Heidi Chronicles: Can't Be Long Now, Can It?

More old videos for those who haven't seen them yet (and those who might enjoy the reruns) : )

These are of Trouble when he was a youngster, circa 2006. When he got up a bit in size he started coming into the yard in the afternoon that summer. He would raid the feeder, drink the hummingbird nectar, etc. One day I took a cut section of watermelon out (for me) and put it down on the patio table. Then I went back inside for something. When I returned, my melon had tell tale tooth marks. I couldn't believe he had gotten to it so fast. What a little scoundrel he was, but even he was not as 'bad' as Dennis.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/video/3027597520015894510
http://outdoors.webshots.com/video/3024779590015894510

While I'm posting vintage stuff, here is Heidi from back when she 1st showed up. This was taken at night a few days after the initial encounter. At the time I was still unsure what to do with and about her. I hadn't started feeding her yet, but she was quite insistent on being friends. Even with me out there taking pics of her (outside) she paused for a while 1/2 way up the fence looking at me instead of running away. (She's covering her face because of the flash)

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2974302150015894510aDYkMN

More vintage stuff. Heidi from the first year. early summer 06.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/video/3064071120015894510OanstX
http://outdoors.webshots.com/video/3017085360015894510OooAhd

Here's a still pic of Fraidy as a youngster sitting on the fence while the others are eating. Her growth was stunted, and she was always small. Note how her tail is so long compared to her body. The others wouldn't let her come into the yard, so I used to toss food to her back at the fence.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2539036390015894510uOPkQr

There are a number of other pics and videos in the same album with these. (just follow one of the links, then click on 'full album' on the far right and page through the thumbnails to see what's available)

My, she was little, wasn't she!

Drat! My connection is so slow, I takes thirty minutes for each one to load. I will have to wait until next week, when I can get to my school to borrow their computers!

Yeah, I tried to load them and crashed explorer!!! It barfed and said it really needed to close. LOL

I too will look at them when I am at DD's next weekend. She has dsl. yeah!!

Susan
=^..^=

Yes, nanny, poor Fraidy was always a tiny thing. Then her siblings refused to let her eat with them - tried to drive her away - which didn't help much as she tried to grow. There were 5 kits that year, and I didn't meet Heidi and start feeding her until she was nursing. I suspect that Fraidy was deprived of nutrients in utero, perhaps because Heidi was unable to obtain enough food to sustain so many growing fetuses. In the wild (without human intervention) she probably would not have survived. For this reason, nature being harsh sometimes, it seems like Heidi and the others didn't want to waste precious resources on a kit that 'couldn't' thrive. She didn't actually show up until after the others had been visiting the buffet for a while. I had always been under the impression that there were 4 kits and then one day I had to do a double take as there were clearly 5. Fraidy was always afraid of her shadow, hence the name. She spent most of her time on the fence, pacing from one end to the other but afraid to come down. When she did come down, the others would chase her back up the fence. That's when I started tossing dog food and dog biscuits as close to the fence as possible. She would run down, grab one, and run back up. In that pick, if you look close you can see that she is holding something, probably a dog biscuit.

I never was that close to her back then because I didn't really get to interact with her. She was just a blip on the fence, but I tried to get as much food to her as possible because I felt sorry for her. In time she did grown a bit and she got brave enough to sneak or run over to me. In those days the others were afraid to come that close to me, so Fraidy figured out that if she could get to my bench and sit down beside it, she would be safe. She was the 1st to get so close to me. After she made it to the bench I would put food down beside it for her. It was during that time that I grew close to her. She remained quite 'child-like' even when the others were practically grown. Often she would sit like a little child with the food between her legs and would lean way back (comfy) so that her entire tummy was exposed. A time or two she rolled all the way back so that she was lying on her back, belly up. Because she looked to me as a protector and demonstrated such extreme trust for me (even to expose her vulnerable tummy that way) we concluded that she seemed to see me as a surrogate mother back then.

For a while in late summer and early fall of that year (06), I would got out before dark and see her sitting high up in the branches over the feeding area (trees from the forest with branches extending out over the yard). I'd call her and she would come down to eat in peace before the others arrived.

Edited to add that back then I wasn't sure if I had done a good thing or just prolonged the inevitable. We weren't sure, for instance, if she would make it through the 1st winter alone, but she did. She's 2yrs old now and roughly the size of the smaller yearlings (07 kits). I guess that's probably as large as she will get, but she seems to be able to sustain herself since she has managed to survive during periods when I wasn't seeing her at the buffet.

This message was edited Apr 26, 2008 11:22 PM

KyWoods and Susan,

So sorry that you can't view them right now. Is dial up the problem for you, too, Ky?

Still more vintage. Here is one of my favorite memories for 06. I walked out back on weekend afternoon to see baby Trouble climbing around in the tree line eating the ripe muscadine grapes growing wild there. He was SO cute up there: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2767192890015894510ZxUyLr

Edited to add. Here he is same day. He was trying to walk out on that tiny limb to get to the grapes at the end. As you can see, the limb was bending considerably under his weight. Eventually, he realized he couldn't make it and went back. He was probably 30ft or so up there and I was a little concerned about him trying to go out on that skinny branch. As you can see I circled a few of the grapes on that pic. That (watching him enjoy the grapes) is where I got the idea to buy them grapes in the 1st place.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2556436210015894510oYZMQi

This message was edited Apr 26, 2008 11:32 PM

The movies looked fine to me, Cheryl. They could have been lighter, but they were still very watchable. :-) Just as an aside, if you need something to edit your movies with, we use Sony Vegas Movie Studio, and it works great.

We saw this earlier this week and thought immediately of Dennis: http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2008/04/this-is-a-stick.html

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Cheryl; that was great! Gee, you still had a yard back in those days: no food bowls, water pans and kiddie pool taking up all your space. Trouble was just too adorable, and Fraidy so vulnerable and precious. Heidi looked younger then, but her weight and condition look so much better now. Great memories.

Thanks Marylyn,

Unfortunately, by the time HRH and Cissy arrived it was almost dusk, hence the dark effect. Can you adjust lighting of the video with the Sony product? That's probably the only thing I'd want it for right now, but if I could find something at a reasonable price that could fix the lighting, that would be awesome.

Love the little raccoon dude! Enjoyed many of the comments as well.

Thanks, Ruth,

When I went to those sites to load new videos, I got a bit carried away on my trip back into time. Interesting that you noticed some of the same things I did: I still had grass in that area back then and it wasn't so 'junky' looking and Heidi looked so much younger 2 yrs and 6 or more kids ago. But then considering the avg lifespan for raccoons, I guess 2 years is a major part of a lifetime for them. Glad you think she looks better or at least in better condition in terms of weight, coat, etc. I did enjoy reviewing some of the highlights.

Yes, Cheryl, two years is huge in the lifespan of a raccoon in the wild. Look at it this way: without all of your help in terms of protected feeding environment and great diet, in the normal run of things Heidi probably would be barely hanging on. She probably would no longer be able to reproduce, which would mean her place in the hierarchy would have sunk to something similar to Fraidy's. That's nature, but nature is concerned with the survival of the species, not the individual; and since there are are a whole lot of people who care about Heidi these days, we're all really glad you're helping her to extend her lifespan and reign.

Yep.. We make a montage of pictures and home movies on DVDs for family at Christmas (none of my family and very little of dh's family live around here, so they like getting the pictures of our little folk), and I can fix the lighting, add captions, and even turn the video around if I had the digital camera turned sideways. It's a great program. :-)

Oooooh! Marylyn, Thanks!

I would like that. In fact, I have some old videos of the raccoons that I never posted because they were too dark. When I tried to find something to fix the lighting, the only program I turned up was a professional version of Photoshop E3 for around $1000. Ouch! The Sony product sounds great and for < $100. I'll have to get that right away. Thanks.

Terese, are you listening? I recall that you were also looking for such a product.

Yup!! thanks for the tip on software.

I found this on a site, thought you would all be interested!

Some General Facts
1) I have maintained non-releasable raccoons for many years on Purina Dog Chow. Zoos often add a good quality vitamin/mineral supplement but I find this unnecessary and probably deleterious. Puppy and kitten chows are too high in protein for long-term health. You can also feed Zupreem Brand or Mazuri Brand Omnivore Diet (5M11) http://www.mazuri.com/ although I personally feel both these diets are too high in protein (26%) and fat and too low in fiber. You can make a zoo-type diet yourself, but the animals tend to pick through it and their actual intake may be unhealthy. However, many zoos do this by combining dog chow, diced vegetables and greens, alfalfa meal, ferret or mink chow, diced rodents, diced chicks crickets, mealworms and a vitamin-mineral supplement. I feel that the final blend should have a protein content of 15-18%, fat content of 10-12.0%, and fiber content of 8-10% unless the animals are bred but their exact nutrient requirements remain unknown.
2) Females can breed as early as one year old.
3) Many adult males weigh in the mid 30 lb range – females are smaller.
4) I have seen litter size vary from three to eight
5) Their pregnancy lasts about 61 days
6) Wild raccoons wean their babies at about 76 days but the immature raccoons often stay with
the mother for up to a year.
7) Coat colors are quite variable
8) In the wild, more than half their diet is plant material.
9) Southern raccoons tend to be smaller than their northern counterparts.
10) Males play no part in raising the young.
11) Raccoons kept in captivity tend to get too fat and too little exercise.
12) Raccoons are the archetype omnivores – true opportunist, they will eat practically anything.
13) I have seen captive raccoons live 12 years. The record is said to be about 21 years
but this must have been a quite exceptional raccoon !
14 Raccoons live from Canada to South America. The Aztec/Nawatl word for raccoon is Tachon
(Tah hon with a guttural second h).
15) They tend to range about a mile to a mile-and-a-half unless food or water become scarce or the
population becomes too dense.

Vaccines that have been reported as used by various institutions in raccoons in the past with no
apparent ill-effects include:

More interesting facts about what Heidis babies might be doing:

HOW OLD IS THE RACCOON? A 100-gram or less baby is a week or less old: very light hair fuzz, 4 ½ -6” nose-end of tail, eyes closed, ears unopened, crawls spread-legged.
A 250 gram baby is about 2 ½ weeks old (about 8 ½ long)
A 350 gram baby is about 3 ½ weeks old (about 10 “ long) (eyes open 2 ½-3 wks))
A 550 gram baby is about 5 ½ weeks old (about 12-14” long) (ears open about 4wks)
(begin to walk)
A 950 gram baby is about 9 ½ weeks old (eating solid foods, very active and independent)
A 1500- 2000 gram baby (time to start giving it the skills it will need for release)

RACCOON DEVELOPMENT: Raccoon kits or cubs are born very lightly furred, with a faint mask. They typically weigh three to five ounces and 4-6 inches long with 2-2 1/4" tail. Pigmented tail rings will be present or will appear at about one week of age. Their eyes are closed and so are their ears, which are pressed tightly forward to the head. The head seems large compared to the rest of the body. When hungry, cold, or not in contact with another warm body, the babies will start chattering, whine or twitter like birds. They can crawl in a spider-like fashion with all four legs in extension, but cannot climb or stand and support their full weight. The eyes open at about two to three weeks, the ears shortly thereafter. They now average 7-10" long. They will be VERY vocal at this age. They will churr, growl, hiss, and give an alarm snort. By 4 weeks they are about 12-13" long. When five to six weeks old, most can walk, run, and climb very well. Seven-week-old babies will engage in active (and sometimes rough) fighting characterized by growling, squealing, biting, wrestling, and imitating adult defence postures. They remain in their birth den until they are about seven or eight weeks old, at which point their mother moves them to a series of alternate dens. After about eight to nine weeks of age they begin eating solid foods in the wild and by 10 weeks they travel with their mother. By four months old, they will be completely weaned and somewhat independent. Raccoon mothers with babies enjoy a privileged position in the raccoon hierarchy for as long as the babies remain with the mother. Other raccoons will defer to a female with babies in feeding situations. For rehabbers, the appropriate age for releasing hand-raised baby raccoons back into the wild is 16 to 24 weeks. This of course would be subject to the season of the year and the readiness of the animal. I prefer to wait until they are at least 20-24 weeks. At this age they are still young enough that there instincts take over and they become truly wild following their release.

Thanks, Debbie,

That's very interesting info - although I don't see myself dicing any rodents in the near future. LOL
Of course, these guys are wild and thus have access to foods other than those I provide. (i.e., they'll have to dice their own rodents when they get that craving.) ;-)
One thing I find particularly interesting is that the author specifically mentions feeding Purina Dow Chow. I have found that the raccoon really like that particular brand of dog food, more than some cat foods. From what I've seen, in case anyone out there is interested (i.e. purchasing pkg food for their backyard critters), they like Purina Dog Chow and Purina Cat Chow and seem to prefer (just as we might) a switch between the 2 from time to time just to maintain some variety. While they will eat any type, they really don't care for any of those varieties of cat/dog food that come in cutesy colors and shapes and have similarly cutesy names aimed at attracting humans such as Meox Mix, Chef's Blend, etc. They also like Purina One, Iams, etc but those can get a bit pricey if you are feeding the entire neighborhood. Purina Dog/Cat chow are the least expensive products I've found that they really like, although they did seem to enjoy Alley Cat the few times I bought that less expensive variety.

If you are thinking, "How does she know what they like and don't like?" Oh, trust me, they make their preferences known. Heidi is especially quick to sound the alarm when given the yucky stuff. (And, yes, she does check for fish shapes and bright colors and then complain loudly when she finds them in her dish. As you know she's very concerned about her health, so she doesn't like a lot of dyes and such in her food.) Ok, kidding about that last part, but when Heidi's dish is filled with food she doesn't like, she picks over it lightly and then goes to check the other dishes to see if I put the good stuff somewhere else. If she can't find the good stuff, she gives me 'The Look' and then proceeds to pick and nibble, often with a pained expression of consternation and contempt, at the yucky stuff before leaving early; so she's like the canary if you will. If she likes it, it's a keeper. If she doesn't, we try to avoid it in the future. Recently I bought a bag of Publix Cat Food because I like some of their products better than name brands (yogurt being one example). Apparently that doesn't extend to cat food. Heidi was not impressed. When I broke out the bag of Purina Dog Chow after we finished that store brand cat food, she was much happier. When she likes the food, she dig right in, stays at her dish, and eats her fill.

So, bottom line (and I know the author was making the recommendation based on what's good for them, but), they like Purina Cat Chow and Dog Chow more than most comparably prices and less expensive foods. They don't care for canned cat or dog food BTW. Heidi will even turn her nose up and walk away from those tiny, expensive containers of 'wet' foods like Little Seeba and similar cat and dog products.

Thanks for the info.

Edited to add that the above info about likes and dislikes is, of course, based on the preferences of well fed and slightly 'spoiled' raccoons and is provided for anyone who might want to know; however, I am certain that your backyard critters will greatly appreciate anything you can spare be it store brand, cutesy shapes/colors, whatever. For that matter, even the spoiled and picky raccoons in my backyard will eat whatever I put out there. It is virtually unheard of for any food to remain in the area come morning.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 11:35 AM

Cheryl, that was the reason I posted that....the purina experience, and that you were doing the right thing. I don't expect you to slice and dice the rodents! LOL That was for rehabers raising infants.

And for the second post...I thought we could judge the age of Heidi's crew based on when we thought they were born...how many weeks....and what they just might be doing now.

Basically from what I read, you have it all together doing the right thing for the "wildlife" supplements.

Debbie

Debbie,

I was just being silly. I understood. I just couldn't resist. When I saw that about diced rodents, I was like "uh-uh, no way, not happening!" But they are welcome to catch all the rodents they can find in the yard. ;-)
But, really, if I had a baby one to raise, you know I'd go get him some rodents and put them right through the food processor (ok, maybe not the last part).

Sounds good about the size/age info. I kind of skipped over it for now because I'm supposed to be working - but, of course, I have to check in w/you guys from time to time while I work. lol.

ROFL, no food processor? I just don't know why not! LOL

I have a terrible time when I go to the pet store and someone comes in to get mice, rats, or "frozen mice to go" for their snakes/lizards or whatever. Just don't think I could go that route.

When my cats catch a mouse, DD#3 goes nuts...chasing the cat...and if the mouse is still alive...she sets it free out in the field....only to find its way back here with more family I am sure! This is all because DD#2 went to school for vet tech....and brought home her patients after gaduation. We had pet rats for awhile. They really are clean and some of the sweetest things. But only a 2 year life span.

Now Cheryl, get back to work! LOL

Debbie

Neat info.. Learned a whole bunch this morning. Don't feel bad Scutler.. I supposed ot be workign too, but the draw of Daves just to strong. LOL

I didn't realize that they ate so much plant matter. I thought it wa sall like fish and food stuff.

Laughed my head off when I read that part abotu rodents too. Could ya just see ya telling a rodent to jump into th eprocessor cuz I figure there ain't know way ya cgonan sit there and dice and slice one.

When ya get a sec.. what is the first three ingredients in orde ron the back of the purina bag. The first two are the most important for what really in the stuff.

All them cutisy bags and titles and pics are not for the animals they are just feel good pics for us humans. Major marketing tools going on there.

Will they eat things like chunks of cantelope, banana and fresh fruits? Was just wonderign cuz I go tme a cantelope today , first one for me for the season and thought about it beign full of seet natural sugar and juicy.

Debbie -- LOL at that last comment!

starlight -- 1st 3: whole grain corn, poultry by product meal, animal fat. (Here's the whole list: http://www.longliveyourdog.com/products/dogchowcompletenutrition.aspx ) Doesn't sound that great and I've never quite figured out what they like about it considering that they turn their noses up when offered fresh corn and while they will eat chicken, it's clearly not their favorite food. They will virtually always take cat/dog food (dry only) over chicken whether boiled, broiled, baked, fried, or raw. I'm tempted at times to think they prefer dry dog/cat food because it's easy to eat, not messy, sort of like the raccoon version of fast food. BTW, the animal fat sounds particularly yucky but maybe that's what is making their coats look so much better.

1st few for Publix adult cat food (Heidi said not to bring this one home anymore): poultry by-product meal, ground wheat, ground yellow corn, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, animal fat
1st few for 9lives (they like this one): corn, chicken by product meal, wheat, corn gluten meal, beef and bone meal, salmon, chicken, beef, poultry fat
1st few for Purina Cat Chow Complete(they like this one): poultry by product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, ground whole wheat, brewer's rice, soy flour, animal fat, fish meal, meat and bone meal

The answer to your last question is, yes, but...If you plant melons of almost any kind, raccoons and opossums will drop by at night and eat the inside leaving only a thin, hollow shell. Whenever I leave watermelon or cantaloupe or even just the rinds, by morning nothing is left but the outer most part of the rind. By the next morning nothing will remain but a curled, paper thin stip of outer rind (because they eat the rest of the rind the 2nd day). I have seen the kits in prior years on the patio eating quarter-sized crab apples from the columnar tree there.

However, like us the range of what they will eat includes some things they like more than others.If I leave any of these things outside they will be gone by morning, but bare in mind that what is gone includes not only what is eaten by raccoons but also what is eaten by opossums and who knows what else. One day last week I gave Heidi a slice from an incredibly sweet cantaloupe. She took one bite and went back to eating her cat food. Later when Trouble inherited her spot, he also skipped over the melon in favor of the cat food. The slice of melon was gone by morning but I decided to eat the rest of the melon myself as they didn't seem nearly as excited about it as I was. They will eat apples and bananas but don't seem all that excited about them. The one thing I've noticed about med sized fruit is that often the ones like Fraidy who get chased away will grab the fruit or bread because they can take it with them and run back over the fence with it.

The favorites (aside from dry cat/dog food) are: grapes, watermelon, peanuts, raw eggs, yogurt (esp Cabot's Greek Style because it's made with cream), and sunflower seeds. (I keep forgetting the last one. I have a tendency to think they eat BOSS from the feeder just because they are readily available but many times have seen one of the raccoons leave the buffet to go raid the feeder for desert. When I remember to mix BOSS with their cat/dog food they eat the seeds, too so clearly these are also a favorite)
They will eat cherries but prefer grapes.
Of course, they also like hummingbird nectar, cake and frosting, marshmallows, granola, etc.

edited (because no one made a post and I needed something to do to have an excuse not to be working) to add raw eggs to the favorites list. I've also given them peaches and apricots, both of which they eat. These seem to fall somewhere between apples/bananas on the one hand and watermelon/grapes on the other. They eat them pretty readily, but prefer the grapes. I have found that, in general, what they really like is far different from what I would have expected. Unlike dogs and cats, they don't seem to prefer meat (including fish and chicken). They will walk past a side of beef, 1" thick pork chops, a whole roasted chicken, a can of tuna, and a whole mackerel to get to the items listed above as favorites: dry cat/dog food, grapes, watermelon, peanuts, and eggs.

Edited again to add yogurt and sunflower seeds to the favorites list

This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 2:43 PM

This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 3:02 PM

I guess my raccoons aren't as picky--they devour anything I put out, lol. Cesar's wet dog food, Nutro kibble, Beneful kibble, leftover chinese food, watermelon, apples, crushed dry corn, and whatever else we have around. Maybe they develop a taste for what is available if it's not plentiful. We don't have leftovers every day, so I guess when we do, they take advantage of it. It's good to know what else they like, though. We have a bazillion ants, though, so that gets to be a problem. Anybody else have that issue to deal with?
Interesting article, Debbie! I didn't know their ears were closed, too!

KyWoods,

I do think that my bunch now represents a fairly 'spoiled' group. It's like when my dog 1st arrived he was thrilled to eat his dog food. Now that I've been spoiling him with bits of this and that, chicken, sweet potatoes, etc he still eats his dog food but only if he can't find anything else to eat.

The other point I was trying to make though is that by sitting out there with them and observing what and how they eat, what gets passed over until the preferred stuff is gone, etc I've learned a lot about which foods they like most. Like it says in the info Debbie posted, depending on how hungry they are they will eat just about anything - except possibly citrus fruit. I still put out leftovers of all kinds and no matter what I put out there it is certain to disappear during the night. 'Someone' is sure to eat it. Sometimes, like with bread products, a chicken carcass, fried chicken parts, a 'blob' of packed rice from Chinese takeout, etc. even though many of the others may walk past it in favor of the kibble, there is usually that one raccoon who sees it and goes, "yummy, just what I was craving". That one will sit and pig out on the thing that the others don't seem to want.

I can't over stress the point that I'm sure your raccoons and opossums are absolutely thrilled to get whatever you leave out for them, and I sure hope that no one will be tempted to stop feeding just because they don't have the favorite items listed above. I was just letting you know what I learned while observing them. Those are the things that seem to be fairly universal, most if not all of my raccoons love them and choose them over other things. But time after time I take some small left over like the biscuit bottoms or the toast crusts and watch one or more of the raccoons eye's light up when they find it.

I prefer jumbo king crab legs, fillet mignon, super jumbo sea scallops, lobster, and fine chocolates - but I will eat and enjoy a peanut butter sandwich, a bowl of chili, pizza, or Chinese takeout. In fact, I'm quite fond of chili and Chinese takeout - when I don't have a fine steak or premium seafood. Not to mention that if I had the items on my prefers list every day I would soon tire of them as will the raccoons. That's one reason that I've been rationing the treats lately. Last summer when I let them gorge themselves on unlimited treats they eventually reached the point where nothing pleased them. Then I put the box of fig bars in the freezer because no one wanted them. Recently when I got them out again, they were a hit.

I do have the red ants, but with so many raccoons and opossums out there the ants don't seem to stand much of a chance. In my case I try not to put out more than I think will be eaten in a reasonable time for fear of attracting rats/mice since I live by the forest. Rats aren't going to try to eat with the raccoons and opossums but may be tempted to 'pull up a chair' if anything is left sitting around.

If ants are a big problem, you might try putting the food in a dish and putting the dish in a shallow pan of water like maybe one of those cat litter pans (not shallow, but you could just put an inch or so of water in it). Water won't stop the raccoons. They'll probably like it. Ants aren't likely to try to cross the water to get to the food. Just a thought, especially for summer.

I have noticed mine seemed to get bored with the same thing too many nights in a row. So I switch things out about every 3 nights. Hmmmm...they might be getting a little spoiled too! LOL

I'll try the dish in water, thanks! Oh, and somebody eats the orange slices I put out--I'm thinking the possums, because I read that they love fruit. Thanks for the tip about the Purina dog chow, as I was thinking about picking something extra up for these nursing moms.

nanny -- as Mom always used to say "If you don't want whats on your plate, you're not really hungry." True for raccoons as well as people - but it never hurts to spoil them a little.

KyWoods -- You're welcome. Hope that works. At the very least the water should slow the ants down enough to let the critters get there 1st.

A DISH OF WATER!!! I never thought of that. I put out dry food for my kitties in the garage and it gets full of ants. I bet they wouldn't care if the food was surrounded by a mote. Might even have a little drink from that mote.

The things I learn by watching raccoons. *grin*

Susan
=^..^=

That is good information, Debbie: thanks! But 30-pound males?? That must support their statement that coons in captivity tend to be idle and overweight. I had many many occasions to weigh wild raccoons during my years at shelters, and the biggest male tipped the scale at 18 lbs. Of course we had calls all the time from the public about 50 lb. raccoons and 40 lb. possums in their backyards. Fur, and the people's fear, makes them look much bigger (lol).

Just to reinforce what Cheryl said, it's more important (especially with raccoons) to offer food to support them, than what foods you offer. Raccoons are the consummate omnivore; if hungry, they will eat nearly anything including garbage and carrion. Of course they have favorite foods, but they can make do with virtually anything and put it to good nutritional use.

A few quick notes from tonight's adventure:

Tonight started off really well and continued that way throughout. Two very noteworthy things happened tonight, the 1st being an incredible sign of more progress with Heidi. For some time now we had reached the point where Heidi would come to her dish while I was pouring her food and would with great reservation begin to eat with me standing beside the dish. She usually does this by standing back a bit and then reaching waaay forward to grab a handful of food while keeping a watchful eye on me, but I was happy none the less to have come so far with her. Today, however, as I was pouring her food she walked past the dish and up to me to sniff my arm. I stood still and continued pouring the food, allowing her the opportunity to check me out as she pleased - and she actually stuck her wet, cold nose right up against my arm just a few inches down from the elbow! That is the absolute 1st ever time she has ever touched me. And then she promptly walked back around to her dish to eat.

She seems to initiate more contact in this manner each year before she brings her kits to meet me. I can't help wondering if she isn't checking me out in some manner just to reassure herself that I'm ok - for the kids. Not sure, but these things always seem to happen at this time of year. And this year we're making progress over last year.

Tonight I took out grapes and peanuts, just a handful of grapes which I split between Cissy and Dennis. Everyone, including Heidi and even Fraidy back at the fence, got peanuts. Cissy is very well mannered. I tossed her a few grapes at her dish. When she wanted more, she came near me. I told her 'no' (gently), and she promptly returned to her dish. I gave her some more later.

Trouble arrived on the fence by the Heidi tree but when Heidi growled at him he thought better of his position and moved some 25 ft or so down the fence to enter well past her area. Halfway to the dishes in what is now Blondie's area, Blondie who was eating there at the time met him and smacked him around a bit, so he left there and tried to go over and take Heidi's dish like he used to. One more growl from her, sent him running back. It was a bit amusing to see this new group dynamic. Eventually he found his way around the veggie patch and the willow tree (to circumvent the girls) to the bucket on the other side of the tractor scoot. Later when he became thirsty he went over to the far side of the pool. Heidi tried to warn him but he hopped his big butt in there anyhow. She warned him again. Still he ignored her. Then, like a lioness she slinked over the rim and into the pool, head low to the water, teeth showing, moving slowly but deliberately towards him, her nose/teeth aimed at his mid section, still slinking forward in that 'lion stalking pray' manner, half croutching, head low, still sounding the warning. When she was almost upon him, she leaped forward teeth aimed at his mid torso. Trouble screamed and lept sideways over the rim of the pool flat footed and in one move, and then he was in the weeds beyond the pool as he walked back to over to the pan of water near his bucket, ego visibly deflated.

I can see that I will need to rearrange some things and add another water pan. Heidi has laid claim to both the pool on one side of her area and the 2 copper basins on the other. Tonight she would not let poor Dennis drink from either the pool or the basins. She wouldn't let anyone else do so either, but that leaves Dennis without a water supply under the current arrangement. She did, however, let Dennis hang around in front of me in the area she had clearly staked off as her territory. I'm unsure whether she allowed this because he's male or (as I suspect) in deference to me, because she knows I always let him do that and she doesn't want to fight with me. She is the boss of the raccoons and opossums, but from her behavior it actually looks as though I am the top 'dog' of the feeding area.

I had put Dennis' dish behind the chair BTW hoping to make a place there for him or one of the others, but Dennis wouldn't stay back there. He was a real sweetie tonight. He sat at my feet, and I gave him the rest of the small section of grapes. I guess he ate them too fast because a few minutes later he was down there hawking something up and for one humorous/not minute it actually looked as though he might barf it up onto my shoe. Then he hopped up into the chair beside me. I put a handful of peanuts there for him to eat. While he was eating grapes I added a few more from time to time. As his face was near the edge of the seat near me, I put the peanuts down on the edge only inches from his mouth. It was only then that I recalled our conversation the other night about getting close to the food, but Dennis was totally calm - and happy to get more peanuts.

The other night when he was acting up a bit with the bag of grapes, there was a moment when he had his back to me, his tail near my leg, facing the forest and listening to something there. Half expecting him to leap away, especially as he was listening to something and might thus be startled, I reached down and touched his mid back. He didn't even flinch, so I stroked his back. Still no reaction. I stroked his back 3 times, full length and in the same manner as you would pet your dog or cat. Still no reaction except to look back at me for a moment. He had never allowed me to pet him so freely before. Tonight as he was eating his peanuts and I was adding more from time to time, at one point I reached over and stroked his back. This time was different because this time he was facing me so my hand had to go over his head to reach his back, something he always resisted. Again, no reaction. I stroked his back 3 times as he ate. He looked at me and went on eating.

It was late and I had a lot to do so I left early while everyone was still there, something I rarely do. I saved about 1/3 of the bag of peanuts for another night. Better, I've learned, to leave them wanting more where treats are concerned. Just one note, everyone was there - except for HRH. Watching the kids, maybe?

Ruth,

Absolutely! It can't be over stressed that any and all food is much needed and greatly appreciated by wildlife. I just wanted to let folks know what I've found regarding favorites, but would never want to dissuade folks from putting any food out. I try to toss out every little bite of food I can gather, even apple cores, peach pits (the ones with peach still clinging to the pit and/or uneaten bruised areas), and mango pits and peels, and melon rinds even though I am inclined to eat pretty close to the edge. Nothing is ever tossed back at me. Those hungry nursing moms need all the help they can get and will be happy to get whatever is left over.

LOL at the difference between what the scales say and the estimates of callers - reminds me of those fish stories.

I can just picture Heidi in her "torpedo" mode! Guess Trouble is finally getting the message that he is not the king.

How awesome is that that you got to pet Dennis! He sure is a sweetie. Is he real soft or is his fur more coarse?

I really enjoyed all your videos. It added another new dimension to your stories. Even though I don't comment too often I do try to come here and catch up on your story every day. Gives me something to look forward to.

Hi goldfinch,

Glad that you had a chance to view the videos and that you enjoyed them. Thanks for the compliment. Glad to hear that you are still enjoying the story.

Trouble was so out of control there for a while, so it's good to see Heidi and the others putting him in his place. Perhaps if they keep it up long enough they may be able to teach him to be a little more gentlemanly, like his father.

I was really very surprised to find that I can now pet Dennis just as if he were a dog or cat. I figured he was already as comfortable with me as he would ever be, and am pleasantly surprised to see that we are still making progress in that area. It's difficult to describe his fur in terms of the animals with which we are all most comfortable: dogs and cats. He's somewhere between coarse and soft. It's not at all obvious until you get right over them and are able to look down at their backs, but the underlying fur stands upright like what used to be called a 'crew cut' for guys. The hair underneath (maybe that's the undercoat, not sure) is somewhat coarse though not so much so as to be prickly. The surface hair is soft but is held upright by the coarser hair. When I stroke his back, my hand 1st makes contact with the hair standing up maybe 1/2in or so above his actual skin. Some months ago, I could mostly only touch the ends of the hair and he would move away. Now when I pet him my hand mashes the upright hair down to the skin. When he is down at my feet, if I look straight down at his back I can see through the hair, at least the longer outer layer, in a manner that is also not obvious from a distance. He is definitely not soft in the sense of my Maltese. He's not 'bunny rabbit' soft. I was a little surprised the 1st time I touched the upright hair on his back because I guess I was expecting it to be softer and more like the hair of a cat. Don't know if this helps or just confused the matter all the more. I'm having great difficulty describing his fur either in words or in terms of other animals with which I am familiar. It is really quite unique. I think the way that it stands upright on his back probably makes for a good compromise between insulation for keeping warm and air flow for staying cool as well as helping him shed water almost like a duck. It seems like when they get out of the pool the are virtually dry except for their feet. Oh, almost forgot to mention that the top of his head and sides of his face are softer and more like what we are used to with cats/dogs.

OH Cheryl -- i hope lil Widget doesn't see you petting Dennis.... that just may put him over the edge!!

LOL, Terese!

I think part of Widget's problem with the raccoons is jealousy. When I go out to feed them he calls after me. When i return to the house, he is almost always standing by the door with one of his little stuffed toys in his mouth - and all I can say is "Ahhhhh!" Then no matter how late it is or how tired I am or how much I have to do, I have to stop and play fetch with him for a while to make up for spending time with those 'awful' raccoons.

The weekend, except for the 30min I spent with the gang (and my conversations with all of you, of course), was a rough one, rushing to get the min done around the house and as much as possible done on my software app - and get a few hours R&R. Pretty stressful time right now. Got a call Sunday that my sister was in emergency surgery. Am pretty concerned about her. She's the young one, a full decade younger than I am. I just didn't expect her to have any kind of serious illness. You know - she's the 'baby'. Dreadful day today. Came home feeling SO beaten down from work issues, visitors (with $$$) coming next week to see the product, testing and wrestling with last minute bugs under extreme duress. Ouch! I was so glad to see this day end. Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

With all this going on, tonight I barely had time to pour food and run. Heidi was there waiting for me, and the others were arriving (and sneaking around behind the willow to avoid upsetting her by treading to near her new territory) as I was leaving.

Oh, on my ride home I had a few minutes to dream about the arrival of the 08 kits. Recalling how much the 07 kits seemed to enjoy that old, partially decomposed bale of straw I dubbed the 'sandbox' and fort because the climbed on one end and dug holes in the other, I'm hoping to find time this weekend to run out and get a few bales of straw to replace the old one which is now mostly compost. I was thinking about stacking 2 to 3 bails, maybe tying them together somehow, to make a higher and hopefully even more fun place to climb and play and then dump a few bags of compost (maybe those 2 on the bank behind the pool that are always messing up pictures and which need to be moved anyhow) beside the straw. That way they would have a place to climb and a place to dig - and in time the whole thing would just become rich garden soil. What do you think?

Ok, off to bed now, but I look forward to reading your thoughts, perhaps tomorrow as a treat when everything is going wrong and everyone is scowling at me. : )