then I looked down to find him sniffing the back of my hand - you know how stealthy they are, how they make a ninja look noisy and clumsy. Trouble is the only one who gets so close. I always have to keep an eye on him. He'll sneak up on the side. It's like he's so curious.

ToysRUs! Great idea, thanks. I'll go there this weekend to check for one. Sometimes I'm just lazy and don't want to waste time in traffic, so I let the UPS guy bring stuff. He's coming this way anyhow. Given the space shortage, I'd prefer the smaller size unless you think that will make for arguments. Even though it isn't obvious in the photos, fully 80% of the back yard is covered in flowers, shrubs, etc. I just keep taking photos of them in the same spot where they eat. A large pool would cover up the whole area leaving no room for feeding. Also, there's a berm back there just above where the dishes are located. The wider the pool is the more likely that it will end up on an incline. Lastly, I find that after a few raccoons shower in it, the water in the copper basin needs to be replaced; a smaller pool would better fascilitate frequent changing of the water.

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention this, but a few weeks ago I took one of Widget's toys out there to see if he would play outside. It was a small (< tennis ball) stuffed bird with a squeaker inside, brilliant red, fuzzy, with bright yellow wings. I threw it across the yard where it landed in a tall patch of clover. Widget refused to play. He loves to play inside, but thinks outside is only for...well, you know. I was feeling lazy that day so I didn't go pick the toy up. The next day I went to get it - because I really liked that red birdie - but could not find it. Even though I brushed the clover aside with my hands, I still didn't see it. I thought it must just be hidden in the clover. On the 2nd day, because I didn't want to leave it out in the rain and such, I got out the string trimmer and cut the clover down - the bird was GONE! Haven't seen it since. The backyard is fenced and gated. No one has been back there, no dog, nothing except the critters, and remember the bird was cardinal red with lemon yellow wings so it wouldn't get overlooked easily. So in the 2 days it was out there, something took it. I don't know that it was the raccoons, and given that they are all adults now, I would not have expected it, but something took it.

To be honest, Karen, I'm a bit confused between Fraidy and Juliet. Both stay well away from me and as they look similiar and both are small, it's hard to tell them apart. One or the other of them comes by every few days or so and gets pushed around a lot and run off by the others. Either way, that one is likely a female, and Heidi is determined to chase her off. That one, who ever she is, is afraid of Heidi, so I'm hopeful that in time Heidi will be able to run her off.

I think Trouble is just very curious. I figure they "see" as much with their noses as with their eyes. He's also likely looking around for his next treat, checking for grapes, etc. I was surprised when he wouldn't take the biscuit until I put it down, but I guess that makes sense really. I guess snatching it out of my hand might seem rude, might provoke a fight.

I am very much amazed at how incredibly non-violent raccoons are, choosing violence only as the absolute last choice when all other options have been exhausted.

You didn't know that the coons enjoy dog toys? They surely do; and though it's hard to catch them at play unless you're living with them as a rehabber, it's a riot to watch. The toys have a very very short life expectancy, however....

I'm sure the smallest pool will do just fine for the coon crowd; I was tempted by it, but as always, opted for the larger to fit in more plants. Would also be much easier to transport the small one by car; the 60" number took creative fitting even in my old minivan. Weighs nothing, but is large. And you're right, the smaller would be much easier to dump; the big ones are heavy when full, and create a local mud flat until the ground absorbs the water. Of course, unless you're trying the fish adventure, you don't need to put in more than an inch or two of water.

I'll email my old rehabber friends to find out what wormer they used, and the dosage. As I recall, the stuff they used came in a big syringe and was paste-like in texture, not granules. Don't know if that makes it easier or harder. You could give it to her any time after she delivers; gives the kits an earlier start on worming. This might be the easiest time to get her to eat it, actually, since she will be very hungry and won't have time to hunt/forage any more than essential.

The thought that only humans totally love their offspring is truly ludicrous, when you think about it; no animal would abandon their baby in a dumpster, shake it to death, or some of the other wonders perpetrated on occasion by our species. I do remember that story about the mother cat, and it really says it all about the way animals defend and care for their young.

Wasn't really fussing with you about offering Trouble the biscuit by hand, you know; just feel like my role here is to provide the voice of caution and reason. This despite the fact that I'm equally susceptible to their charm. If you ever get the chance/time to work with rehabbers, you will not believe how endearing the baby coons are at the age when they'd still be nest-bound, and they already have an amazing vocabulary of sounds at that age.

Whoa----just had a terrible raccoon fight outside. I ran out with the flashlight but couldn't see who it was, they were up above in the upper woods where the flashlight didn't reach. There was horrible growling, screaming etc. And I swear there were other noises like little screeches (that's not the right word, but I don't know how to explain it), too. Three sounds--2 fighting and some others (maybe youngsters?? I don't know) making another, kind of squeeling sound. I'm not dumb enough to head out there now at 1am but will go out tomorrow morning and look around. I usually find nothing. But when I yelled out to stop it, they eventually did and all was surprisingly quiet. I did find several eyes reflecting from the trees, hiding from the sound, as well as Little One here in the tree. I'll check to see if any are back eating before I go to bed.
Had my heart pounding.
Anyhow, I think it is really cute that Trouble is very curious about you. Maybe one day he will take that biscuit. I would keep trying, but then I am a softie for youngsters. I am interested in finding out about the worming, also. I am wondering if it isn't Panacur, as that's what we use for the dogs. You have to use a bigger dose for the dogs than the horses, actually mine get about 1/2 the smaller sized horse tube/dog for 3 days. So will be interesting to see the raccoon dose. Off to bed early tonight. Karen

Sounds like a bit of raccoon love in your neck of the woods tonight, Karen; they really sound like they're killing each other. Not at all romantic: they have that in common with cats, who also sound like armageddon. I'll let you both know when I hear about the dewormer; the rehabbers are unbelievably busy this time of year, so may take a bit to hear back.

I remember when they 1st introduced the peanut butter consistency stuff in the tube. It was intended to solve the problem I described in which the horse ate everything but the medicine. With the new stuff, you put the point of the tube in the horses mouth and squirted the stuff onto the roof of his mouth. Like pb, he couldn't spit it out, he had to lick it off the roof of his mouth. That worked pretty well for horses, but ...I'm not going to try that with Heidi. ;-)

Ruth, I meant the "fussing" thing in a nice way. :-)

When dealing with live animals of any kind, humans included, you just never know what may happen. I just got through mentioning how I careful I am to never get between the raccoons and the forest so they always have an escape route. It never occurred to me that the danger might come FROM the forest...

Tonight everybody was eating peacefully, well except Heidi who was growling at Juliet, but that's the norm. At the moment, Trouble and HRH were eating from the ground in the center area in front of me. Trouble was about 3ft from me with HRH a bit farther back. Suddenly, something behind them and to my right scared them. It all happened so fast. I didn't see what happened, but judging from the direction I'm inclined to think they were fleeing from Heidi as she attacked Juliet (who was behind them).

I think HRH jumped forward to avoid the commotion and that sent Trouble, who was in front of him, running. In a flash, Trouble ran TOWARD ME then cut to the left of me where he ran between my leg and a couple of potted plants just about 1ft away. He brushed my pants leg as he ran by me on his way to climb the weeping willow tree. By the time he reached the base of the tree, he realized the crisis had abated. He stood there for a few minutes with his body poised to ascend the tree and his head looking back to assess the situation.

When he came back, realizing that the threat was over, he walked on the other side of the flower pots, but earlier when he was fleeing from some imaginary demon in the forest, he had been as cavalier about his proximity to me as my own dog might have been.

The whole episode happened so fast that I did not have time to react before Trouble was already upon me. At that point, instinctively I felt it best to remain motionless, to let him go wherever he was going and not get in the way. In horseback riding, once you know that you are falling, the best thing you can do is go limp. No matter how many legs and hooves you see around you your best bet is to go limp and remain passive, and let the horse(s) handle not stepping on you. I figured this situation was similiar.

Anyhow, it all worked out fine and everyone went back to eating. So much for not getting between them and the forest.

At one point tonight, the one that I think is probably Fraidy came down very briefly. Heidi won't let her join us, and even with Heidi as much as 20 ft away, she won't chance it. Once Heidi growls at her, she goes back over the fence where she came from. Sometimes she will come down one fence post and then in response to Heidi's threats will walk along hugging the fence for about 2 sections and then go back up a different fence post, but either way she always leaves.

Tonight she did surprise me though. I had taken some large whole wheat "wraps" (tortillas) out, torn the whole stack into 4 or 5 large multi-layer pieces and tossed them about on the ground. Trouble, who seems fond of the carbs, was eating them. This time before Fraidy ran back up the fence she made a most daring dash right out into the middle of the feeding area, grabbed a large chunk of the tortillas, and then ran back over the fence tortillas in tow. She didn't come back, but this time she did get a sizeable snack.

A little while later Juliet showed up - everyone made it to dinner tonight. By the time she showed up, Trouble was eating from station #1 and Heidi was at station #2 (where I've been putting a sizeable amount since she usually goes there and I know she doesn't like to join the crowd). Juliet doesn't eat with us every day. She must have been pretty hungry. She kept circling Trouble. She REALLY wanted that dish (and nobody's crazy enough to try to take Heidi's dish these days).

Finally, Juliet made her move to take the dish. What ensued was (once again) not at all what I would have expected. They "wrestled" over the dish for a little while, not with teeth and claws but with their bodies. They reminded me of 2 kids fighting over the same chair. As though there were some imaginary spot in front of the dish that signified ownership, their bodies met longways and each kept trying to push the other aside. In time the dish itself became a casualty of this shoving match, standing vertical between their faces and front paws at one point and flipped over the next.

With the dish thus emptied of its contents, the scuffle ended abrubtly, and Trouble came over to see what I might have for him. Luckily I had a handful of grapes left from the other night and a pack of peanuts I'd picked up from the vending machine at work today.

Bet that little uproar got your adrenaline going, didn't it? You did exactly the right thing, i.e. nothing at all. You're right: when it goes south in a situation with animals, going limp is the best possible response. Great description of the mock fight over the food bowl, showing once again that animals will really fight only as a last resort. Glad it all ended well, and that Fraidy (we presume) at least got a snack.

a lil OT here... but when do you ladies sleep??
i turn into a pumpkin by 10pm!!

enjoying the stories emensly (sp?) [i can't find the spell checker on this thing]

cheryl -- loved the description of Trouble... the kid in school everybody loves.
and secretly -- i too would have tried to give him the biscuit, even though we know we shouldn't... 'coons can be so inquisitive.

as for the "ruckus" in the forrest... i never knew that was mating! i hear it every now and then... and it sounds like a horrible fight.

I wonder if Fraidy is pregnant too, and Heidi senses that.

i'll be eagerly awaiting tonights saga....

Terese

Hi Terese,

You still sleep? That's so last decade! Haven't you heard? ;-D

I think we are all night owls here. I WISH I couldn't stay awake past 10PM. I can sleep like a baby at 10AM anyday.

Thanks, glad you are enjoying the adventures of Heidi and friends!

Now, about that spelling problem. I can't spell much of anything myself. Too many rules, exceptions to rules, exceptions to the exceptions ... So, New Rule, for all Heidi threads spelling is optional! Anytime you don't know the spelling, just wing it. We'll figure it out. :)

Ok, seems I've created a bunch of little monsters. At the very least I think it's clear that "my" raccoons are not starving. Today I finally made a run to the grocery store, so I got started on clearing out the fridge. Amassed such a bounty that I had to use a box to cart it all out there: a package of "fresh" (but dated) pasta - chicken and sun dried tomatoe whole wheat ravioli, microwaved for the raccoons; 3 old Hardee's plain biscuits found in bag in fridge; 1 slice cornbread from local BBQ place; 4 nectarines and 1 peach that had clearly been picked and shipped before their time; 1/2 large can Alpo dog food; 4 raw eggs which I picked up today per Ruth's suggestion; and, thankfully, a few cups of the trusty dog food nuggets.

Because I wanted to see how the egg thing went over, tonight I rearranged the feeding stations to get Heidi back over to where I could watch. Although there was still ample space between them it was not sufficient to avoid discord, so I'll need to put her dish back where it was for tomorrow. Tonight's arrangement did afford me a good view not only of the egg scenario but of her eating preferences in general. Two things were clear tonight: Heidi REALLY likes to eat from her dish and she REALLY, REALLY likes the dry dog food.

I covered the bottom of each dish with the dry dog food, tossed in a few spoonfuls of canned dog food, put 1/2 of the cornbread slice in each along with a biscuit and one of the large 4x4" ravioli squares, and topped each with a large, fresh egg. Just to be sure they would "get" the egg concept, I had lightly chipped the end of each egg for improved aroma. The chip/crack on each was so small and so slight than no fluid escaped. I set 1 nectarine beside each dish and kept the remaining food in the box beside me on the bench, the idea being that I could then parcel out additional items to each raccoon depending on his/her prefereneces.

Heidi was 1st out tonight as is usually the case. She cast a disapproving glance at the empty space where her dish usually resides, but quickly altered her course and pulled up a seat at the new location. That's when her dissatisfaction with evening menu became most apparent. The dish seen in the recent photos is the dish from station #1 where Trouble now eats; Heidi's dish is slightly larger than but roughly shaped like a 1 pint freezer container. She looked in, sniffed around, and her displeasure with this fare was palpable even from a distance.

Then she sat back on her haunches, reached in to the side of the dish with both paws and withdrew a nugget of dog food. Ahhh. Now she was happy again. She continued reaching in, always with 2 hands, feeling around a bit, and each time withdrawing another dog food nugget to eat. Seeing this, I was instantly sorry that I had not brought more dog food and that I had not put more of it into her dish. Quickly, I got the remaining dog food from my box and tossed it around her to make sure she had enough.

Still, as Heidi very much prefers to eat from her dish, despite all the dogfood at her feet, she continued to dig around in the bottom of the container in search of clean dog food. In time, she tilted the container and shoveled the "refuse" off the top. As she continued rummaging around for those last few nuggets she looked very much like a little kid with her hand in the bottom of the ceral box in search of the marshmallow treats or chocolate bits or whatever.

Not to be deterred her favorite meal or from eating it out of a dish, when her container was devoid of dog food nuggets, she walked right over all the dog food I'd deposited on the ground around her and went right over to the other dish to dig the dog food out of that one. Finally, after a time she picked up the egg, put it down on the ground beside the dish and proceeded to eat it very quietly and deftly and without making any of the mess I would have expected. She appeared to puncture it with her bottom front teeth and then suck the egg out. The whole thing was incredibly well executed, so much so that from my location some 10-12 ft away she appeared to be doing nothing at all, just sitting there with her face resting on the egg. Finally, although I still did not hear or see any other evidence of what was happening, I began to notice that her nose was dissappearing lower into the egg. When she withdrew her face, only a broken shell remained. Unfortunately, at least while I was out there, she did not eat the shell.

As I still had 2 eggs in my box, when she had finished the egg, I took a chance, called her name softly to get her attention and avoid scaring her, and then gave an egg a slight toss and roll so that it made contact with the grass about 1 foot in front of me and then rolled right over toward her. As I am not that good a pitcher, it went rolling, undamaged about a foot and a half beside her. Even as it was still rolling, she recognized it and ran over to retrieve it. That part of the operation went incredibly well. She ate the 2nd egg, and I tossed her a third with similiar results.

By that time Trouble and Juliet had arrived. They argued over the remaining dish a bit, but since Heidi had already dumped most of the food out of both dishes, pretty soon everyone was rummaging about like folks eating finger food at a party. Everyone had his or her preferences. With all other options exhausted, Heidi wandered about in search of the remaining dog food nuggets from the ground. Trouble was especially fond of the chicken and sun dried tomatoe ravioli. He grabbed the ravioli square from each dish in turn taking it over a ways to sit and eat his find. After that I tossed additional ravioli squares out onto the lawn. Each time he found one, his enthusiasm was obvious. After a time, he grabbed his last ravioli and ran back to the forest with it.

Juliet loved the fruit. She in turn went from plate to plate grabbing the nectarine from each before moving into the center lawn to eat the rest of the fruit I had tossed there. Later she ate the biscuits and, finally, just before I left, she was seen licking the egg shells Heidi had left behind. There was still one uneaten egg which no one touched. It appeared as though the younger raccoons either did not recognize the eggs for what they were, were unaware of the treasure within.

Despite the plethera of food all over that section of lawn, Heidi continued to wander about far and wide in search of the last dog food nugget, and when it was gone, she quietly returned to the forest having eaten only dog food and eggs. I guess I'll have to make sure to always take dog food out for her from now on. Except for the grapes she enjoyed the other day and the eggs today, she has otherwise shown no interest in much of anything else recently.

Tonight, watching Heidi dig those dog food nuggets out of the bottom of the container was the highlight of the evening. She was quite adorable and, oh, so, determined not to change her diet. Earlier, I mentioned that I seem to have created a bunch of little monsters only because of the picky manner in which they each shopped for just the right menu items. They were like a bunch of hauty little gourmands dining at some posh restaurant. Now let me see, I'll have the...No, tell me, how are the nectarines this evening? Is the ravioli made with free range chicken?

Yes, indeed, they are quite unique creatures, each with personality to spare!

The kids just sound so cute. My hubby got a big red light out there now, and I have been watching off and on since 11 pm. There always seems to be at least one raccoon hovering about the feeding area. One already emptied all the shell peanuts from the squirrel feeder, much to the anoyance of the flying squirrels. By the time they got a chance to get in, I think they only got about one peanut left. Little One has been harder to track lately as now she is using different trees to hang around in. I did find the site of the fight/breeding from last night-no bodies or blood, so I guess it wasn't as bad as it sounded. Not much else so off to bed (gotta use my cpap machine I've had now for 3 weeks!). I'll try to attach a pic of Little One-it is very hard to see as I took it at night and had to mess around with the picture to get her to show up in the dark. That's it. Night. Karen

One more of Little One. Karen

You know that old country epithet, "you egg-sucking (dog/whatever)?" Now you know where it came from: farmers are all too familiar with finding those very clean and neat shells in the henhouse. Of course, if the younger coons decide to try it, it will be much much messier until they get the knack of it.

I second the wish that I could sleep at 10 pm; now 10 am, yeah, that works just fine.

Little One is a beauty, Karen!

This weekend I decided that I need to spend a little less time with the raccoons. I enjoy them so much, but I also have lots of other things to do. Between the time I sometimes spend waiting for them to arrive and the time it takes for all 3-5 of them to eat, well, it doesn't leave a lot of time most evenings for anything else. I've been reluctant to just leave the food because I want to make sure that Heidi gets enough. Lately, however, it looks like she's managing to handle the situation(s) fine. So, I decided to limit my time with them to maybe 3 nights/week.

Tonight I decided to leave the food. I took out dog food, moved Heidi's bowl back over to the side where it used to be, and filled it almost to the top, some 2-3x the amount I usually put in her dish. I figured that way she could stay over there by herself, eat her fill, and the others could finish it off when she left.

It was still light out so I walked about a bit taking photos of my flowers after I left the food.
Widget was with me. Just an aside, but after a time I heard a crunching sound and looked up to see Widget back there eating from Heidi's dish (Heidi hadn't arrived yet.).He was just munching away. This would be the same Widget for whom I recently spent $$ to buy him the best quality food, Wisconsin duck, sweet potatoes, vegetables, apples, no grains - and there he was over there eating the cheap stuff with who knows what in it. Go figure. And when I tried to call him, he wouldn't come. I had to "threaten" him. (When he ignores a command, I say "bad" and he knows that means "don't make me tell you again.")

So by the time I finished taking pictures it was getting dark. Well, then I figured I might as well go check on Heidi...ok, so she wasn't there yet, but I figured I'd wait 1 minute...and you know the rest, I'm sure. Tommorrow night I'll just leave the food...

Heidi came down, went over to her usual spot, and started eating. She had a whole bowl of dog food. I felt good.

As her time nears, it seems she's getting increasingly hostile towards the others. When Trouble arrived, and, as usual, ignored her threats, she left her dish and ran over to the bottom of the post he was trying to come down. I was concerned for her, but I guess I needn't be. Seeing her at the bottom of the post growling, Trouble went back up the post, waited for her to go back to her food, then walked 20 ft farther down the fence and came down again. He went to his usual dish, and started eating.

A little while later Juliet arrived. This time I had only kept a small amount of food. Juliet came over to me, so I tossed her what food I had. A few minutes later Fraidy arrived. (More on this issue at a later time.) You know, Karen, I think maybe Fraidy IS pregnant, too. She's very small, about the size of a fox, and very narrow; but now she is becoming increasingly assertive. Tonight she really surprised me.

As usual, everybody tried to run Fraidy off. Tonight, although she ran a bit here and a bit there, she didn't leave. Seeing that there was no available food around, much to my astonishment, she came to me. It was the 1st time she had ever done this and I felt terrible that I had nothing to offer her. So, then, determined to eat tonight, Fraidy backed up a bit and shifted to one side so that she was standing in front of Juliet who was also near and infront of me. Next, executing a move she must surely have learned from her mom, Fraidy crouched down such that her rear was directly in front of Juliets face and her body was covering the food Juliet was trying to eat! I'd seen this maneuver before, so I knew what came next, and sure enough moments later Fraidy began to scoot back ever so slightly, at once pushing Juliet farther back and exposing the food for herself. Amazingly, it worked. Juliet wandered off and soon left all together.

It was about that time that I was surprised and a bit frightened to hear some serious growling coming from the back side of the composter near me. Heidi emerged making that wild boar sound. For an instant, I was scared. I didn't understand why she had even come around that way much less what she wanted or why she was growling. At 1st I thought she was growling at me.

She came toward me, looking, searching. Then I realized. She wanted an egg! Last night in addition to the egg I had put in each dish, I had rolled to eggs to her across the lawn. She had come to see if I would give her an egg! She had been growling at Fraidy who was over there with me. Heidi wanted to see if I would give her an egg, and she wanted Fraidy to get away from me - I guess I'm like a 3rd feeding station.

I was so touched that she had come to me. She hasn't been very friendly lately. Of course, I understand completely. Some things transcend species boundaries. Still it was nice to be acknowledged and even sought out for a change. I was sorry I hadn't brought an egg or 2 along. I'd bought 3 dozen, but last night she'd seemed so focused on the dog food I hadn't realized how much she apparently DID like those eggs.

Seeing that I had no egg, she went over and tood Trouble's dish away from him. She sure was acting odd tonight. Trouble just walked over and resumed eating at her dish. She had left dog food in her dish and now she was over there eating dog food from Trouble's dish. How strange. She didn't normally do this. AhHa! Last night I had put an egg in each dish. Finding no egg in her dish, and upon getting no egg from me, she had taken Troubles dish to see if he had gotten the egg(s).

With that I rose slowly and went back for that egg. I figured she would almost certainly be gone by the time I returned but I took a chance. As I returned with an egg, more dog food for Fraidy, and the end cap of a watermelon I'd meant to bring out earlier, Heidi was still there. She had left the dish and was nosing around the egg shells left from last night. For some reason, even though they will sometimes meet me 1/2 way across the yard when I arrive late to feed them, when I come out while they are eating they will almost always run away. I guess that scenario puts them in the "humans coming out to chase us off" part of their code.

As I approached, Heidi raised her head and looked at me. It was touch and go for a while there as she looked like she might take flight any minute. When I was just a few feet from the bench, she headed for the fence. I called to her. She stopped. Quickly, I sat down and rolled the egg across the lawn. As soon as she saw it, she came running to grab it. I was so happy! :D

Heidi ate her egg, but she didn't get to enjoy it in peace this time. Fraidy had run out of food (which is why I brought more). Fraidy hid in the plants to one side and bothered Heidi the whole time Heidi was trying to eat the egg. In an effort to break that up, I put the watermelon down in front of me and as far forward as possible without scaring anyone. Then I tossed the extra dog food there as well. Seeing this new food, Fraidy went well around Heidi and around the composter to come over to eat the food I had just put down in front of me.

Despite the fact that Heidi had the egg and a dish of food, she left both to chaise Fraidy. I was about to worry about becoming colateral damage in what looked like a potentially nasty brawl, but by the time Heidi reached Fraidy she began to cough and wheeze considerably and was thus forced to withdraw to the sideline to try to catch her breath. Unfortunately, while Heidi was incapacitated Fraidy stole what remained of the egg.

Ruth, clearly eggs are a big hit. I'm glad you recommended them. I'll be sure to take them out more often. Also, as it seems like the others aren't leaving, I think I might as well set up at least 4 bowls. Maybe that will help to cut down on disputes.

Heidi went back over to her original dish. Trouble had already left for the evening. Fraidy who was on a roll tonight came over to eat from the watermelon which was some 1.5 ft from my feet. I sat very still as she lapped up the liquid and then began scraping the remaining fruit from the rind with her teeth. Here newly found bravado was astounding.

All in all, it was a pretty fun night...for a night when I was supposed to just leave the food.

Aren't those nights the best? Tonight I hadn't put water out for them, forgot. And I noted on the video cam they were looking for water, so I got my headlight and my flashlight and headed off to give them some water. I keep some peanuts in my pocket in case some one wants to get close, but we haven't gotten there by a mile yet. Little one was at her tree eating, and let me pass surprisingly close to her before she moved up the tree a little. When I got to the feeding area-there had been 2 coons there, they were up trees, I could see their eyes. At least they didn't run away into the forest. I put the water out and began to walk away, when I got up to the edge of the dog run (about 20-25 feet away), I turned around and just watched. Flashlight off and just headlight on. Two of them crawled down the trees and went back to eating their dog food. I talked to them, they looked up at me and kept on eating. I stood there for quite awhile watching them. When they heard something, I said the ever-soothing phrase (it seems), "it's ok." And they went back to eating. So this was kind of a good night for me, no one has ever come back down to eat until I was well onto the porch. I can't really get close enough or tell on the video whether anyone is pregnant. I think they should have had their kits by now. Anyhow, they still are pretty hungry. Eat their stuff, the peanuts in the squirrel feeder, and whatever bird seed is left on the ground around there. I was happy.
So now what makes you think Fraidy might be pregnant, too. Because of her suddenly agressive behavior? Book says that pregnant yearlings usually do have small litters, so she wouldn't show as much as Heidi, presumedly.
Anyhow, glad you had a good night. Karen

AS for being night owls-I worked for over 10 years in nursing on the night shift. Got used to eating lunch at 3am. I still (even tho been retired about 9 years) get hungry at 3am. Very hard to break this cycle. Anyhow right now I am going to bed just a little bit earlier (maybe 1:30, read a little) and fall asleep. 3 weeks ago they delivered my CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which I have to use when I lie down to keep me breathing during sleeping time. They found I had sleep apnea. So it seems my body is trying to catch up on REM sleep I have missed over the years, so I have been very sleepy and napping frequently during the day and evening. Still most alert at night, but getting sleepy now--so off to get some REM time :-) I am having some weird dreams--but at least I am dreaming now! So off to snack before bed. Night. Karen

Karen -- Forgot to mention LittleOne is a lovely "lady". I know you must be glad that you can see out there again and take photos.

I need to get to bed - get the week of to a good start. Just had to comment on how smart the raccoons are and how fast they learn. Lately Heidi just comes to eat, stays off by herself, growls and grumbles a lot, and leaves. Last night I enjoyed having her dish over with the rest of us for a change. I don't get to interact with her very much these days. When I put her dish back in its original place tonight, I expected her to be happy over there by herself. Lately, no doubt due in part to her condition, she hasn't been very "social".

Any other night she would have eaten, grumbled, and left. Tonight she wasn't all that happy over there, after all. There was no egg in her dish, and she was concerned that the others were over there with me and they were going to get all of the eggs, so she had been particularly fussy with everyone, trying to run them off. She had come over to join us for a change so she could "ask" for an egg. She had stolen Trouble's dish because last night she had found an egg there as well.

I'm just amazed at how much she remembered the details of last night even down to the egg in Trouble's dish and at her ability to "reason" about those details: come to me for an egg, check Trouble's dish for an egg. I think she shows considerable intelligence. She's not just bumbling through life, not just repeating the same actions. She's showing intent.

My but they are such intriguing creatures.

I am wondering if her time is pretty near with her actions. What do you think? Karen

Karen, hope the new machine will produce lots of positive improvement for you. Getting enough sleep is so important; I've long since decided it's better to function on a weird schedule than trying to live "normally" at the cost of constant sleep deprivation. Most people find that indescribably weird, but it works for me.

Cheryl, glad the eggs are such a hit, especially with Heidi; the protein will do her a lot of good. Trying four food bowls can't hurt, though I suspect Heidi may still try to eat from all of them, just to prove that she can. At this stage, she needs to appear invulnerable to the other coons.

If Fraidy is becoming so much more assertive about food, it's possible that she is pregnant. That should do wonders for her self-confidence.

Hey, it's a given that raccoons are intelligent and good at problem-solving; how else would they dismantle all those bird feeders?? I think it's one of the reasons coons always fascinated more than some of the other wildlife; you can watch them think things through and come up with an approach that works. Good luck with the earlier to bed; hope it gets the week off to a better start for you.

great stories ladies... i'm enjoying them .... Cheryl... the night when you listed the "menu" -- i was reading it to my Dh... he said, "tell her we're coming over for dinner." They eat quite well... but it better than tossing the food when you dont eat it.

as for sleeping.... for me, sleeping IN is about 8am. I've always been an early riser (something i got from my mom) and i still have 1 kid in HS, and i have to make sure he doesn't over sleep... so i'm up around 5:50 ... I find even when it's not a school day, i'm waking around 6am. some times i wish i could sleep late... but i do usually get 7.5 - 8 good hrs.

terese

edit -- changed "it" to IN

This message was edited Apr 30, 2007 2:40 PM

Terese, I am soooooooooooo jealous. Good for you. Karen (the always tired)

Karen -- I've given up on guessing how close we are to Heidi's due date. I would have sworn it was the day a few times already. She just keeps getting larger and larger. Now when she sits, she is almost round with arms like TRex. When she stands she is the width of 2.5-3 raccoons. I had hoped that by feeding her I would help her to deliver healthier babies, maybe avoid having any underweight ones. I think maybe I've also allowed her to get bigger than would normally be possible in the wild.

I've mentioned before that she labors a bit on the way up the fence. Lately, I've begun to notice that she's having difficulty coming down the fence. The come down face 1st. I'm still trying to figure out how that works, what (other than some pretty fierce claws) keeps the front feet from sliding under the weight. Anyhow she is starting to have "load shifting" problems coming down. With so much weight on the back end, her body shifts to one side and starts to "spin out" like when the back end of a car starts to slide to one side. When she tries to correct it, her weight shift to the other side and the whole process repeats. Most of the time now she ends up jumping from the top 1/3 of the post to the ground because she can't control this load shifting problem.

BTW, I meant to tell you that the other night when you posted and then I posted right after you, I wasn't ignoring you. I was writing while you were posting, so I didn't see your post until after I posted mine. By then it was so late and I was too tired to "talk" anymore. I had to get to bed. Glad to hear that things are going so well with your gang. It seems like you are making a lot of progress.

Terese -- LOL. Yes, I do have some well fed raccoons. I have a bad habit of buying things and then forgetting to use them before they expire or get freezer burn or whatever. I'm trying to do better, but in the mean time this habit makes for some fat and sassy raccoons. Last summer I fed her, among other things, a lb of Boar's Head roast beef (freezer burn), a pkg of Gorgonzola (expired), a round of Gouda (same). I get so upset with myself when I find that I've let something yummy like that go bad. Atleast now I get to enjoy offering it to my new furry friends.

The last few nights have been so incredible that I don't even know where to begin to tell you about them. I've still not managed to skip a single night even though I've tried (honest, I have). Everything in my little raccoon kingdom has been turned around and upside down. I'm still trying to figure out what prompted all of the change.

Ruth, if I had had the time to respond to your post the other night, I would have said that Heidi doesn't mess with the other raccoon's dishes. She just sits over there in her corner, eats, and leaves. She fusses and argues, tries to keep them from coming into the yard at all, tries to keep them away from the water, but otherwise doesn't mess with them or interact with me. That's what I WOULD have said, if I'd had time to respond on Sunday night. But now, everything has been spun on its head.

Monday I was determined to take the night off from Raccoon watching (not an easy thing to do, BTW). I came home and busied myself with other things. Suddenly I realized that it was time for me to drop off the food - without staying. When I walked outside Heidi and Fraidy (I'm pretty sure - sometimes I have trouble telling the difference between Fraidy and Juliet when they aren't together) met me just a few steps from the patio. They were sort of race walking across the lawn while simultaneously doing the pushing/shoving thing. They could easily have been 2 10 yr old girls, each trying to get to some "treat" first.

They bordered on comical, and the rest of the evening would be no different. I did not know from one minute to the next whether to hug them, fuss at them, laugh at them, or feel sorry for them. Oh, and of course, they were growling - or one of them was, probably Heidi. For a month or more, Heidi has all but ignored me completely. Now suddenly she - along with the one that was usually afraid of everthing - was about to run me over. It was still daylight, too, BTW.

Somehow I managed to get past them and get across the yard to my bench with them in tow, still pushing and shoving, each trying to get closer to me than the other. This new behavior was so unexpected that my old fears of rabies were quickly resurrected. When I got to the bench, I looked down at 2 faces, each with this, "me, me" look, each seemingly vying for my attention. Unable to easily get past the two of them to fill the dishes, I tossed a handful of dry dogfood on the lawn before me.

They scrambled for the food as though they were starving, pushing, shoving, and gobbling food. Seeing that they had no water, I went back for the hose, and they ran back to the forest. While they were gone, I filled the food bowls as well as the water basins. As soon as I sat back down on the bench, they came streaming over the fence as though they were part of a steeple chase.

There were 2 of them and 2 dishes, so imagine my surprise when they rushed right past both dishes still pushing and shoving like elementary school kids and came back to eat and fight over the food at my feet. It was as though I had been "discovered". Suddenly, I was a commodity. Heidi seemed genuinely jealous. The night before Fraidy had learned to come to me and get treats. Now Heidi was acting jealous of the treats that Fraidy was getting. They were so busy wrestling over who could get closer to me that they completely ignored the 3rd raccoon (either Trouble or Juliet, couldn't see well over there as it was beginning to get dark) when he/she came down and started eating from one of the bowls - the bowls that neither of them seemed interested in.

I had a couple of eggs in my pocket (unchipped). I tried to roll one over to Heidi - she and Fraidy had momentarily seperated a bit on the lawn before me. The egg hit a bump in the lawn and made an unexpected turn toward Fraidy. In a flash, Fraidy grabbed it. Quickly, I scrambled to get a 2nd egg to Heidi before a fight broke out. In my rush, I ended up tossing it a bit too accurately and too hard. Amazingly undaunted by this attempt to bowl her over, Heidi grabbed her egg.

Fraidy wrapped her entire face around the egg such that for a few minutes I was sure I would get to see the egg burst spewing raw egg everywhere, but after a few failed attempts to puncture the shell, Fraidy gave up on the egg and resumed her pursuit of dog food on the ground in front of me. At that point, Heidi who was 1/2 way through eating her egg, walked away from it to join Fraidy.

The 2 continued this strange behavior until I left. From time to time, Heidi would chase Fraidy away from me. Fraidy would go over and eat from one of the bowls for a few minutes only to return, starting the whole struggle anew.

Kind of interesting that they are acting like jealous school girls. Wonder why Heidi didn't finish the egg. Mine like eggs. On a rare day, I put out one or two and they are all gone except a few shells. Wonder what changed Heidi's attitude to let Fraidy come around her to eat (even if growling). Wildlife is surely fascinating. It is raining here with thunder and lightening, so I have not gone out to see what's happening. Rain doesn't usually stop them from eating. I also wonder what would happen if Heidi had trouble whelping and needed a c-section since she is that big. Not much else new here. Karen

Tonight I took out the carcas, wings, and legs from a rotisserie chicken I'd picked up from the deli. I also took out the outer portion from about a 10" section of a large watermelon. I divided the chicken between the 2 dishes and put the melon on the ground between - AND LEFT IT.

Some time later, at dusk, I went out to take in the bird feeders. Just curious, I walked around the corner to see if anyone was eating the chicken. Heidi was there sitting in front of her usual dish eating from the carcas. I have another bench all the way across the yard, up near the patio. I sat there for a moment to watch. Just as I was reveling in that "good" feeling of knowing that Heidi was enjoying the chicken, she left the chicken and started walking toward me. I didn't know what to think. (I should point out that I don't know how long she had been there before I arrived or how much of the chicken she might have already eaten.)

She walked all the way across the yard and up to where I was sitting. She stopped maybe 4 ft away from me and then kept alternating between looking at me with that "searching" look and creeping a little closer. I was so amazed that she had left chicken to come to me. After a few minutes, she turned and went back to the feeding area and did the strangest thing. Instead of going back to one of the dishes to eat the chicken, she started walking around on the lawn in the area in front of where I usually sit and "pretending" to search for food on the lawn - even though she must have known that there was no food there. I had not taken out any dog food this evening and I had left all of the chicken and melon at the feeding stations. Still, she continued searching around in the grass with her paws, stopping every minute or so to look up at me.

After a bit of searching for the imaginary food, she came back across the lawn to where I sat near the patio, again stopping to give me that "searching" look.

The only thing I could think of (other than that nagging concern about rabies) was that she must be looking for some treat. I spoke reassuringly to her and then went inside to quickly and shamelessly grab as many of her favorites as I could. I packed dog food, an egg, and a small bunch of black grapes.

I went back out with my stash and went to the usual bench, the one over by the feeding area. Heidi came right over. While I was tossing her these treats on the ground in front of me, 2 of the other raccoons came down the fence. 1 sat at station #1 eating the chicken there. The other grabbed the remains of the carcass and ran back over the fence with it.

Twice Heidi charged the closest raccoon. Otherwise, for the duration of the time I was out there, she stayed at my feet eating. She made no attempt to take back the chicken. I am finding that the raccoons seem to really enjoy a varied diet. Except for the opportunity to eat a number of different treats, I found much of Heidi's new behavior inexplicable. However, at least for now, Heidi and I seem to have made a tremendous leap forward with our relationship. As I cannot image that the delivery can be far off, our new bond and increased trust seem a very good thing.

They say if a raccoon can eat, it doesn't have rabies, so I don't think you need to worry about that right now with Heidi-she has too good an appetite and can easily consume food. Maybe her time is near and she needs to feel some kinship with someone she trusts to stand by. Ok, also she wants your treats. I WISH she would have these babies, I am getting nervous. Any idea where you think she is going to have them? Hoping she doesn't need a midwife. Karen

Karen -- I'm hoping she will keep them in that same hollow tree just over the fence but with all of the other raccoons hanging around I'm afraid she'll go farther into the forest. I think we can pretty much guarantee that the event will happen in the night. There is pretty much no way for a human to get through the forest back there. I'm on a river just off the ocean. It's wetlands back there. And let's not forget that she's a wild raccoon. She isn't going to let anyone help her. She's had babies before. We just have to hope for the best.

As to her behavior, I think she has a big problem with Fraidy. She tolerated the guys hanging around. She didn't act this way when Trouble was coming over to eat at my feet. She seems to be so consumed with the competition with Fraidy that she will walk away from food (like the egg). It might be because Fraidy is a female - and possibly pregnant. Or it might just be because she used to be able to scare Fraidy off and now she can't so she's worried about loosing ground.

For some reason, I've become part of the competition. Sunday night Fraidy (for the 1st time) came over to eat at my feet. Shortly after that Heidi came over to growl at Fraidy. Ever since that night, Heidi has been acting weird and has been consumed with this competition with Fraidy and has suddenly become extra friendly with me even when Fraidy isn't around. I gather that she doesn't want to share her territory with Fraidy. If Fraidy is pregnant, that would mean competition for resources for Heidi's babies.

Fascinating stuff!

If we're right in thinking that the group of four or five raccoons in your yard with Heidi back around St. Patrick's Day were her suitors, she will be due sometime around May 19th. And yes, she can get much bigger in that time. [The description of her mobility issues is priceless...] Remember that she's a mature female who has had many litters; I'm sure she'll do fine delivering the new litter. Don't be surprised if she fails to appear for a day or two around that time; typically, new mothers in the wild will not leave the kits for the first 24 - 48 hours.

Her response to Fraidy and her close approach to you is really interesting. Here's a hypothesis, let me know if I'm anthropomorphizing too much. Heidi has come to depend on you as a source for food much better, and more reliable, than she has ever had in the wild. Over time, she has also grown to trust that you will not harm her or her young. Another female, possibly pregnant, in her territory, is a threat to the available resources- even if that female is last year's daughter. Since you are the primary source of food, and certainly of the really good stuff, having Fraidy approach and receive food directly from you increases the threat. Heidi is really too pregnant at this point to fight, unless absolutely forced to do so; and we've seen that they always prefer to avoid a fight, anyway, if possible. So, Heidi needs to find another way to neutralize the threat. And the way she's found is working so far, isn't it? She has learned that you will offer special treats, like eggs, if she comes closer to you. So this puts her in close competition with Fraidy to get treats directly from you. Pretty funny that they're acting like adolescent human girls, but it does seem to make sense in this way. As long as they don't get into physical tussles over it (which doesn't seem likely at this point), I'd just relax and enjoy it.

And there's no way you're describing anything but physically healthy raccoons, Cheryl. Remember what I told you about rabies: the poor victims are visibly, horribly ill. It's true that in the last stages they can't eat, Karen; the virus attacks the central nervous system, and in its last stages causes gradual paralysis. As the paralysis progresses, they can no longer swallow, and thus "foam at the mouth" because they can't swallow their saliva. Trust me, raccoons who eat like champion pigs and posture like schoolyard rivals are not rabid...

Ruth -- How eloquent!

Today as I was out photographing flowers, I pondered this remark (with amusement)

Well, folks, my recent popularity seems to have waned all to quickly as tonight things were back, more or less, to normal. Fame, it seems, is all too fickle. I guess my 15 minutes are up. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Now don't go thinking that I spent yet another consecutive night out there with the raccoons even after I promised to take some days off. No way. You see, it's just that I had some important gardening to do...and it just happened that the gardening I most needed to do [late this afternoon just before dusk] was located in the area surrounding the feeding area.;-)

So this afternoon late, as I was out potting up some plants...

Heidi ate near me but was considerably more guarded, less engaging. I noticed, however, that while Fraidy and Juliet were both there, they kept their distance from me. From time to time, Heidi paused to growl over her shoulder at them for no apparent reason, seemingly just to make sure they didn't forget who was in charge.

Heidi ate dog food from the ground near me, but a bit farther away than the past few days. The younger ladies milled about the 2 feeding stations and other discarded items Heidi didn't want, eating a little of this and a little of that, at times seeming like a bunch of circus clowns performing in the background.

I had put out a bowl of white rice, 2 nectarines, the remains of the whole wheat ravioli with chicken and sun dried tomatoes, and the last 1/2 of a large watermelon, outer portion only. Heidi ate in a most dignified manner, quiet, and goal-oriented - get in, get the requisite nutrients, get out. The rest of the gang were like a bunch of roaving comedians. Juliet stood on hind legs, front paws braced on opposite sides of the "mouth" of the upright watermelon, the rest of the front 1/2 of her body buried waist deep inside the melon. Fraidy, appearing tonight to be a bit unnerved by Heidi's intermittent outbursts, wandered about almost "grazing", from time to time snatching up some tasty treat - a nectarine here, a ravioli square there - and scampering away to eat it away from the cranky Mom-To-Be.

Am I the only one who feels as though they've missed a chunk of the story? As though something transpired between 2 night's ago when Fraidy was all over me and eating at my feet, making Heidi jealous thus creating an uproar and tonight when Fraidy had resumed her position in the background? This is not the 1st time I've felt this way, as though part of the story occurred somewhere else off camera. I've seen this in the past when Trouble and others crossed Heidi one day only to reemerge the next day behaving as though they'd been taken to the woodshed in some off-stage encounter. I'm really starting to think that part of this story takes place out in the forest when I'm not around.

Ok, quick, slightly off topic aside. Since we were talking earlier about the tainted dog food...

Have you guys heard the latest news - which seems oddly relegated to brief airings in the early AM and late night - that the HUMAN food is now potentially compromised? Not, so far as we know, by inclusion of the tainted wheat gluten, but because it is now known that 10's of thousands of chickens and pigs that ate food tainted with the gluten and that have tested positive for the presence of melanine in their tissue have become part of the human food supply?

Apparently the FDA is not planning to try to recall all that meat - which would likely be almost impossible anyhow. They've decided that the quantity of melanine is probably not sufficient to cause problems in humans. (Right!)

Oh, that's just lovely. There are thousands of people out there with renal disease that little bits of melamine over time would certainly not help them. So maybe time to stay away from chicken for awhile. According to Whiffet (that I had communicated with at one time), renal failure is one of the main reasons for sickness and death in elderly raccoons. So they shouldn't get the melamine, either. Any idea where these chickens are coming from? Thank goodness we don't eat a lot of pork, but Kent eats a lot of bacon. Always somethng to worry about. Cheryl, remember Heidi's emotions are rumming amok with the hormones fluctuating, so she can be different day to day. What remains is she still trusts you, and that is important.
In the case of my crew, it now seems that I can call back at least one of the if the dogs seem to scare them barking in the house. I just tell them it's alright, come on back, "it's ok." One big fat buggar came back three times after I told him/her not to worry. At one point there were 4 there and none seemed to be scared of my voice, if I talk softly to them. But I think if I leave the porch, it might be different. At least the first, fatty let me stand about 30 feet from him and watch him eat. When the weather gets a little warmer, I am going to try to sit on the garden chair and see if the let me there. Well, still awaiting Heidi's delivery. Karen

Well, if you were doing potting while the coons were in the yard, that would be a change in your behavior from the usual passive sitting while they eat; and that would be expected to cause a change in their behavior. On the other hand, if you're simply using potting as a reason to sit in your usual spot (and who would blame you - who could voluntarily skip the show?), then the behavior change is on the coons' part; and that would be interesting, but not really surprising. They have moods just as we do, and Heidi seems to have many moods these days!

And you can be sure we are all missing many episodes of this drama; their life goes on "over the hedge," after all, when we aren't watching through you. I'm sure there are lots of encounters every day that cause changes in the behavior you see that night.

Hey, I don't blame you at all for the occasional moment of concern about rabies, especially when the kids start acting differently; we have all been well and truly indoctrinated with that fear. What's remarkable about you, and others on the thread, is that you are able to see past that and really see - and then learn from, enjoy and respect those you're observing.

The news about contamination of human food via livestock that ate the gluten is truly depressing; and why am I not surprised that there will be no attempt to handle such a complex and massive recall?

You haven't mentioned HRH for a few days; guess he's moved on to other pastures and other ladies. Somehow I'm sure you'll see him again, sooner or later, checking in to see if the neighborhood diner is still open...