Home Invasion II - Can You ID These Culprits?

I love raccoons and look forward to them showing up in my backyard for dinner every evening. They *love* cat food...and leftover spaghetti. :-)

My goodness.
Do they bite?
This would have scared the crud out of me.

You did a good job! Raccoons can be a problem...they do get mean and can carry rabies, so be careful.

Hi Jennifer, you will know best how much I enjoy these little critters and their antics.

Joy, they would if cornered or attacked but I don't think I have much to fear from these few who know me.

Janet, I have explained in the third installment why I am not worried by these risks. Thanks for giving me a little more fodder to pad out my article. :-)

At the wildlife refuge, we fed them...guess what....cat food....they prefer it! *LOL*

great photos, Jann. Back in Seattle (we're in Boston now) we had tons of racoons, but they were rarely ever this brazen

Great fun Jann ! Good little story. You lead SUCH an interesting life !!

Hi Ed, I think they were daring because the only other time I had seen them, the mother actually rounded them up and brought them over to me. For a long time I had suspected she was a nursing mother but hadn't seen any kits. Then I didn't see her for a couple of weeks but thought that she was still eating the food.
On this occasion, sometime after midnight, my husband who was playing Civilization on the computer, heard the telltale squeals of the kits and the responding whuffle of the mother. He called me to come and see and we watched for a while from the balcony. When I saw the food was almost gone I took a supply down with me, treading softly and talking to the mother quietly as I approached.

I poured out the food some distance from them and expected the mother to warn her little ones to run and hide. One started off but the mother went and brought it back and then brought the two over to where I was squatting. They came up to me to smell my hand and then I retreated. It was a really special moment for me and it made me happy.

Even my husband is sometimes surprised at how much some of them trust me.

Good job capturing the pictures, that is funny :)

aw.......... they're so cute!

In the picture, it looks like they bowed to you :^)

My daughter had one living in her attic, and it would come and go as it pleased, and eat the catfood as well. LOL. They had to get a live trap, and then take the critter back out to a wooded area and let it go.

You got some great photos.

Thanks Rosa.