Reigning Kits and Blogs

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected.  ~  Chief Seattle of the Suwamish Tribe

Have I ever mentioned that I have great neighbours? I'm certain that I have.

One evening, last month, my next door neighbour Lloyd knocked on the door with a message for me from his wife. "Caroline said to get your camera and come to the park. There are some baby raccoons by the culvert."

Less than 2 minutes later we were walking down the path, and looking into the eyes of three beautiful little raccoon kits. The mother was with them but her focus was on her fourth wee one who was making a tremendous racket from inside the tunnel, beyond our view. Apparently the family was in transit and babies #1, 2 and 3 followed their mom fearlessly enough but kit #4 was afraid to manouever his way past some obstacle.

The little scardy kit attracted a small crowd with his loud complaints. The mother looked a bit alarmed at leaving her three babies with all of these human onlookers but soon assessed that we were harmless enough and went into the tunnel in search of her young trouble maker. Eventually it quieted down and I can only assume that they found another exit and were making their way back to the rest of the family on land. That did not happen while we were there, but I know how loyal and capable mother raccoons are and I feel confident that she would not have abandoned her adorable threesome.

In the meantime, these little guys waited patiently but not without getting into a little bit of trouble. They were unafraid of our approach, and even considered following us once or twice. Thankfully, they were easy to dissuade. One little rascal, wouldn't sit still on the small, wet, somewhat slippery concrete lip, and with only a fence behind him and a foot or so of water beneath him (we'd had a huge downpour just hours earlier), he slipped down and landed about ten feet below with a significant splash. I was glad that the water was there to break his fall. He quickly surfaced and scrambled his way up the cement wall. Even young raccoons are excellent climbers. He ran into more trouble trying to make his way back to that small lip though, and down he went again. Splash! One more time up and one more time down. On his last climb, he was arm's length away from me and was beginning to teeter once again. I was able to reach the scruff of his neck and scoop him up and onto solid ground beneath a nearby tree. He would have managed on his own, I'm sure, but truth be told, my actions were at least as selfish as they were protective - I couldn't resist holding him for just a second. The other two soon joined him by the tree. This is where they remained when I headed back home.

An hour later, none of them were in sight. Not surprising because it was pretty dark by then. I'm hoping Mama returned with kit #4 and that the family moved on to learn all about hunting for food. I'm willing to bet on it.

Thank you Caroline and Lloyd for giving me my raccoon fix - and a blog post, to boot!

Below are a few photos which I took that night. They're in random order, along with a selection of animal quotes. I hope you enjoy.

An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language. ~ Martin Buber

It seems to me of great importance to teach children respect for life. Towards this end, experiments on living animals in classrooms should be stopped. To encourage cruelty in the name of science can only destroy the finer emotions of affection and sympathy, and breed an unfeeling callousness in the young towards suffering in all living creatures. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~ George Eliot

Lots of people talk to animals... Not very many listen, though... That's the problem. ~ Benjamin Hoff

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. ~ Charles Darwin

It is hard to be brave, when you're only a Very Small Animal. ~ A. A. Milne

Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving and understanding animals, perhaps we humans shall come to understand each other. ~ Dr. Louis J. Camuti

Every baby animal is unique and adorable, and there is no greater love than that between a mother and her young. It is the power of this love that explains why humans have always sought the company of young animals. ~ Angela Serena Ildos

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contained. I stand and look at them long and long. ~ Walt Whitman

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity. ~ George Bernard Shaw

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans ~ James Herriot quotes

I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the "lower animals" (so called) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me. ~ Mark Twain

Raccoon Roundup

If you're new to my blog and unfamiliar with Sugar and Spike, the short story is that they were born under my front deck, orphaned, rescued, rehabilitated and released. The longer story can be found in the above links. There are lots of photos and a few videos of them when they were just a few weeks old and very, very cute.

I have a few overdue images from the last time we saw Sugar and Spike together. Shortly after this visit back in September, Theresa spent a week up at the cottage but didn't see the two of them together at any time.

They've become difficult to tell apart in the dark, which is when they usually arrive for their feeding, and so when only one shows up, we're never certain if it's Sugar or Spike. Spike is generally bolder and more affectionate than Sugar but during Theresa's visit, the only raccoon that she saw was shy and nervous, and wouldn't accept her approach. Sugar can be skittish like that, but not usually that fearful. The worry is that something might have possibly happened to frighten Spike.

On the plus side, all of the food (and there's more than enough for two appetites) continued to disappear during that time, as well as during the following week when Frank and I were up there. By then, nights were cold and we didn't hang around much to wait for them to appear. But large quantities of food was always gone in the morning.

These images were all taken in September during a typical feeding.

Spike tends to ignore the healthier green beans and go straight for the cat food. He's not much different than any other pre-adolescent who turns his nose up at veggies. He does love peaches though. Let me tell you about that...





In August, Theresa and family were spending some time up at the cottage. Sugar and Spike were coming around without fail every night. They were often seen hanging around the cottage waiting for a handout....





One night, someone awoke to discover that one of the kits was trying to get in through an open window. He closed the window thinking he had thwarted its attempts. However, he turned around to find the other one had already gotten inside and found the peaches which were up on the counter. He was sitting comfortably on the sofa, greedily enjoying the juicy fruit - totally unconcerned with activity around him.





Another night, Theresa awoke to find Spike had broken in through the window once again, made his way into her bedroom, climbed up onto her bed and was gently touching her face with his paws. He just needed a bit of cuddle time with his Mom.





As I've mentioned in previous posts, Theresa looks after all sorts of orphaned animals and early this summer, a pair of day-old kittens came her way. She has adopted the two of them and keeps them with her whether she's home or at the cottage. Like most kittens, Luca and Sambuca can be pretty rambunctious but one particular night, their playing seemed just a little noisier than usual....





Theresa got up to find that Spike had entered the cottage yet again, and was having a great time romping around with his buddies Luca and Sambuca. The kittens were thrilled to play with Spike, and he didn't make too much of a mess this time. He was even thoughtful enough to use the cats' litter box to do his business. He had been litter trained as a tiny kit.





Of course, every time the raccoons came into the cottage, they were quickly shooed outside again. They can't remain too dependent on human contact. They need to learn to fend for themselves. They have been fed a lot, though. The hope is to get them fattened up so that they'll cope with the winter.

This friendly guy is Spike. As you can see, back in September, he'd eat out of my hand.. especially if it's his all-time favourite treat - marshmallows.





He's incredibly gentle and very affectionate. He would allow me to pet him while he'd eat, and one time he came around to the campfire, to sit with us briefly. He never once startled with the camera flash going off all the time. Isn't he beautiful?





A rare photo of Sugar and Spike together. That's Sugar hogging the bowl of cat food. Spike makes sure he gets a few handfuls now and then.





Nobody has been to the cottage for a couple of weeks now. Frank hopes to get up there for a day or two, just to retrieve a few things which we left up there last time, in hopes that we'd return soon. No doubt he'll leave a large bag of cat food out for Sugar and Spike. That will probably be the last human handout until next spring.

If there's anything new to report, I'll be sure to let you know. Until then, please wish those critters strength to get through the winter. I hope we'll have more raccoon tales for you in the spring.

A Raccoon Tale (Part Two)

This is part two of Sunday's post about orphaned raccoon kits. Please read part one here first. All photos were taken the following day. Please remember to click on them to enlarge.

I opened my door to see my son kneeling on the deck, with a lovely, little raccoon kit nestled in his arms.

The raccoon kit had seen Jeffrey, and came to him when he called her. She waddled over, and sat on his feet, then tried to climb his jeans. She was cold, frightened and very loud. I phoned Nicky, and she and Sarah came over right away. They brought grapes, so that the kit could suck the juice from them and restore some of her depleted fluids. She was tired, somewhat dehydrated, and her little hand-like paws were cold to the touch but she was not a goner by any means. There was no doubt that she was orphaned.

Nicky had yet another wonderful resource - neighbour Lynn who had a small supply of infant animal formula (Mamalac) and tiny baby bottles - just perfect for a raccoon kit's mouth. Lynn hurried right over, and this little sweetie was drinking, regaining body heat and strength, and warming to the touch of her new human mamas.

Missing its mother, this raccoon kit rests on my lap to get a meal. They're messy eaters but the contents of this bottle filled a hungry belly. Photo credit goes to my neighbour, Caroline. Please click to enlarge.

Sarah's focus went directly to trying to encourage the sibling(s) out from under the deck. She worked tirelessly for almost four hours, calling to it, reaching her hand through the small hole around a drainpipe, and trying to nudge it out by sliding a stick through the slats of the deck. Nothing was working. It was a very cold night and Sarah spent most of it flat on her belly, without her jacket, so that her arm could fit through the small hole in the deck. We had a heater set up inside of the garage to keep the kit warm, but Sarah wasn't having any of that for herself. For her, the raccoons came first.

At one in the morning, the three women each went to their respective homes for less than fifteen minutes. Lynn went to ready a cage so that she could take what she hoped would eventually be two kits home. Nicky went to find a crowbar to lift one or two of my deck slats, so we could get at the other kit(s), and Sarah accompanied her so she could warm up for a bit.

Lynne feeds the female. Isn't she a lovely little creature? Please click to enlarge.

Immediately after their brief departure, the chatter of the seemingly-resistant kit was unmistakably closer. The sibling in my arms lifted her head and called back to him, and out popped another adorable face. Jeffrey and I held very still, and waited until he ventured far enough from the deck so that Jeffrey could block his return inside. Clad in gloves, Jeffrey bent over and picked this little guy up. He was a young spitfire, and he hissed, yowled and bit into his gloved hands to show his displeasure. Jeffrey sat down with him, crouched his upper body over him for warmth and darkness, and I placed a blanket over the little bundle. He immediately calmed down and went to sleep.

Still a bit fearful of human hands, the male snuggles close to his sister at the back of the cage. Please click to enlarge.

Upon their return moments later, Nicky, Sarah and Lynn were thrilled to learn that we now had the second kit with us. Lynn gathered them up and took them to her home overnight where they would temporarily join her menagerie of amazing critters - six cats, three dogs, an amazon parrot, a ciaque, two prairie dogs, a snake, a turtle, a bearded dragon, a few dogs on loan for training and quite possibly a few others which I've either forgotten or didn't see. Lynn is one serious animal lover.

Sadly, no further sounds came from under the deck. If the third one was alive the previous night, chances are it was no longer so at this time. We could not locate it, and it was not in any state to make itself seen or heard. At least we were able to care for two reasonably healthy kits.

Much like a human baby, the kits needed to be burped after a bottle feeding. Caroline does the honours. Please click to enlarge.

Nicky and Lynn each made a few phone calls the next day. They learned that the wildlife center was no longer taking any more raccoons at this time, and they suggested contacting a veterinarian located over an hour away. Lynn spoke to her and learned that she was willing to take the raccoons but Lynn found her condescending attitude off-putting. Lynn stressed to me that she was probably a fine care-giver but totally lacked people skills, and the ability to assess Lynn's voice of experience. In other words, she was ego-driven. And cash-driven. She insisted that a significant donation be made upon dropping these kits off at her location or she would not accept them. The donation in itself is not unreasonable, but demanding it up front seemed to show a lack of understanding that we had all put a fair bit of effort into protecting these babies. Essentially, there was discomfort (mine, mostly) with the notion of taking these babies to her.

Enter Theresa.

After a few feedings, the kits have come to trust human hands.. and shoulders a lot more. Theresa has shouldered the raising of many orphaned raccoons and squirrels. Please click to enlarge.

Theresa is Frank's wonderful, big-hearted sister who has rehabilitated several raccoons (among other critters) in the past. I knew she had pretty much decided to at least temporarily suspend this practice but I figured that she might know of someone experienced who lived within a one-to-two hour's drive from my home. Frank put the call in to Theresa, and shortly afterward she phoned back with the offer to take these two babies on herself. What a relief! Not only would these sweeties be going to a home where they'd have experienced and dedicated nurturing, we'd also be able get updates on their status, and perhaps even visit them from time to time.


I knew without doubt that Theresa would be a great surrogate Mom to these critters, and that was reinforced not only by the look on her face when she first laid her eyes upon them, but by her reply to me when I thanked her for taking them on. "Thank you for bringing them into my life." Please click to enlarge.

Jeffrey and I drove them out to her town, where Frank met us and directed us to her home. As soon as Theresa saw our little darlings, I knew they were home - at least for the next few months. They immediately settled in, climbed all over her in search of food with which she promptly obliged, and one showed its love and appreciation by pooping on her sleeve.

When they're mature enough, Theresa will eventually release them to a wildlife reserve, where they can roam free, but under the watchful eye of those who care. Food will always be available and they should have a good shot at a long, healthy, reasonably-normal raccoon life.

An introduction to the dog. Please click to enlarge.

I'm sad for the lost mother (who might have been the same one who most unceremoniously entered my home last spring), and for the little sibling who didn't make it, but so grateful for Lynn, Nicky, Sarah and Theresa for being there for these two lovely animals who now have a great chance of surviving and thriving. They're good people and I have the world of appreciation for their kindness.

Please, please consider the potentially sad consequences when taking an animal out of its environment. An overturned trash bin can easily be cleaned up. An orphaned litter of kits deserve better than what these two went through.

Here are a few more photos, and a video of the raccoon kits who have been named Sugar and Spike.

Spike grooms his bushy fur after finishing a bottle of formula. Please click to enlarge.

Raccoons are good climbers and like to sit up high. The tallest point in this room was the top of Frank's head. Please click to enlarge. (The image.. not Frank's head)

Right, just make yourself comfortable. Please click to enlarge.

Fasten your seatbelt. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Please click to enlarge.

Curious, playful, sweet and cuddly. And so are the raccoons! Please click to enlarge.


Below is a video which will give you an idea of just how small these little sweeties are. This was taken less than one week after Sugar and Spike came out from under my deck. They have clearly lost their fear of people and of dogs - both of which they're likely to encounter when they'll be released to the animal reserve in autumn. Notice how they follow every moving person or dog.

And here's a real quick one of Sugar climbing up my leg and under my camera's lens cap.