Animal crackers

[m_cobweb]

Saturday night I had my first up-close-and-personal experience with a raccoon. Yes, somehow I've lived this long without such an encounter. ;-) I was cat-sitting and the neighborhood stray was outside pounding on the window; when I went out to see what was up, I saw this enormous gray-brown masked critter staring at me from about three feet away.

I spent the rest of the evening chasing it off the deck with a broom so Ginger could eat, and chasing the two indoor kitties around after they slipped out, trying to get them back in before the raccoon tangled with them. Boomer found the raccoon fascinating and seemed to want to make friends with it. Not. A. Good. Idea.

Things I learned: Raccoons are fearless. They eat with their tiny little disproportionate hands even if they don't have to. And when they chew it looks like they're snarling. It was interesting coming so close with an alien intelligence and realizing we were both wondering what the other was going to do next.

Back at home:

I'm afraid we are going to need to rehome one of our kitties. Celeste is being regularly tormented by Sammi, to the point where she is essntially living in the closet and coming out only for meals and occasional attention. She even has her own litter box on the top shelf. I believe the problem is that Sammi, being a dominant declaw, is so threatened by the other cats that she picks on the one she can attack successfully. Also, Sammi wants to take refuge in the closet as well, so it's now a disputed area.

darkmane and I have been holding off on a decision, figuring that once we move into a larger place they could all establish new territories and the situation might resolve on its own. But the last several days have been hell--Sammi hurling herself against the closet door, Celeste growling, Celeste yelling for attention at all hours. I love her--she's adorable and one of the easiest kitties to care for I've ever know--but she can't be happy. We would only let her go to a home with people we know and trust (and who would let us visit). We will keep her rather than relinquish her to an uncertain situation. I can't believe it's come to this, but I'm afraid it's escalated to a point beyond which Rescue Remedy can help. (We're afraid to put Sammi on tranquilizers because the others might actually beat her up if they can.)

Comments

Did you see this link?

[sg-boobookittie.livejournal.com]

http://pub53.ezboard.com/fseagothforumfrm25.showMessage?topicID=1382.topic

Granted its not the perfect situation, but maybe they'd be open to it?

Good luck honey.

How did the "other" issues go? You were supposed to call me!!!! I wanted to be there dangit. *sneefle* Hope you are ok. Let me know!

BBK

Raccoons ....

[thomasrymour.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, those little bandits ....
here's my closeup encounter with one and I gave him/her pad thai!


http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=darkleaves&itemid=48631

Eeek!

[thevfrchick.livejournal.com]

Remind me to relay the story of my encounter with black bears in the Poconos hills while staying at a friend's house...I don't think I've ever been so frightened for my life!

[vulture23.livejournal.com]

Awww, it would be sad to need to have someone else adopt Celeste... but I can understand the need. Of all your cats, she's the one I've seen least -- even Philip wanders about more -- and it's hard to say how much of that is just because she's shy and how much is fear of being terrorized by Sammi (and the others, though it seems to be mostly Sammi). I can imagine that it's not at all an easy decision to make....

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Uh, you did know that raccoons are a major rabies vector, right? Be careful around those things. Don't go near them if you don't have to.

[coulrophobe.livejournal.com]

Heh heh... we have resident raccoons at our cabin at Lake Quinault - my mom feeds them dog food (and yes... we knew they'd never go away if we fed them... but we kind of like them). My parents bassett hounds quickly learned the word "coon" and now run to the window to look for them whenever anybody mentions them. :)

A very sad thing about Celeste. I seriously considered getting rid of Miko when she peed on my bed a few times... I figured out that whenever I do anything wrong, she pees on something. So, I've learned to not *piss off* the almighty Miko, lest I be *pissed on.* Yep, she wears the pants in this family. :|

[onlyjanica.livejournal.com]

Did you eve find a home for Celeste??