Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Are raccoons a danger to kittens and cats?

I just saw a 50 pound raccoon across the street, we have a litter of 6 stray kittens and mom living outside, as well we have 4 of our own, 3 months old.Are raccoons a danger to kittens and cats?
Yes! Raccoons will kill kittens and cats. They have been known to seriously injure even larger dogs. They're nothing to mess around with. If you have cats living outside try to discourage raccoons from coming around. Remove all food sources. Keep garbage in enclosed places and bring the cat food inside at night. Feed the cats in the daytime when the raccoons have returned to their den. Raccoons love pet food.Are raccoons a danger to kittens and cats?
Yes they can and will kill the kittens and even the cat. raccoons also have a high rate of carrying rabies. move them to safety now!
Yes they will kill kittens; cats ; dogs; and whatever else animals are out there.You might have to call animal control so they can put a couple of humane traps to catch the cats or hopefully the raccoon..Where i live raccoons keep coming up our driveway at night and i have 2 feral cats that sleep there.I noticed that the cats get the heck out of there at night; and they are blind; but they know to stay out of dodge till morning...LOTS OF LUCK.
They can kill dogs, wild animals, garbage cans....oh, and yes, cats. They have been known to severely hurt small children. Why are you keeping these cats outside? That is very dangerous and unhealthy for all of them. Please keep (at the very least) YOUR cats indoors at all times. If you can, bring the strays in until you can re-home them. They will likely be killed and/or maimed, and not just by a raccoon. There are many hazards outdoors.
oh yes you have a problem, you need to find shelter for them.
As a general rule, raccoons, opossums and are no danger to cats or their kittens. Foxes are a different species completely. I would worry if you had a fox or a hawk in the area raccoons and opossums, no, they respect each others territory.
it is a wild animal,,,they sometimes carry rabies,,,they are probably looking for food at nite,,,make sure all your cat food etc..is put away...they probably won't bother kittens unless they are outside right in front of them...usually kittens are sleeping at nite.
I was told yes they are a danger, but the other night three racoons where playing in the water bowl with my cat a few feet away on a window sill. I opened the door the raccoons walked away and the cat came in.
Can a raccoon kill a kitten? Yes. Will it kill? Probably not. A raccoon would rather eat your cat food than your cat. Generally speaking raccoons are docile creatures, however if it is cornered or feels threatened it can be ferocious. They are a known carrier of rabies, and if you saw one there a more around somewhere. If you spot the animal again I would suggest calling animal control. Keep an eye on the raccoon till they get there if you can. If you feel safer bringing the cats inside at night then by all means do so.
Raccoons can and will kill cats, kittens, and small dogs.
Yes, very. If I were you I would bring them in your house, or inside somewhere.
Yes. They will kill the kittens. Bring them into a building (garage, etc., if you don't want them in the house) to keep them safe.
It would *definitely* be a good idea for you to find an indoor shelter for your cats. First of all, they are much larger than any cat. Not only that, they do seem to be losing their fear of humans and their animals, due to them residing in urban populations. It is not safe to assume that they're docile creatures - my cousin would strongly disagree. She was walking to her car one night, where a raccoon was scavenging. She didn't provoke the raccoon in any way, but ended up being bitten %26amp; badly scratched - and she's a 5'6 human! She had to go to the hospital %26amp; begin a round of rabies shots. She still has a faint scar of a scratch-mark on the back of her thigh. That could have been an exception, but it's not wise to take chances when lives could be at risk. Especially kittens, as they do not have the strength and agility of an adult cat yet.





Never mind the risk of rabies. Raccoons are the #1 reservoir of rabies in the country. Don't be fooled, just because the incidence of rabies is rare among domestic animals, the disease runs rampant among wild animals (especially raccoons and skunks), which brings me to...





The possibility of other wild animals being around the neighborhood! You've also got skunks, oppossums, foxes (and maybe even larger pack animals if you live in a less urban area). Coyotes, cougars, and bears, oh my!





I know my post is turning into a novel, but I just want you to know that it's necessary to house your cats at night to keep your babies safe. :o)

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