Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Another Critter Tale, From Long Ago

Did I have to clean up squirrel poop, asked Green Girl.  Not this time.  But long ago, back in October 2006, I had this story to tell ...


Photo from ehow.com


"Thursday about 4 a.m. I woke from my usually restless sleep to hear heavy breathing in my bedroom. It was not my husband. The noise disappeared but I was suspicious. It was definitely not the cat, so I investigated. Imagine my horror when I spotted an evil raccoon on the stairs. It beat a quick retreat to the sewing/guest room where it made an awful clatter. I freaked out, woke Handy, and made him go upstairs to see what the raccoon was doing. (Handy is a true gentleman, by the way.)


The raccoon had climbed up to the top of a bookcase (knocking down some Barbies). We didn't know how to get it down. I called 911, who kindly contacted Animal Control for me. The nice sleepy young woman from Animal Control said she was 30 miles away, so it would be at least half an hour before she could get there. She asked, was there anything breakable in the room because the raccoon was going to get pretty agitated when she tried to get it.


Agitated? It was already agitated. So I begged Handy to get a long stick and poke it off the bookcase because I couldn't stand the thought of it being in the house any longer. He used one of Frank's stilts. First the raccoon fell against the door, which slammed shut, and then it retreated back to the bookcase. In its terror, it (how shall we put this politely?) evacuated its bowels. We opened the door and Handy tried again. Success! It ran down the stairs and out the door.


Yes, this is the sequel to last year's saga about raccoons coming in through the cat door. Since then we've locked the cat door at night. But the cat wants to go out. So Handy had been leaving the screen door in our bedroom open just a cat's-width. Up to now the raccoons had not discovered the opening.


So, Handy kindly cleaned up the poo in the morning. There are still paw marks on the wall up high...I'm going to have to get a ladder to clean them off. Friday morning the corner of the front flower bed was all dug up. The raccoon's revenge.


Imagine how awful it would have been if it had gone into Ernest's room instead. We're closing his door from now on."

9 comments:

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

O.M.G.

And that is really saying something, because I never say that. Or even write it.

Vanessa said...

That would be horrifying!

Karen Jensen said...

Oh no! Racoons scare me! I have one who sits on my front door stoop and eats the cat food I put out for the neighbor cat. He won't get off the stoop when I come home--I have to go in the back way.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

OH, raccoons are so cute :) But NOT inside, and last year there was one during the day at the far end of our yard acting suspicious and drunk, maybe rabid...but it never came back, luckily. There was a screaming baby raccoon last year by our neighbor's trash all day, it was so pitiful, but I watched it, and later that day it was back over the by the river with its TWIN, and cooing! I think it had gone on its first adventure away from home, to the trash, and was a little lost...but found its way home..Anyway, as long as they are OUTside I am fine with the critters of this world...

Anonymous said...

Oh good heavens--that would be TERRIFYING. Raccoons inside are NOT GOOD. Heck, they're naught OUTSIDE.

Glennis said...

Oh my god!!

When our previous dog was so geriatric he couldn't make it through the night, we got into the habit of leaving the slider open just wide enough for him to go out. We also put the bowl of dog food on the dining room table at night, because we didn't want the dog to eat during the night, which would have complicated his digestive habits.

So one night my husband woke up at three a.m. and went out into the kitchen to discover a racoon on our dining room table!

Cindy Adkins said...

This is why I can't have a cat door where I live. I've seen racoons, a skunk in my garage and a groundhog came up on the patio a few weeks ago! I'd have all kinds of critters in my house! lol

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

I would have had a total freakout. Ugh.

SUEB0B said...

I would freak the heck out.

I remember RV camping with my folks and having raccoons come up and scratch on the door - they are bold little guys.