Why, why, WHY?!

[owlice]

WHY are baby raccoons so doggone CUTE?

I don't want raccoons on my porch and am good about using a broom to make adult raccoons leave the cat food alone. (Rabies is endemic in the raccoon population here; the outdoor cats are feral so not vaccinated.) But why do baby raccoons have to look so so so so so very very cute?? And be so curious?? And playful?? ("Look! A not-a-raccoon! Maybe we can play with it!" when I appear and "Look! A broom! Maybe we can play with it!" when the broom appears.)

There are two of them. They are really really really cute.

Dang! Why do they have to be soooooo cute?!

(Actually, I have this same question about some men, too! )

[DavidW]

Do you also swing a broom at those men too?  Shoo!  Shoo!

[david johnson]

bbq 'coon is good.  be sure to use hot sauce.

dj

[secondwind]

bbq 'coon is good.  be sure to use hot sauce.

dj

I once got rid of an annoying rabbit that a suite-mate was keeping in our college dorm by leaving my Joy of Cooking open to p. 452, "Rabbit or Hare a la Mode, HasenPfeffer or Civet".  The recipe begins "Skin: A rabbit" and that step is illustrated.  But then, that rabbit could read (or at least understood the picture).  I don't know about your varmints!

[Dana]

Why not?

      I don't care for raccoons much, not since one of them scared me out of my wits by creeping out of an apparently empty trash can. Imagine standing out at a bus stop, at night, alone, for at least 5 minutes, when suddenly suspicious noises start emanating from the can...

[DavidW]

bbq 'coon is good.  be sure to use hot sauce.

dj

I think that goes on the eating animals thread, and sonic dave can post some recipes.

[karlhenning]

Or, we could merge it with one of Eric's threads . . . How could a loving God make baby raccoons so cuuuuute? 

[bwv 1080]

 I would recommend a 12-gauge  - cleanup is easier -you will just have you hose the porch down afterwards

[DavidW]

I would recommend a 12-gauge  - cleanup is easier -you will just have you hose the porch down afterwards

Spoken like a true Texan!

[Anne]

Our family has lived in the same house for 24 years in a pine forest and have never seen a raccoon.  That is until last week when I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink.  A movement caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.  When I looked, there was a very young raccoon intent on climbing up the side of our house.  He was so interested in climbing that he never noticed me less than 3 feet away!

Then I remembered the upstairs windows were open and the screens come out with a gentle push from the outside.  I ran upstairs and closed them and haven't opened them since.

Is there any truth to the idea that they like to sleep on a roof because they are then safe from predators?  How can I discourage them?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  My sister said that if one of them gets cornered, he turns very vicious.

[Anne]

Why not?

      I don't care for raccoons much, not since one of them scared me out of my wits by creeping out of an apparently empty trash can. Imagine standing out at a bus stop, at night, alone, for at least 5 minutes, when suddenly suspicious noises start emanating from the can...

If that had been at my daughter's house, it would have been a skunk coming out of the trash the night before garbage pick up.  My son-in-law manages one of the Fazoli's restaurant and often comes home a little late at night and recounted many times seeing skunks in the garbage cans.  It's like party time for them and we all provide the food.   

[MishaK]

If that had been at my daughter's house, it would have been a skunk coming out of the trash the night before garbage pick up.  My son-in-law manages one of the Fazoli's restaurant and often comes home a little late at night and recounted many times seeing skunks in the garbage cans.  It's like party time for them and we all provide the food.   

Those silly humans. Throwing away so much valuable stuff.

[Bu]

I've never seen a baby raccoon. So I imaged one of those critters on google:



Cute little creatures they certainly are.   

[Diletante]

WHY are baby raccoons so doggone CUTE?

Pictures please?

[SonicMan46]

If that had been at my daughter's house, it would have been a skunk coming out of the trash the night before garbage pick up.  My son-in-law manages one of the Fazoli's restaurant and often comes home a little late at night and recounted many times seeing skunks in the garbage cans.  It's like party time for them and we all provide the food.   

Hi Anne - in the past, we've had both raccoons & opossums that have visited our garbage cans, but for some reason, nothing recently.  Raccoons  are extremely clever w/ hands that work like ours - they seem to be able to defeat any efforts to protect those cans!  But, opossums seem to be just obnoxious animals - 'ugly & nasty' as adults, but their 'babies' can also be cute (as below) - 

The opossum is a fascinating animal despite its appearance - scientific name is Didelphys Virginiana, a marsupial (like the kangaroo) - the female of the species has a duplicated genital system, including two uterine cavities, cervices, and a septated vagina; the male has actually a 'bifid' penis - WHY do I even mention these facts; well, I give a lecture to my radiology residents on HSG (i.e., hysterosalpinography) and in 'human' females, there are a variety of congenital anomalies that can be seen which may impact on their fertility; a rare anomaly is 'uterus didelphys' in honor of the Virginia opossum - i.e. the affected 'human' female has separate uteri & cervices w/ often a vaginal septum - sorry to 'sidetrack' this discussion, but I know that you would be interested in this stuff!    Dave

[zamyrabyrd]

Some people think owls are cute but I prefer hedgehogs and kittens about 2 months old.
(see left of post)
ZB

[karlhenning]

Some people think owls are cute but I prefer hedgehogs and kittens about 2 months old.
(see left of post)
ZB

Adorable!

(Do you call him "Spiny Norman"?)

[zamyrabyrd]

Adorable!

(Do you call him "Spiny Norman"?)

No, "Pokemon". But that was several years ago. Also, he seemed to have an infection on his foot and also seemed to have chewed it off. So he was going around on three legs. Don't know where the critter is now...