Thursday, April 3, 2008

Bandits in the Night

We have the fortunate experience of getting close up and personal with some of our furry neighborhood friends. We have the most beautiful family of raccoons that live nearby, who usually grace us with their presence around 9pm these days. This particular raccoon, however, was not a regular that I've seen. Her color is much darker than the others, and she didn't budge when we made any sound or came closer for a picture (which leads me to believe this raccoon could actually be very sick). Arthur and I always get a kick out of watching our little friends steal the cat food that our neighbors have left out for all the stray cats. They're always very careful and cautious when stepping into the lit stairwell. Always alert and with their heads always up scanning the premises, they feel for the food in front of them to stuff into their faces. I wish I had this on video. It's adorable! Here are a few pictures of this lone raccoon we saw this evening. Whenever I see our regulars, I'll have to post pictures of them, too.


Yummm


Hand in the food bowl



Walking away

5 comments:

hoLLy said...

so, have you named any of them yet? i think that one should be named "bandit"(like the title of your post, get it? ) :) the others should be names like: stealy, robber, catfoody, thief, hairy, stinky, cutie, lemon, meatball,miss paradise, high heel, dependable, toaster, bandaid, boogie, crapeater, diseased, and joey(thats my husbands name, what a hoot that would be!)

its late tara. forgive me for being so unfunny yet thinking i was...if only for a moment.

HIRSCHI FAMILY said...

holly needs some sleep.

anyways, sounds like the animals just flock to you! I think your nickname should be Dr. doolittle.

Rick said...

One word.. RABIES.
Did you expect anything else from your dad?

Me said...

Also, even though they are *cute* they carry some viruses and parasites that are dangerous to you and your hairy 4-legged crew.

They are notorious for carrying roundworms that affect humans and your pets. Roundworms cause some serious intestinal and internal funk! Organs commonly affected are the eye, brain, liver, and lung, where infections can cause permanent visual, neurologic, or other tissue damage.

Raccoons can also transmit distemper to your canine & feline friends.

Bleach does not always kill everything either. If you have any questions contact your vet. You can pick up the roundworm eggs by touching something the raccoon also touched. Pretty disturbing I know. Just be careful and don't encourage them.

Tara D. said...

Yeah, luckily that's not my dog's food dish he's got his hands in.