Heidi Chronicles: Adventures At the Backyard Buffet

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

This is the ongoing story of Heidi and friends, a group of raccoons who inhabit the forest behind my house and frequent my wildlife buffet. Heidi is pretty large and should be delivering her 08 kits any time now. This will be our third season of observing the raccoons as the tiny kits grow and play and learn about their world.

We'd love to have you join us as we watch, learn, and discuss Heidi's world.

The prior thread in the series is here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/814836/#new
The original thread that started it all is here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/603944/

The photo below is of Rupert, one of the 07 kits, now a yearling. Rupert was named after the original Survivor because his mom Diva aka Brittany displayed a severe deficit in parenting skills, and we were all greatly relieved to see that the little fella managed to survive her neglect. Here Rupert is seen enjoying a piece of vanilla frosted cake.

Edited to add links

This message was edited Feb 28, 2008 10:30 PM

Thumbnail by DreamOfSpring
Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

There are a couple of things in the queue, things that I've not found time or words to reveal. Heidi is now reacting to me in some surprising ways and to a surprising degree.

First there is the extent to which she is listening to me, even relying on me, when I tell her that the scary sound she just heard is nothing serious. I realize that we've discussed this kind of thing before, especially with Heidi; but now it has become ever more obvious that she actually understands on some level that I'm telling her that the presumed threat is harmless, and that it's safe to stay and continue eating. I've been using those same words "it's ok" with her for over a year now and have been careful only to use them in the same context. Now it is very clear to me that Heidi 'gets it', and that we really are communicating (which I think shows a lot of smarts on her part since all I've done is speak my native language).

As I mentioned before, Heidi is feeling particular vulnerable now. She's huge and must certainly be very close to her delivery date. She's not in great fighting shape right now. She can't move as well or as fast as usual. She coughs and wheezes terribly whenever she tries to run even a few lengths (it is peak allergy timer here). She needs more time to get over the fence to safety if something happens. As a result, at the slightest provocation, she will abandon her food and head for the fence. Naturally, that makes it difficult for her to get decent nutrition even at a time when she needs it most.

Most nights lately it's just Heidi and me. I watch her carefully as she eats and much as with my horses in the past I can anticipate when something is bothering her and know an instant beforehand when she is about to bolt. If I act quickly to calm her by saying "it's ok" BEFORE the panic sets in, I can reliably avert the situation - at least that particular scary event. Something else will scare her a few minutes later and something else after that and... Some nights are worse than others, but lately almost every night is composed of a series of moments when Heidi is but a nanosecond away from fleeing for her life and that of her unborn kits.

One night last week the neighborhood sounds were making Heidi particularly anxious. It seemed as though I was singing the "it's ok" song continually just to keep her one rung below panic mode. I could see that she really was listening to me, that my words were helping to reassure her. Then suddenly I heard it. She heard it. We both heard it together, the unmistakable sound of a very large dog barking from the sidewalk in front of the house. It was a large dog and a serious and threatening bark. Even as the sound registered with my brain, I knew that Heidi would perceive this bark as a very serious threat. I also knew that on this one I was behind the curve.

According to science, the average human reaction time is 1/2 second. That's 1/2 second from the time our brains tell our bodies to do something until the body BEGINS to execute the instructions. Reaction time for most animals is clearly a much smaller increment, so when we and they hear the same starting gun, they are sure to break from the starting gate and leave us in the dust while the clock is still ticking down on our 1/2 second pause. So it was that night that even though my brain screamed, "she's going to bolt. say 'it's ok' fast!", my vocal cords remained motionless as the command traversed my nervous system toward its intended target during which time I watched Heidi turn and rush for the fence.

By the time my lungs, vocal cords, and mouth finally received the urgent signal to speak, Heidi was already 1/3 of the way to the fence and moving with a very determined demeanor. At that point I thought it unlikely that I could call her back. It's always easier to head off a panic than to talk her down off the ledge once one starts. Once she has already decided to flee, her instincts must tell her that it's better to run away from something harmless than to have that large dog (or whatever) catch her short of (or on) the fence.

"It's Ok!" I said with all the assertiveness and conviction that I could muster, knowing as I did that I had only one chance at this and not a good one. And she stopped! She stopped dead in her tracks and turned and looked at me, continued looking at me eye to eye for a second or two ( an eternity in an emergency situation). It was at that moment as she looked into my eyes and I into hers, that I saw something that I know I will never be able to fully articulate to another human being, not such, at least, that it sounds like anything more than the musings of a hopeless romantic who wants to believe.

In that instant, we communicated more without words than I have probably ever communicated in my life with words. In that instant as Heidi stood there and our eyes locked, her face said, "Are you sure?" as her eyes searched me for a response. I 'heard' her request. "It's ok" I said again in my most reassuring tone. She understood what I was saying to her, and she believed me. Her eyes said so, and I heard her loud and clear.

She came back, looked at me again for another soul piercing second and resumed her meal. But as convincing as her actions were, it was the volumes of unspoken information that transferred between us in the 1st fraction of a second when her eyes locked with mine that made me know beyond any doubt that Heidi had come back specifically because she had heard and understood and believed what I was saying to her. It was a breathtaking event and one that I desperately wanted to share with you sooner, yet one that I knew I lacked the capacity to fully convey. It was one of those times when you just had to be there.

Since that night, I've spent most nights singing the "it's ok" song more or less constantly as her fear seems to grow relative to her ever increasing girth. Keeping her eating is actually a lot of work, exhausting even, and it's a full time job as was demonstrated tonight.

As I mentioned, usually it's just Heidi and me, so I have nothing else to do really and am free to keep a keen eye on her so as to head off any problems. Tonight, however, Cissy was there. I had taken some grapes and yogurt out with me hoping to see her and/or Dennis. So it was that as I was momentarily caught up in the joy of feeding grapes to Cissy, that some feint and far off, almost inaudible bark sent Heidi over the fence and into the forest from which she did not return while I was there. It had happened so quickly. My attention had been diverted, and I'd forgotten my 'job' of keeping her calm. The sound that sent her fleeing for her life had been comparatively quite minor, and I have no doubt that it would have been a non-event had I kept up with my job, had I been watching and thus taken action to head it off before she left. But this time I was so enthralled in what I was doing, in feeding Cissy, that I barely looked up in time to see that Heidi was missing and catch the sight of the tip of her tail as it disappeared over the fence.

As it is getting late (and I've bent your ear enough for one night), I will have to save the rest of my observations on Heidi and the ways in which she is interacting with me now for another time.

I would like to add, however, that for what it's worth, I'm really not inclined to romanticize mine and Heidi's relationship. She knows that I bring food. To a degree she trusts me, a large degree I suppose when you consider that she is a wild animal. She understand when I tell her the threats aren't real, and she believes me, but that's not to say that she believes me because of some romanticized friendship. She isn't a pet. I doubt that she comprehends the concept of friendship - not saying she's not smart enough, just that it doesn't seem to be something that exists in her world. Where does one begin to make sense of a concept that so foreign as to be non-existent in one's culture?

I'd say about 40-60% of the time Heidi ignores me (except right now when she's so freaked out and I'm having to reassure her every 2nd minute), and some 20-30% of the time she looks at me with what certainly appears to be disdain. I'd be dishonest if I didn't admit to entertaining a few momentary hurt feelings over the latter. I mean, we've been friends for so long now, and who could not like ME? But then I understand, again, that she is a wild animal who has spent a lifetime avoiding and distrusting humans - and I am still a human, after all. Anyhow, the remaining 10-40% of the time Heidi's reaction to me is somewhere between 'searching confusion', tolerance, and a smidgen of trust.

That she understands and believes me when I'm trying to reassure her, I am convinced. Why she believes me, I can't really say. However, the next topic i wish to investigate (related to this subject) is something I've been observing for a while and which might relate to that question. I believe, and very much to my surprise, I might add, that I have somehow inadvertently become the 'ruler' of the feeding area. Whatever, pecking order the raccoons have established outside the bounds of the feeding area, it appears to me that within that area, I am (in dog speak) the 'alpha' animal. I don't think this was always the case. Early on, I think I was merely an observer. I suspect, although it was never my intention to take on this role, that I assumed the alpha role when I began to intervene on behalf of 1st Heidi and later the kids, no longer merely observing but determining who could do what. I assigned the pool area to Heidi and her kits and refused to let others take it as long as they were there. I intervened in some of their conflicts, especially early on when Juliet and Diva would fight with the kits.

Later, when we have more time, I'll explore some of the events and observations that made me start to consider that I might be the alpha animal in the feeding area. With respect to tonight's subject, I wonder if my position as alpha - assuming that's actually true - may have something to do with the 'why' - why Heidi would believe (and stake her life on it) that it makes some kind of sense (in her world) for me to tell her when threats aren't real and for her to believe me.

This message was edited Feb 29, 2008 1:35 AM

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Yes, it will be fascinating to see what happens if/when Heidi tries to keep the 07 kids out of the pool once the new kits start coming to the party. I have faith in Heidi's ability to handle the situation as peacefully as possible.

It is really remarkable the degree of trust you've been able to build, especially with Heidi; I think the other adults (that aren't her offspring) take their cue from her, particularly HRH. Over the years working in animal control, there were countless times when I had to capture/rescue a domestic or wild animal from a situation in which they were terrified and likely to strike out from fear: cats on rooftops or in trees, cats wedged in car engines, panicked dogs telegraphing the intention to bite from fear, raccoons trapped in houses, bats panicking inside houses, skunks in a cage trap and likely to spray on approach, badly injured animals of all kinds, etc., etc. I'd always start to talk calmly and reassuringly to the animal as soon as they saw me, knowing they would not understand my words, but hoping they'd understand the tone. Though I was certainly bitten by animals during my working years, it was never during one of these rescue situations. I came to believe that since animals communicate with each other non-verbally, they can very easily and accurately "read" us on a non-verbal level. They can sense our fear, they can sense our anger, and I believe they can also sense when our intentions are non-threatening and positive. I had moments like you describe with Heidi with a variety of species, and it feels like the animal is reading you down to your very soul. They are moments of pure magic and, as you say, impossible to explain to someone who wasn't there. I simply can't explain in any other way how I escaped injury in some pretty hair-raising situations; the animals had to understand, on some level, that I meant them no harm. Civilization and language skills have brought our species much progress and riches, but along the way we have lost (or lost our trust in) that wonderful ability to read and communicate with another creature without words, even a total stranger or another species. I can't help feeling that it's a great loss.

Putnam County, IN(Zone 5b)

Awesome!

A great example of something you can't 'see', but yet it is there. A true soul to soul connection!

Emerald Hills, CA(Zone 9b)

Cheryl, Really enjoy your thoughts about communication with Heidi. As I was reading, I was disagreeing with you (in my head), when you said you don't think the raccoons feel a sense of friendship, as I remembered the attention the youngsters (I think it was Dennis & Cissy) sought from you - ie. eating cereal from your hands (not the bowl) & touching you... then, I read your further statement about being the alpha member of their pack & it resonated. I don't know much about pack behavior, but assume that craving positive attention from the alpha would be logical. As I said, earlier this week, you really are embarking on a sociological study of raccoon behavior... looking forward to seeing what behaviors the advent of the new litter will bring to your little microcism of wildlife!

Cheryl & Ruth - I was delighted to read your comments about scientists re-thinking their beliefs about animals.... I remember, as a child, being taught that animals can't think - of course, I told myself, that couldn't be right, when they clearly reason & problem solve... Now, I think most of us would agree that animals form emotional attachments, get depressed, happy, etc. - that certainly implies feelings to me!

Liz

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Thanks, nanny!

That's right. I only lament that struggle as I may I am unable to find the words to truly express the depth of what transpired that evening. It was incredible.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Thanks, Liz!

Glad that you enjoyed the piece. I wasn't so sure about writing that, so it's good to get some feedback.

How very observant of you to point some of these things out. I can tell that you are really paying attention to the details. I think, however, that I failed to fully convey my meaning on that particular point (about 'the raccoons not feeling a sense of friendship'). It was my intention to say that I don't think Heidi feels a sense of friendship toward me. Most of what I was saying in the above paragraphs pertained to Heidi alone unless otherwise indicated. Heidi is different from Cissy and Dennis in that she was born wild and as far as we know has never had such contact with humans before now. I've been here 6yrs and Heidi was here when I arrived. She's no youngster. Most authorities say 6-7 yrs is the avg lifespan of a raccoon in the wild. I think at this point in her life, having spent her whole life fearing and distrusting humans, it may be very difficult for her to even 'wrap her head around' all of this much less make the radical change necessary to think of a human as her friend. Heidi, from what I see, seems to 'come' and 'go' in terms of her attitude toward me. There are brief periods when she seems to soften up a bit and almost like me a little. Then she reverts back to the stern, grouchy demeanor that has no doubt served her well all these years. Who knows, maybe in time.

Cissy and Dennis, on the other hand, were raised with me as (to quote some of the folks here on the thread) Auntie Cheryl and the Raccoon Santa. They weren't raised to consider me a threat. They learned to think of me as the bearer of toys and treats. I think it is possible that they may actually like me on some level. How could you not like someone who from your earliest memories brought you all manner of good memories daily? To them I've been like the raccoon version of Grandma! So I think it's no wonder that as soon as they see me they come running over to my knee to vie for attention and ask if I brought them anything.

I think I may have miscommunicated that 'alpha' thing, too. Raccoons do not appear to be herd or pack animals. I don't think they recognize an 'alpha' or leader in the manner that dogs do. They seem to be more autonomous, like cats. Cats don't recognize a leader - as any cat owner knows all too well. Cats are quite individualistic. Cats do what they want to do. If they want to do what you want them to do, then they will. If not, you can pretty much forget about it. I suspect that raccoons are pretty much the same.

So I don't think the raccoons think of me as a pack leader. But even if they don't live in a pack, any group that spends time together regularly will have a pecking order of sorts. There is always one that no body messes with and one that everybody walks all over. All the others fall somewhere in between those two extremes. As Ruth mentioned before, Heidi and HRH are the 'top dogs', not pack leaders, just the 2 that everybody knows not to mess with. Lately, I see evidence that I may have moved from outside observer to participant and, therefore, to part of the pecking order - but only while we are together in that small area. It's a rather subtle distinction but a big one. But more on this subject later.

While we are on the subject of raccoons as autonomous, most authorities seem to indicate that raccoons are reclusive loners. I'm still collecting data and keeping an open mind, but right now I'm starting to question that idea. I do think they are very independent but am not convinced about the reclusive part. I can sit out there for an hour alone. When one raccoons arrives (except for Heidi when she's pregnant), they all arrive. How likely is that unless they are actually hanging out in close proximity? This happens night after night after night. It can't be a coincidence. Lately, HRH arrives minutes behind Heidi - it's like he waits just long enough so no one will think they're together. Cissy and Dennis travel together a lot. 3/4 of the time even the raccoons who don't get along arrive at the same time. I'm just not buying this reclusive thing.

Also, I've long noticed that most of the raccoons (except Heidi when she's pregnant) are more relaxed and less fearful when other raccoons are in the yard. When the next to the last raccoon leaves, that last raccoon starts to get jittery - no matter who he is, even HRH, even Dennis. Very soon, that last raccoon is gone, too. That's not reclusive behavior.

As to the idea that animals don't think or have emotions and such, anyone who believes that needs to spend some time with a dog. When I eat a snack (away from the table) Widget thinks I should give him a bite. When I eat the last bite w/o giving him any, he will walk over to his bed and lie down with his nose facing 180 degrees away from me. It's all I can do not to burst out laughing at him. That's his way of pouting, letting me know that he doesn't appreciate such treatment. Normally, he lies with his head oriented toward me, except when he's pouting. Then he turns the opposite way. He didn't learn that by watching humans. There isn't anyone else here, so there's rarely any pouting unless Widget does it.

Widget likes to play fetch. When I look up from what I'm doing and see him standing there with a toy in his mouth - usually one that's bigger than he is so all I see before me is a toy suspended sideways in the air with 4 little feet sticking out below - that always makes me laugh and I usually stop and play with him. So now, since Widget doesn't like to stay home alone, when he sees me heading for the front door, he runs to get one of his toys to try to entertain and distract me. Before he came up with that scheme, for a while there in the mornings when I was getting dressed he would go and lie down up against the front door - so I couldn't open it. When I'd get to the door with my purse and keys he would still be lying there - keeping the door from opening. I would just look at him and laugh. He weighs 4.5 lbs for heaven sake! Good try.

My other Maltese Sassy got a skin infection once. To help with clearing it up she had to be shaved to maximize the air flow to her skin, and i do mean shaved all over head to toe. She looked like a big rat! To make matter worse, being a white animal, she had pink skin. She was a pink rat! Man was she ugly. The groomer who performed the 'surgery' warned me not to let anyone laugh at her. He said to be sure to lavish her with praise and such so she wouldn't think she was being shaved as punishment. At the time, I thought he was nuts - at least, that is, until I got home and found that she would not go outside to pee. I had to drag her and she kept sitting down. Every thing about her screamed, "I'm not going out there like this, the birds will laugh at me. I'll never live it down. Can't you see that I'm naked?"

No emotions? No thinking? Not self aware? Right!
I have a million more stories like that, and I've no doubt many of you do, too. Maybe the scientists need more pets.

Bartlesville, OK(Zone 6a)

Thank you so much for the new thread.
Read every word. Love it!!!

Way past my bedtime, but had to finish before I could go.

Hugs,
Susan
=^..^=

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Ruth,

Interesting observation about animals and communicating w/o words! Whew! I doubt I would have had the money to approach some of those wild animals. You should start a thread. I'll bet you have some stories to tell. (I'm still enjoying mental flashbacks of those baby raccoons in the vehicle at the drive-thru!)

You know, and I say this only partly tongue in cheek, I sometimes wonder if animals are telepathic. I say this because (and I don't mean to keep bringing up my dogs, but I learn a lot from them), I noticed that whenever Sassy wanted something and no matter what it was, she would come and sit down in front of me and proceed to stare at me. It didn't matter whether she wanted to go outside or was hungry or thirsty or whatever, she used the exact same method for all requests. Given my human inadequacies, this made it very difficult for me to determine what she wanted, but I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to think her meaning was quite clear and if she stared at me long enough I'd get it. It always gave me a chuckle to think that she looked as though she were trying very hard to 'send' me the information and I just wasn't bright enough to 'receive' it. It must have been very frustrating for her. (Now I notice that Widget does the same thing when he wants something.)

I, too, am amazed with how far Heidi and i have come and the extent to which she does trust me. And, yes, I do think that she is the glue that holds this entire adventure together. I'm glad to have broken through to another generation (Dennis and Cissy) because I fear that without her things would soon deteriorate such that all of the raccoons would be acting like that one that pokes its head up over the fence, sees me and disappears until after I'm gone.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Hi Susan!

Thanks for the feedback and words of encouragement! Earlier I looked up and saw that mile long post and was just thinking, "Wow I'm really on a 'talking jag' tonight. LOL

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

It's a little past my bedtime, too, but I can't quit w/o at least telling you a few (right! lol) of the more interesting things from tonight's adventure.

It was a zoo out there tonight! Heidi had barely started eating when the crowd showed up. Cissy and Dennis were there along with HRH and Rupert and a host of others I haven't yet figured out.

By the time I got my things together and headed for the bench by the door to sit down and slip my shoes on, there was Dennis just standing patiently on the patio on the other side of the French door. He was right up at the door peering in as though to see what was keeping me. He wasn't bothering anything, just standing there waiting. Thrilled to see his cute little mug outside the glass panes, I rushed outside and forgot my over-shirt. It was 39F and me in a sleeveless shell.

I tossed Heidi her egg and started passing out treats to all. Dennis and Cissy sat right by me, of course. I gave them grapes (and tossed some to the others, as well). From time to time to create little games, I took a few grapes or even small sections of the grape cluster and hid them in the now empty food canister for them to find and extract. They really do seem to enjoy searching for their food.

Before I could even get around to presenting it formally, Dennis smelled the single cupcake I had brought and began climbing on the tractor scoot beside me trying to get to the cupcake. As the cat was obviously out of the bag, I held the cupcake out to him, and he licked the frosting off of it. When the top was finally bare he took the cupcake from me, took a bite, and then dropped it down to wander off in search of other things. A few minutes later, HRH, who was eating nearby, smelled the remaining cupcake and came over to eat it.

After that Dennis who obviously wasn't that hungry anymore became a little too grabby in search of treats probably due to the competition of the crowd that had gathered. Every other minute and especially as I tried to attend to my other guests, it seemed as though he was climbing up on one side of me or the other. Long after the treats were gone he continued looking. A few times I just had to tell him to get down.

At one point when I wasn't looking Dennis actually stuck his nose IN my pocket (side pants pocket) and started pulling a paper towel out! That was the pocket I'd carried Heidi's egg in, and although I'd long since removed the egg apparently the scent remained in the pocket and on the tissue. Didn't someone suggest just such a scenario last summer? At the time, I thought that was a joke. It seems like every outrageous thing you guys come up with, the raccoons end up doing sooner or later.

I had also taken out the carcass from a rotisserie chicken. Knowing the raccoons would likely ignore it in favor of the kibble, I dropped the pieces about the area rather than in the dishes. The possums are particularly fond of chicken, so I figured they would eat it. At some point after she had eaten other things for a while and even when plenty of kibble remained in all of the dishes, Cissy picked up a piece of chicken and took it over to the pool where she dunked it into the dirty water and played with it for quite a while before dragging it out again to finally eat it on the slope near the fence.

Earlier Cissy had found the egg that Heidi had left behind and had scooped it up just one second before Dennis could lay claim to it. After a brief squabble, Dennis walked away leaving Cissy to struggle with her new-found treasure. I hadn't chipped the end of this one, so it was a bit more challenging than usual. Cissy got the egg on the ground between her two front legs and held it there, but it proved more slippery than she had anticipated and soon it looked as though she were practicing up for football season, "hup1, hup2...", as no matter how hard she tried to hold it she kept throwing the egg out between her back legs again and again until finally she just gave up and walked away. Better to eat something else than to risk total humiliation over one egg.

Later I retrieved the egg, chipped the end, and rolled it over to one of the shy ones who had finally and with enough cajoling ventured near enough to eat. (Cissy was gone by then) That too, proved to be a new experience as the recipient reached out, grabbed the egg in its hands and promptly stood up and ran away with it. It was as though everyone were practicing for big 'my forest against yours' football game. Seconds later I saw him/her travelling far down the side fence in search of a nice hiding spot to eat that egg without fear of having to share it with any of the others.

It was a zany night and I've probably left something out, but those are the highlights I remember for now.

BTW, It looks to me as though the yearlings are now struggling to find their place in the pecking order. If I'm right, things could get a little rough for a while. Hopefully it will calm down some before the (as yet unborn) kits are old enough to visit. (Oh, and forgot to mention. new strategy. smaller portions of treats. one cupcake, not the whole tray. a few small stems of grapes, not he whole bag. maybe this way it will take them longer to get tired of any one item.)

This message was edited Mar 1, 2008 2:43 AM

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

No, I don't think it's outrageous to consider animals being telepathic. How else do they communicate with each other nonverbally? And anyone who's lived with pets or worked with wildlife can attest that they do communicate with each other very well without words, thank you. Again, it's just a matter of overcoming our sense of human superiority; just because most of us lack telepathic skills is no reason to assume the same is true for all life forms. OK, off the soapbox, Ruth...

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Priceless vignettes around that egg. They are good for entertainment as well as nutrition, no? The image of Cissy as a football center is just wonderful.

Fredericksburg, VA(Zone 7b)

Sculter, I can't tell you how much I enjoy this thread! I'm sitting here giggling at Dennis "nosing" thur your pant's pockets. LOL I think you're right about their behaviors. Heidi does not find you a "threat" and is probably thanking heaven for what seems a ready made food source. The youngers I'm sure love all the goodies and treats, but don't seem to be the less "wild" for it. A little more trusting of you personally, but I doubt very much that that applies to any other "human".

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Ruth,

Heck, your reaction to that telepathy thing is refreshing. People around here just think I'm nuts when I try to point out that the dog's expectation that if he sits and stares at me long enough, I'll just HAVE to get it eventually - like even the absolute dumbest creature on the planet would get it sooner or later - seems to imply that for him 'reading' thoughts through the air is very basic - like a tree could do it for heaven sake. 'Normal' people just think it's a sign of the dog's stupidity that he does the same thing, sit and stare, to communicate different requests.

Sassy and I had to use verbal 'charades' to compensate for my complete lack of telepathic skill. When she would sit down in front of me and start the staring thing, I'd run through a random series of questions until I got the right one. "Do you want to...go outside?" "Do you want to...eat?" While I was doing this she would sit there looking so frustrated like "Come on, come on, you can do it." When I would finally get the right one, she would jump up and down - you know, to provide an obvious signal for the telepathically impaired.

I began to notice subtle indications that Sassy thought me a little, shall we say, slow. I became increasingly convinced that she thought she needed to explain things for my benefit. For instance, every time the doorbell rang she would bark at me and run back and forth from me to the door as if trying to get me to follow her so she could show me the visitor. It was as though she figured I couldn't hear that loud, annoying sound and lacked the capacity to grasp (Ala the Beverly Hillbillies) that whenever the sound happens someone always appears at the door. Ironically, just as 'we' humans are inclined to think that animals are 'dumb', they sometimes seem to think the same of us. I mean, don't think they don't notice our 'special needs'. We are telepathically challenged, virtually deaf (by their standards) with an almost total lack of smell and a complete inability to see in the dark and on top of that we miss all but the most obvious and exaggerated visual cues. To them we must seem like total morons. LOL

Oh, ok, we can do calculus, but try to get anywhere with that skill when you are stuck out in the forest somewhere. And we are physically challenged as well. We can't run fast, jump high, climb, dig with our hands. Yep, we are the special needs creatures for sure.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Ruth,

'Center', that's the word I needed. I KNEW there was a person in football who did with the ball exactly what Cissy was (unintentionally) doing with the egg, but I grappled with how to communicate it given my complete lack of knowledge of the game. (For the longest time I was completely mystified by the math behind the 'downs' thing. I could not see the algorithm. There was just no pattern at all. It was 1st down, then 2nd down, then 1st again. A minute later it would be 1st down followed by 1st down. Sometimes 2nd down was followed 3rd down except on even numbered minutes on days that begin with a 'T'...)

Raccoons can be so entertaining. They are natural comedians, the original 'stooges'.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Thanks, doccat!

Like all of the raccoons, Dennis and Cissy disappear in a flash whenever they hear someone else in the neighborhood. It's like, the door next door opens and everyone at the buffet stops dead in their tracks, silently screams "Humans!", and they all disappear in a flash. Also, neither Cissy nor even Dennis will let me touch them now. They can touch me, climb all over me, but if I try to touch them they just slink away like, "no, sorry, I'm just not comfortable with that." When he was younger I could stroke Dennis' back, but now he slinks away and then looks at me like, "Hey, what's with the touching? No touching. Nobody touches my back unless they are trying to hurt me, so cut it out"

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

And if humans are so smart, why is it the dog that always has to learn our language? Sassy understood an amazing vocabulary of words and sentences including some I didn't (intentionally) teach her, and Widget is on his way to learning the language as well. I, on the other hand, understand virtually nothing in 'doggish'. We still have to play charades so they can translate their comms to English.

Yep, face it folks, if the forest had a busing system, we would be riding on that little 'special' bus. : )

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Ruth,

On the subject of animals and non-verbal communications. This always figured large in my training on horseback. Day one, any serious riding student learns that you absolutely must not be afraid of the horse - or he will know it, and then he will do whatever he pleases. If you are afraid the horse will hurt you, you need to stay on the ground until you can resolve that problem; otherwise, he probably will. If you are afraid of other things you encounter while riding the horse, you have to force those thoughts out of your mind and think positive thoughts because the horse will pick up on your fear/thoughts and behave accordingly.

When I was learning to jump, I was just terrified that the horse wouldn't see that pole in front of him and would trip over it instead of jumping it. (You start with a teeny tiny jump just high enough to trip the horse, and work your way up from there.) So I tried to watch the jump for him. My instructor was livid. "Never, ever, ever look down at the jump!" she would shout at me, "You must always keep your eyes on the trees in the distance BEYOND the jump. Look where you want to go. If you keep looking at the ground, that's where you will end up!" It sounded silly at first. It took her a while to get across to me that whether I looked at the jump or into the distance ahead, I would be communicating this to the horse through a myriad of unconscious ways, and the horse would react accordingly. Once when, as invariably will happen, my horse stopped suddenly just short of the jump (the jumps were getting higher by then), I was shocked to have my instructor scream at me, "HE didn't quit on you, YOU quit on him! You were afraid of the jump, and you communicated that to him. You TOLD him you didn't want to go over that jump, so he didn't. Now turn around, and do it again, and this time concentrate on going OVER the jump!" I had expected a little sympathy, and instructions on how to correct my 'bad' horse, but when I tried it again with full focus on jumping rather than falling, the horse just sailed right over that hurdle.

Horseback riding, serious horseback riding, dressage, and such is all about non-verbal cues, both the ones you intend to give and the ones you don't.

Emerald Hills, CA(Zone 9b)

Cheryl,

Thanks for the details about your thoughts about friendship & alpha behavior re. the raccoons. I more fully understand the point you were making & the distinction between Heidi & her descendants (who regard you as family). Hopefully, your explanations to me help you to further clarify your theories, in your own mind - don't know about you, but verbalizing often helps me clarify my thoughts. Maybe your detailed explanations to all of us will be helpful, when you write your book! I was laughing out loud at Widget's diversions to keep you from leaving, especially the picture of his body block to the door!

I enjoy the discussion & examples of non-verbal communication with animals & the theory that we humans are the special needs members of the animal world. Also, I'm sure that all of us have experienced instances of animals sensing fear, distress or sadness & reacting to it - ie. with aggressive or comforting behavior... or animals tolerating all manner of physical insults, when they sense we're helping them. Ruth must have many first hand examples of this communication.

I have a personal milestone - think I've converted my husband! This is the man who forbade me to feed the raccoons, (knowing that those words meant nothing to me - LOL!). When I explained, days later (when he threw away perfectly good scraps!!), that things like feeding the raccoons & composting were some of my hobbies, just like his hobbies are bike riding & music, he started to show more respect for those activities. (No comments from all of you about getting a life, since composting is a hobby! ;-)). Well, today while shopping, he noticed a special on a 12 pack of cat food... when I mentioned that I don't think our cats like one of the flavors, he said "it's only 50 cents a can, you can feed them to the raccoons"!!!!!

:-)

Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a)

Yaaaaay!!!! Make sure you let him know when they eat it, so he can feel good about his idea!

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Congratulations, Liz, on your new convert: that's awesome! And you're on a gardening forum, after all; composting as a hobby sounds perfectly reasonable here.

Cheryl, I agree that humans are the special needs species; the example of calculus in the forest is perfect. It's often quite clear that animals recognize our limitations, and feel that we are distinctly, er, challenged. Dogs usually try to be subtle about it, but cats are quite blatant in conveying that we really are quite dim. Sometimes I swear I can hear them wondering what fool decided to give the opposable thumbs to this big furless dimwit...

I found your comments on horseback riding/dressage fascinating, because the first day working at an animal shelter or in wildlife work is also spent learning never to show fear. Animals will read your fear every time, and you will get hurt; and if you're trying to rescue the animal, you will fail. I used to train new staff members to remember two things every time they had to interact with a new animal. One: listen to your instincts, and trust them. If you don't feel safe, there's a reason for that feeling, no matter how friendly the animal may appear. And if you don't feel safe, the animal will know that. Hence, mantra number two: never let them see you sweat. Take a deep breath, and take a moment to think of a safe way to handle the animal; then approach with confidence, and of course the ability to think on your feet if your plan bombs. When one of us was hurt, it was almost invariably the result of rushing in without thinking to a situation that didn't feel safe, or overconfidently ignoring that instinctive warning.

The positive side of that coin, of course, is what we've recently discussed: if you feel and project calm and positive feelings, the animal often responds positively or at least calmly even when injured or frightened.

It's always a fascinating experience, hard to communicate to others, but quite magical when it happens.

Columbia, MO(Zone 5b)

Cheryl, you have the most amazing way of communicating your experiences! It makes the observer feel as if they are there with you. It is truly incredible the amount of trust Heidi shows for you and is so very deserved on both sides.

Ruth, I really enjoyed the anology you made about the cats. Being "owned" by a couple myself I am convinced they are thinking the same thing much of the time. Loved the observation about the "apposable thumbs".

Ruth, you also put into words what I have always unconsiously done when around animals. I worked as a pet groomer for many years until my body could not take the stresess any longer. I had the ability to work with animals that no one else could get within feet of. Looking back I realize that nothing upset me about their behaviour. I would just calmly go forward with the job at hand and I guess my demeanor communicated itself to them and made them more calm as well. The only exception to that seemed to be miniature schnauzers. Give me a dog twice as big as I was, not a problem. Give me a miniature schnuazer and I would get nailed. I do not recall being badly bitten by any other breed.

I vividly remember a shih tzu that I worked on. The first day the owner came in she warned me that the dog had a difficult personality. She was right! The little beast leapt about three feet across the room and as high up as the leash allowed trying to bite me in the face. The owner actually turned to leave and I asked for the leash. Keeping the leash firm but not tight I traveled down the leash with my hands until I was able to scruff him. The owner was amazed and so was the dog! LOL While the dog growled, twisted and barked I then calmly asked questions about how she wanted him groomed and what his likes and dislikes were as far as being touched in certain places. I did muzzle him the first few times. It took a few months but that little dog did very well and even got to the point where he would behave for vet exams.

Leesburg, FL(Zone 9b)

Hi Cheryl --- I'm back with lots of reading to catch up on.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Hi Liz,

Absolutely, I think that every observation, thought, belief, theory, etc with regard to the raccoons that I can record here will help immensely with the book. In addition, I thought it would also help to clarify things for others who might also have found my initial description unclear.

I keep trying to convince Ruth to tell us more of her stories, whether here or on a separate thread. I loved the one about the kits at the drive thru. Let's keep after her about that. She must have a wealth of stories. Shame to keep all that to herself. ; )

Bravo! What an incredible transformation in your DH! I'm impressed. I can really relate to this because I've been trying to effect even the tiniest difference in how the guys at work view raccoons - in my case it's not going nearly as well. (Of course, I'm also up against that group thing - and, well, there are a few other differences, but we won't go into that.)

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Great idea, KyWoods!

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Ruth,

I had to stop reading until I could get my laughter under control when I got to the part about cats! That was good.

Interesting. Seems like there are a lot of similarities between horseback riding and dealing with trapped and injured animals both domesticated and wild. At 1st it may seem very different, but in both cases you are dealing with an animal that really could hurt you, perhaps seriously. Riding horses, dressage horses, etc aren't wild, but they have tremendous strength and the ability to cause serious injury even without trying or intending to do so. The threats posed by wild animals as well as angry and injured dogs and cats are also quite real. In both cases our welfare and chances of a good outcome depend on our ability to 'read' and communicate with the animal.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

tetleytuna,

Thank you very much.

Your story about the Shih Tzu reminded me of that annoying, barking machine next door - who is also a Shih Tzu. He hates everybody. Once when the neighbor brought him up to my door on a leash when she came to talk to me, the little dog bared his teeth and growled at me menacingly for no reason. In fact, that's what he does every time he gets near me. I can still see that snarling face. I could tell he was serious, too. Unless really well socialized, that seems to be the norm for that breed. You must have quite an ability to deal dogs - and to communicate with them.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Hi Terese!

Great to have you back. We really missed you. Hope you had a nice trip.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

I don't quite know what to think about Heidi. She still looks pg. If she doesn't have them soon, we may have to induce labour.

On a different note, raccoons seem to be no different than people in that things seem more desirable when in short supply. I have a huge bag of generic fruit loops type cereal. Generally, the raccoons haven't show much interest in it. A few days ago I tossed a few handfuls into one dish, and Rupert ate them all up - first. Encouraged by this new behavior and eager to get rid of the stuff, the next night I took the whole bag out, sprinkled it liberally about the area, and offered it to everyone. No takers!

Tonight I mixed a few cupfuls of the cereal in with the cat food and the b.o.s.s. HRH was 2nd to arrive - after Heidi. Much to my amazement, although he wouldn't touch the stuff when I had the whole bag out there tossing it everywhere, tonight I could see him sifting through the food in his dish to pick out the fruit loops! When he had eaten the last one from that dish he moved to the next dish over and started picking out the cereal from that one. He actually continued this pattern all around the area, picking the cereal out from each dish in turn as the various dishes became available. Note to self and anyone else out there offering treats. Less is more.

Tonight there appeared to be an excess of testosterone in the feeding area. Both HRH and Trouble were there, and from the behavior of the boys I suspect that Cissy is 'in the romantic way' so to speak. They kept following her around and she kept walking off and circling the area in search of another dish away from those cads. It was clear that she just wanted to eat. The boys seemed to have other ideas.

Looks like the fellas have been fighting. I didn't notice any new wounds on HRH, but Trouble had what looked like a ripple or part running down the back of his neck. From a distance it looked like something noteworthy for ID purposes - not that I have any problems Idling him right now, but it's always good to note all the identifying features just in case things change in the future. Later when he came to eat from a dish very near my feet, I look down at him to see that the ripple in his fur was actually a large gash about 1/4" wide and 4 or more inches long running from the back, top of his head and down the top of his neck.

His wound not withstanding, Trouble wandered about the area taking the dish from 1st one and then another of the raccoons. He even had the audacity to take Cissy's dish. Bad move given the circumstances. Cissy didn't stand and fight this time. Tonight she seemed quite skiddish in her attempts to stay away from the guys. I gather she doesn't quite understand what's up with them yet, would really like to be left alone, and just knows she has to keep moving to keep ahead of them.

Trouble even took HRH's dish - 3 times. HRH left the 1st dish. A bit later Trouble showed up to take the 2nd dish and so on. I began to fear that Trouble had won the larger 'off stage' fight for supremacy, but something nagged at me reminding me that I'd seen similar things with Heidi in that past. In the past when Heidi would walk away from a fight - perhaps showing the wisdom to choose her battles wisely, perhaps opting to save the fight for offstage away from humans - I would always fear that she had lost her position. Later I would always find out how wrong I had been. Perhaps this was also true of HRH. Still it was pretty hard even for me to buy the argument that a male would just give up his food and walk away from a competitor that way...

After Trouble took HRH's 3rd dish - just walked right up and claimed it, no fighting, HRH walked toward the fence as though to exit and was standing at the bottom of the fence post, when he turned and came back. This time, HRH walked straight toward Trouble who was standing beside the pool not eating at the time. As the older male approached, Trouble bowed his back like a Halloween. Drawing nearer, HRH dropped his head low and began the clicking rattlesnake sound. Trouble began sidestepping and backing away. HRH continued forward, just forcing the youngster to back up, just showing him who really was in charge. After he had backed Trouble some 6ft across the area, HRH walked away to find a dish and resume his meal.

By the time that Trouble again tried to muscle in on HRH's meal, all other dishes were empty, everyone else was searching for kibble on the ground, and HRH was searching for cereal in the dish at my feet, the only one that still contained food. This time when Trouble walked up and tried to put his nose into the dish, HRH again dropped his head low to the ground and symbolically oriented his head so that his open mouth was only a fraction of an inch away from the intruder throat 'pushing' Troubles head and upper body away from the dish. HRH repeated this about 3 times before Trouble walked away to bother someone else.

At another point in the evening, Trouble was chasing after Cissy, who clearly wanted nothing to do with him, when the 2 passed some 4ft behind HRH (who was eating at the time), HRH turned and charged Trouble, again with head low to the ground, again making that clicking sound. This time HRH pushed Trouble back into the weeded area (that I've not yet cleared). When HRH returned to his dish to resume eating, Trouble remained back there just standing in the weeds alone for a while. I had to chuckle as it looked as though HRH had made him stand in the corner or go to time out or something.

Some time later, as Cissy walked around the area, HRH sniffed and allowing a respectable distance began walking calmly after her. The Trouble dropped in line behind HRH, and for a minute or two it looked like they were starting a Congo line, at least until HRH realized that Trouble was behind him at which point his attention switched from following Cissy to backing Trouble away - again.

Interesting evening. Too much testosterone. But interesting.

Hammond, LA(Zone 8b)

scutler - I know Heidi is the pregnant one, but evidently her hormones are rubbing off on me because the second post made me cry like a baby! Oh sheesh!

We need more pictures please : ) This is better than any daytime soap opera.

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Oh boy. Sure sounds like Cissy is about to go into heat: too early to be receptive but far enough along to smell pretty exciting to the boys. Unfortunately, fights between HRH and Trouble are inevitable under those circumstances. From the sound of that wound on Trouble, and HRH's ability to drive him off at will, I have no doubt who will emerge victorious. Just hope Trouble has the sense to back off without being seriously hurt; have little confidence in that, however, since, common sense doesn't seem to be one of Trouble's major attributes.

Tetleytuna, that "walking your hand down the leash" move works wonders, doesn't it? Or with large dogs, very quickly wrapping the leash around the snout as an emergency muzzle; those two tricks saved my b...t more times than I can count. Interesting that you mentioned Shih Tzus as your jinx breed. I think we all have one; mine was American Eskimos. They just seemed to dislike me on sight, and most of my minor bites over the years were from them. Don't know why; I always thought they were adorable when they weren't trying to nail me...

Cheryl, I'm not half the writer you are, and most of my stories don't involve raccoons (though the kits at the fast food drive-in is one of my favorite memories). Tell you what, when you're up for a tale just let me know and I'll post one, but I don't want to hijack the Heidi threads that are marvelous all on their own.

Emerald Hills, CA(Zone 9b)

Hi Ladies,

The past few days I've come to the conclusion that Ruth's suggestion that my raccoon is a pregnant female may be correct.

Sunday evening, I opened the kitchen door - she was eating from the cat's dish, on the porch, & immediately waddled down the stairs. In addition to the enlarged posterior view, I noticed that the fur on her back side looked very ragged & initially worried that she'd been in a fight... then, I remembered Cheryl commenting on Heidi's coat during pregnancy & hope that's the explanation.

The next night, I opened the door as she was starting to climb the stairs - she hightailed it as far as the bridge, where she comes & goes, but stopped as soon as she climbed in the gully to turn around & look at me - she was within 15 - 20 feet of me. She watched me very calmly & I talked to her, then she put a paw up on the walkway, as if she was going to come back - she stayed in that position watching, as I talked to her, until my husband came into the kitchen, then she left. She's absolutely gorgeous - such a sweet face!

I've also noticed an increase in appetite the past 4 days or so. The food I'd been putting out was lasting two days - she usually ate cat food the first day, then scraps the second. Now, she's eating it all the same day & she doesn't seem to be as fussy about what she's eating. So, again, based on Cheryl's observations, I wonder if she's bulking up in preparation for birth & babysitting. Of course, the other explanation is that there may be more than one 'coon dining... I definitely saw another coon about her size a week or two ago.

Anyway, wanted to share this latest chapter - I'm thrilled that she's developing some level of comfort/interest around me so quickly!

Liz

Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a)

How exciting! We may have two new families to celebrate soon!

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Liz, really does sound like your visitor is "with raccoon:" congratulations! The cat food and leftovers are really going to a good cause.

Putnam County, IN(Zone 5b)

Ooo, maybe you will get some photos too and share with us!!!

Emerald Hills, CA(Zone 9b)

It would be great if I could get comfortable enough to get photos, but I think that's a long way off, unless I take them through glass.

Well, last night I discovered one of the reasons why food is going more quickly. I put out some old Lucky Charms - don't think my kids have eaten those in several years, so they were really old - & some peanuts (a new treat for the critters), even though it wasn't the regular feeding night. When I opened the door, later, a possom went scooting away from the food, across the patio & into the gully (under the bridge). Previously, I would have found a possom repulsive, but thanks to all of you, I appreciated its own special cuteness, though I have no desire (at this point) to see it close up!

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Liz, try thinking of possums as the party guest who's pretty interesting, really, but no one discovers this because they can't get past his unkempt appearance and mild but persistent body odor. Poor fellow... Your garden will appreciate his/her presence; they are world-class at eradicating grubs and nematodes. And unlike squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks, which are admittedly cute as a button, possums don't in my experience dig up or eat the plants.

Emerald Hills, CA(Zone 9b)

Ruth,

If only I could train the possums to eat the snails, I would give them a welcome home party! LOL!

We haven't heard from Cheryl in a while - hope it's because she's busy with work & feeling healthy...

Liz

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Liz, you may just need to schedule that welcome home party! I know that possums eat slugs, and snails are pretty close....

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
BACK TO TOP