Need help trapping a raccoon.

[Heidi]

We have had a raccoon visit us 4 nights in a row. IF there is dry catfood outside s/he'll eat it, usually I don't feed the outside cats after dark unless I see them so catfood is not out there all the time.

This little raccoon checks out the catfood bowl and then spends several hours in my hosta-bed searching for and eating Pecans from about 8pm to midnight.

I need to trap him/her (I'll just call it a 'he').
He is skinny. Fluffy fur, but he doesn't look like he's carrying enough weight to keep him comfortable through the winter. He also is unsteady on his feet and a little uncoordinated. The first night I startled him and he tried to run away but fell over on his L side after only a few steps. He looked at me while he was trying to get up and I quietly went back into the house. When he did get up I was back inside the house and he trundled slowly away. He sometimes falls over, or sits down suddenly.

Last night, he didn't fall over but I did notice his L hind foot came down back-of-toes first before he righted it to walk on the pad. He does have some messed up hair over his left hip/rump (dog/car?). Also, last night he looked at me and my indoor kitties (I was crouched down among the kitties) through the french doors and his eyes are clear and bright. No crusties at eyes, mouth or nose.

I have contacted a local raccoon rehabilitator who will take him if I can trap him. She works at a vet office. She said she could evaluate him for rehab (healthy weight gain and release back here) or humane euthanasia if his problems are advanced age, disease (rabies/distemper) or injury.

I have a have-a-hart trap large enough to contain him comfortably. Last night I used canned peaches. Never even gave it a thought. He dug pecans in the hostas right next to the trap. What should I use?
I don't feel I can use canned cat food or tuna because I don't want to trap my outdoor kitties. I plan on feeding them very well and then putting dry catfood in the trap, near the back door, as that is where the raccoon comes first to check out the cat food bowl.

Any suggestions if I don't catch him tonight with what I have planned?
Heidi

[Abejita]

in trapping groundhogs we have gotten many coons in the live trap too.We use apples for bait..I also make sure I have the apple in pieces, with one piece at the opening of the trap,another at the very back and one right near the trigger plate.

[Linda Y]

If he is liking the pecans, go get one of those bags of shelled pecans and put some of those and the apples in the trap. Make it super tempting to eat the shelled pecans instead of having to hunt for them.

[diswick]

chicken-in-a-biscuit crackers. My girlfriend swears by them to catch raccoons. Of course then she shoots the raccoon...

And I have to agree with that, because they deficate in hay, will ruin grain by doing the same thing if they can get to it, and they carry EPM and rabies.

The way you describe that raccoon I would suspect it had been hit by a car and has nerve problems in its back...

[Mellifluous]

I have a Jack Russell you can borrow. She is a great critter catcher. If you pull her off quick enough, you can get yourself an undamaged critter!

[Hollis D. Gammon]

Dried cat food got 9 for me, I have them visit my barn every night

[Heidi]

I have a Jack Russell you can borrow. She is a great critter catcher. If you pull her off quick enough, you can get yourself an undamaged critter!
Sounds like I might be more afraid of handling the Jack Russell Terrorist than just grabbing the raccoon myself! (laughing!)
I'm going to set up the trap right now. Dry cat food to start, with a "trail" inside and I'll be going to the grocery in about an hour and I'll pick up an apple and chicken in a biskit crackers. Kenny'll eat the box of CIAB crackers if the raccoon won't.
Thanks to all for the suggestions. Here's to hoping I catch the masked bandit tonight so we can help him in whatever way he needs help.
Heidi

[Mellifluous]

Jackie is quite the terrorist. I like to think of her as a thug in a clownsuit.

Hmm, you know that CIAB crackers are incredible with spray on cheese-whiz stuff.

Can't you tell that I am a health food nut?

[Jane Hurl]

You have a good heart, Heidi. Thank you for that.

[Pasofinoguy]

Dry cat food is the best. You may catch a cat the first night but they wont go into it again.

[appyday]

My friend is a racoon rehabber too..she said...canned cat food with fish..very smelly the smellier the better...good luck..

[Helene]

Dried cat food did it for me , too. It only took 30 minutes after I set up the trap, just after dark. He chased our outdoor cat aout of her barn, then followed her to the shed....He was a fat guy and I released him on public lands...It's been a couple of years and he hasn't come back....

[Jasfino]

Raccoons love cat food.

[Heidi]

I caught the cat. Rocky was in the hostas eating pecans.
I'll try again tomorrow night with tuna.
Heidi

[sherry k t]

Hope you have better luck tonight sounds like the poor guy needs some help! most of my nieghbors hate the raccoons but i cant help but like the cute masked bandits. A few years ago I had a mother raccoon with five babies in my old back barn, mother was coming in and eating left over grain from one of my geldings who loved to throw his feed around and then not eat it all cause it was dirty. went in there one day and the five kits were not scare of me at all came within six inches of me. they were so cute to watch then mom strolled off with all five in tow. I started feeding this gelding in a large 3 x 2 foot rubbermaid tough water tank he quit spilling and I havent seen the critters since.
used to have possums when i fed the outdoor cat after dark so quit feeding the cat at night and the possums have stayed out of sight. a coworker of mine had a possum who figured out had to come through the cat door and eat all the cat food then go back outside. took her a couple of nights to figure out what was going on. she got rid of the pet door. haha

[Heidi]

...had a possum who figured out had to come through the cat door and eat all the cat food then go back outside.
I watched an Animal Planet show about a boy in England who set up a camera in his bedroom and one in the kitchen filming the pet door because his family didn't believe him...

...he was being visited by a FOX! The fox would come in the kitchen pet door, eat the cat food and then enter the boy's bedroom and sniff around, get ON the bed and when the fox sniffed the boys face, he woke up and the fox ran out and left.

On film!

Rocky seemed a little steadier last night. He came late and stayed late. He was arriving around 8:30 and staying until midnight, last night he came around 10:30 and stayed until about 2:30am. Kenny and I watched him leave. He did sit down suddenly once, was tottering along but did seem a little steadier on his feet than earlier.
I read that raccoons will hibernate, but I don't think this guy has enough reserves to get him through a hibernation. Hoping we can get him to the rehabilitator who can get him healthy and built back up for us. I think I'll offer to pay for his food while she has him...
Heidi

[appyday]

You know racoons carry many dog diseases...distemper being one of them be careful

[Heidi]

The rehab-er told me about what diseases they carry and how to handle him (as little as possible) when I get him in the trap. She said she'll come and pick him up, she has a truck.
Yeah! I ain't gonna take him to her in the 'vette! :shock:
She said there are a few tests they can do to detect disease, and if he tests positive (or he has an injury that he can't overcome) he'll be humanely euthanized, but if he is just undernourished due to an injury she should be able to fatten him up. She said it sounds promising because his eyes/nose were clear and bright, but for me to still try to not get my hopes up.
However he winds up, he'll either become healthy here on earth or helped to become healthy over the wild animal rainbow bridge.
Heidi

[pasofanny]

Here's one for you...use peanut butter cups broken up or cocoa puffs. They love chocolate and no problems with the cats going after it.

[baileyholc]

Good luck! 8-)

[Heidi]

Aaarrrggghhh! Apples and peanut butter and I caught the OTHER outside cat! Trap is re-set...now that I've caught both outdoor kitties, maybe they'll keep out of it!
Heidi

[motorgypsy]

I posted this a while ago but your post reminded me of it and it was so funny I'll share it again. One night, late, I was on the computer and suddenly heard this unearthly noise coming from the front porch. It was a wailing shrieking the made my hair stand on end. I went to the door and looked out through the glass storm door and saw an extremely fat raccoon and an extremely fat possum initially fighting over the dry cat food but right next to both of them, flattened on the concrete floor was our tiny balck and white female cat domino. Her tail was huge, her eyes, like green saucers that seemed to be shooting sparks and SHE was the one making the horrendous wailing sound. Well the raccoon took one look at her and retreated down the steps giving her a wide berth. I could almost hear him say - "she's crazy - I can find food someplace else where there's no insane cat". The possum didn't give up quite so fast and hissed at her and grabbed another couple of bites of food but she started advancing and he thought better of it and waddled down the steps also. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open and watched her walk over to the food and start crunching away as though nothing had happened. She must weigh all of six pounds, the raccoon was 25 at least and the possum, probably 15 or 20. She lends new meaning to the term "hellcat"!