Three Raccoons snuck into our house.

[BinkyBunny]

 We have  family of raccoons that live somewhere across the street and at night they normally cross the street and come and play in our backyard. I’ll see them wrestling and running around the grass, climbing the redwood tree and playing with the hammock and doing other comical things. They are fun to watch but I know to keep my distance and keep the back screen door closed.  However, today, the raccoons figured out how to open the door!  (it’s not very heavy) 

I left for just 10 minutes to go into the garage, and when I came back into the house there were three raccoons in kitchen and hallway.   When I entered, they freaked and scattered throughout the house.  I ran straight to the bunnyroom and though the gate was closed, a raccoon could get over it he really wanted to so I was relieved to see my bunnies unharmed–Jack was terrified hiding in his hidey box while Vivian was curious trying to figure out what was going on outside of the gate.  I closed the bunny room door completely, opened the back door wide, found a safe place up and out of the way of the raccoons and started making loud noises.   Two raccoons ran out, and the last young raccoon (smaller) ran under the couch.   I then quieted down, got a broom, and slowly escorted the little guy out from under the couch (if he were  a big one, I would never do that—I would just wait or call ACC to get him out)  but once the young raccoon got out into the hallway,  he bolted to the door and outside he went.  

I’m now going to have to get a latch for the outside of the door so that I can walk outside and secure the screen door from the outside!   I am just so glad I discovered this problem now before something terrible happened!     

 

 

[Michelle&Lolli]

Oh that could’ve been bad. Glad you were able to get them back outside. Little stinkers. I would’ve been so unbelievably scared.

[Sarita]

That’s scary and that’s when raccoons are not so terribly cute! So glad Jack and Vivian are okay. I’d be totally freaking out!

[Deleted User]

No way! What an adventure! i can’t imagine wrangling three raccoons out of my house! They almost made it to your bunnyroom — what a close call!!
Did they make their weird sounds when you came after them, those high-pitched sounds they make? Did you do anything special to sanitize where they had gone?

[LizzieKnittyBun]

holy moly… talk about a cute situation turning into a nightmare! I wonder what possessed them to want to come in at all…

We used to have raccoons who lived in a storm drain near our house where I grew up. They were so cute when they poked their little heads out and looked at us! Thinking about it now, it would have been really ludicrous had they ever tried to enter the house. We had a dog, so the situation probably would have resolved itself fairly quickly, but with bunnies? I would be scared. You were smart to run to the bunny room to check on them first thing!

[Isabelle]

My aunt had a racoon mum get into her chimney, and had babies! They had to call people to get them out, and hauled them off off to a park or something, whatever they do with them. I would be freaked out of my mind to have racoons in the house, they can be very vicious, especially to a poor little bunny! Good thinking on your part to run to bunnies and open the door outside second. If one had gotten hold of one your bunnies . . . *shudders* not good. O.O

[babybunsmum]

omgosh!!! what a scare that must’ve been! i’d have been so terrified to run into one of them while trying to get the door open. they can be such mischievous ‘bleep’ers. lol.

glad you resolved the situation with everybunny left unharmed!

[Sonn]

I would have freaked out if I came into the house with 3 racoon’s standing there!

On occasion I will be sitting in my living room and one or an opossum will poke their head through the doggy door but then freak out and run away because all of my dogs immediately pounce at the door trying to find out what it is.

[Deleted User]

I wonder why they entered your house… Was it the rabbit smell in the first place? Or were you cooking?

[RabbitPam]

So why am I laughing?
I’m just picturing you in a high place, making weird noises until two ran out the back door, then trying to escort a baby out with a broom.
Only you…

[BinkyBunny]

I think they were drawn to come in because of cat food we had on the floor in a bowl, and I had also just made a sandwich. We also have trash bins in the kitchen. (even though they are the closed swivel lid kind).    One of the raccoons dropped a half eaten piece of bread on the floor on its way out. The bread was old/dry and so he had to have gotten it out of the trash, but the trash was not tipped over or anything, so they must have just reached through the swivel top and rummaged that way. So smart! Seems like they figured it out — so makes me wonder if they’ve been in other people’s homes as it’s warm around here and alot people have screen doors, or if they have been in my house before without me knowing it. (shudders!) 

We have mostly hardwood floors, so I just mopped and ran the steam rug cleaner across the rugs. They didn’t make any vocal noises at all when I came in – which I was surprised at because they are vocal even when they are playing out in the backyard — clicking noises, higher little “eeks” and huffing when they are just messing around. I also know the raccoons can be confrontational when they are frightened or feel threatened (so hence my higher location on my desk!) But I think they were so scared that they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves so they did their best to keep quiet, sneak out of harms way before bolting out the back door.

And Pam, you are not the only one that laughed as my husband did too when I told him the story. He asked what kind of noises was I making, and I just said, I yelled at them to get out of the house, banged on a stuff and growled. (yeah, I know…I’m a weirdo!) It would be pretty goofy looking to anyone who may have come in but it did the trick. (well except for the youngster that I terrified  so much he wouldn’t come out from under the couch). But even when I “nicely” escorted him out with a broom, he was quiet and just wanted to get out of the “crazy lady’s” house.

[angelicvampyre]

I hate it when things like that get into your house glad to know that your bunnies are ok

[LizzieKnittyBun]

Well hopefully the noises that the crazy lady made will discourage these curious creatures from entering your home again : D

[babybunsmum]

Posted By BinkyBunny on 11/15/2010 03:58 PM

He asked what kind of noises was I making

 

ahahaha.  i am totally picturing him askng you that. 

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

So why am I laughing?
I’m just picturing you in a high place, making weird noises until two ran out the back door, then trying to escort a baby out with a broom.
Only you…

heheh ok phew! Not just me! Since nothing bad happened, phew-yes kind of giggling here Remembering the scene from ‘Over the Hedge’ when they broke into a house…
And imagining what your bunnies thinking…

Jack: Oh my god!! It’s burglers! Burglers!!!
Vivian: *yawn* I could take ’em

[MimzMum]

First: SO glad the buns are okay, and you too! Raccoons can be rabid, besides just a nuisance. Coming into a house that’s (I’m assuming) not that rural…wow. ‘Takes a pair.
Second: This totally reminded me of a story about my hub’s cat Drac (a semi fluffy black Persian… been gone 15 years now, yet it seems like yesterday) who used to love bringing home ‘prezzies’ for ‘daddy’ all the time. Kind of a ‘you feed me and I’ll feed you’ thing.
Lizards, birds, gophers…the usual stuff. Occasionally the odd squirrel or two…if he could catch them.
One night he came in the window TERRIFIED, but with something in his mouth anyway. Soaking wet, he runs up the stairs to my second story room after dropping off the ‘gift’ in the guest room where the open window was. Hub went to investigate because Drac was never scared of anything…seriously, he would corner dogs twice his size under the truck in our yard and just beat the bat-snot out of them as they tried to come out.

The ‘gift’ was a baby raccoon! And out in the olive trees in our drive were momma and papa, shaking the trees and snarling and screaming. They had apparently tried to drown Drac in the creek while he was making off with the goods.
Hubby returned ‘baby’ to momma and papa, but they sat in those trees and screamed and shook the branches for a good hour after that.
Needless to say, Drac did not bring home any more baby raccoons. He was lucky they did not bite him or succeed in drowning him.

Despite that, I would not have known to not confront a raccoon in my house. I see so many of them on AFV getting beat up by the cat who’s food they’ve tried to pilfer and then running off squealing, I’d have never considered them vicious or dangerous if cornered.

We currently have a fox (a BIG one-easily the size of a small shepherd) and a lynx in our area and every time I have to take Jenna out for a walk in the dark, I get the creeps. I just KNOW they are out there waiting for me to get far enough away from her to snatch her. So yeah, I walk around stomping and growling and hissing…why the heck not? I may just ‘mark territory’ too if I think they are getting too close (perhaps not intentionally…lol.)

Oh, and btw, BB…first -20 to -30 F tomorrow night….yikes! Not looking forward to that! 0_o;;

[BinkyBunny]

Well, ironically I had just been to a park and wildlife facility a few months ago and because raccoon population is so high around here (they even live in the city drains) they had told me what to do if raccoons entered the house (broom and all) — so I wasn’t completely nutty. Even had a little brochure about it sitting in a basket in the kitchen.

[Deleted User]

Raccoons are still better than weasels near rabbits. Raccoons are much larger and being omnivores don’t have the same zest for killing. I am just saying, BB, if you wanted to trade your predator problem with mine, I would be up for it~

[babybunsmum]

wow bb… funny about the timing then huh? those coons held off until you were well prepared!

[Deleted User]

they must have been the ones who left the brochure in the kichen for you. LOL. Right about now, I guess, they are at the hardware store getting keys cut to get back into the house…

[RabbitPam]

Posted By BinkyBunny on 11/15/2010 03:58 PM

“I think they were drawn to come in because of cat food we had on the floor in a bowl, and I had also just made a sandwich.”

Look! She’s made tuna on rye. Go for it!

(well except for the youngster that I terrified  so much he wouldn’t come out from under the couch).

Tonight’s Feature: “IT Came at me with a BROOM” starring the local crazy lady. Bring your baby coons…if you dare.

[bunnytowne]

OH coons.    They used to come here and knock the garbage cans over.   When they entered the trap the females would be released here and the males moved a mile or so from here.    Didn’t solve the problem.   I think someone poisoned them.  Haven’t had a problem in about 4 months now.

Or a neighbor may have taken the trap and moved them away male or female.

They can kill a rabbit.  Nasty things.       Sheesh  what a situation you had there.    Crazy coons.   Glad they ran outside.

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