Racoon question - will it move on? tips for keeping it away? how to deal with barn cats (food/door)?

[usernameTaken]

Thank you for the details! Sounds like a good solution. I’m all about function at this point, looks are a non-issue. Perhaps that will change someday but right now I’m in battle mode. I do have some barrels and might be able to set up something similar inside barn as a second layer of protection just in case my late-night door fix doesn’t hold. The sliding door fixes still look good, but I think I can improve it, maybe this weekend. Fort Knox will be my new barn name.

Next is buying game cameras. I’ve been wanting them for a long time and remember there was a thread or two about them. Now seems a good time to get them.

[candyappy]

@endlessclimb

I see them before dusk in the summer time, but not often after dawn. Their feeding should be done, they should have patrolled everything by then. Seeing them in the morning time after sunrise would trip my “rabies” warning sign.

We just had one of these. I came up the hill to check horse water at 11am and my 3 dogs raced off by my hen house barking in that certain tone. Afraid it might have been one of my barn cats I walked over to see a thin raccoon!

I ran next door to ask my FIL what I should do and his dog heard the barking, slipped out the door, ran over and immediately he and my 35 pound “wonder dog” Sadie quickly dispatched it. My 1 year old GSD/ Anatolian lunged at it but would not grab it.

I think maybe distemper and thankfully no chickens were harmed. From experience at our hog barns as long as they can get food they will return. We had a family rip through the metal feed bins!

Dispatching was the only remedy.

[beau159]

@usernameTaken

I did find a thread from January about racoons living in an indoor, I think my problem is different enough that I started a new thread. So far, no racoons are living in the barn, and I want to keep it that way!

Two nights ago, during a bad snowstorm (early evening) I was in barn getting ready to bring horses in and there was a huge ruckus in one of the donkeys run in shed. The donkeys were chasing two racoons out of shed, one racoon headed for barn, the other went the other way - moving quickly across a 10+ acre field. I now think the one that headed for barn ended up camping out near barn for the night.

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it stuck around and there was cat food put out in the morning. I went back inside and came out a short time later to find it was in the barn. I got it out of barn, and it took off to a neighbor’s barn down the road - the other direction of where its friend went the night before. This neighbor (cows, not horses) has complained profusely about having an abundance of racoons in and around their barns for years. I have not had a problem, I think I have seen one racoon in the last ten years, but I had dogs who always accompanied me up until last year or maybe the donkeys chased them off, not sure but have never even seen their footprints/tracks much less an actual racoon besides that one time.

It came back last night. The sliding barn doors don’t stay completely shut tight, are moveable to some degree, and it squeezed in. All cat food was removed, it checked the place out but wouldn’t leave and after a couple hours I was desperate, so put a can of cat food upwind of barn 100ft or so just to get it to leave since previous attempts just had it coming back in through the weak doors. While it was eating, I got out my drill, 3/4 " plywood, 2x10s, and made the doors tight but still functional. It held. I can see where the racoon tore chunks off the door and footprints all around barn, but it was unable to come back into the barn.

Did I really screw up putting that food out to get it out of the barn? If I keep doors shut, will it eventually go away for good? I expect it will come back and try to get in barn again, any idea for how long it might keep coming back before deciding nothing to eat here? Should I keep barn doors shut 24/7?

During wee hours barn check I realized I had also locked in two feral cats that I think came from cow barn down the road. I was thinking of creating a cat door really high off the ground so they can get out. From what I’ve read racoons can’t access openings if they are high enough. Anyone have firsthand experience with this and any tips?

I have my own barn cats, not feral and fixed/shots up to date. My plan is that they will get only dry food in the day - will this be ok?

I don’t think the racoon was rabid, just scared and hungry and now alone without its friend. It looked young to me, but I don’t know anything about racoons. It did seem to be favoring a front paw, no visible injuries so perhaps the donkey got it but seemed healthy otherwise.

Any advice appreciated. They sure look cute until they aren’t. And impressively destructive.

If you routinely leave cat food available for your cats, in an open environment where other wild animals can get access to it, they will come. And keep coming.

Skunks love cat food too, by the way.

I grew up on a farm, and I now have my own property out of town. You don’t leave animal food outdoors. Ever. Unless you want to invite wild guests.

I would feed your cats once or twice a day. Call them, and they’ll come running, and eat the food gone. If one misses a meal, they’ll get the next one. Not a big deal. If you want to keep the barn locked up tight, you can, that’s your call. But of course, your cats then cannot come and go as they please.

Your barn cats should be just fine. After all, they should be doing their job catching birds, mice, gophers, etc and whatever else you have available in your area.

We have three cats. They share one itty bitty can of wet food in the morning. I don’t recall any of them ever missing breakfast - maybe once in a blue moon. They know the routine and they are around in the morning. I keep dry food available for them in the garage, that is kept closed. If they are in the garage, great, they eat what they want. If they choose to go outside and stay outside all day and all night, fine, they go and catch themselves something to eat.

[Horse_Daft]

I once had a raccoon who thought the barn was a lovely new home. Someone, or maybe I read it online somewhere, said to play the radio 24 hrs/day for a few days but it has to be on a talk radio station. I did that for about a week and he/she left and never returned.

[usernameTaken]

Happy to report the racoon has not been back. We’ve had fresh snow each morning, allowing me to be able to see if there are tracks. Right now I only lock the barn up at night, cats inside, no food. They have in/out access and food in daytime.

I did give the cats canned food twice a day in the barn, but I always picked up the dishes and brought them inside the house, even prior to racoon visit. I never leave any garbage or other food in the barn except for I did have some dry cat food out. It was well inside the barn, not easily accessible and up on a high table or bench.

The neighboring farm I referenced is not really that close, they would have to cross a busy road, creek, and go through some residential yards that have dogs. Often they get hit by cars before making it across the road, so I think they learn to avoid going my way. If they head the other direction there are plenty of better options - a housing development with dumpsters, several businesses with dumpsters including food services, etc. No one lives at the farm and the workers do leave garbage/fast food wrappers/etc in containers that are not well secured, both of which I think contributes to their problem. Also I think that my dogs had helped keep them at bay just from the smell - the dogs never went outside without me so it’s not like they had any firsthand interactions. When I moved in there were many skunks around, but since getting dogs, they have been almost non-existent too. The feral cats usually only show up when the population over there starts getting out of control, or if it’s a wandering tom marking his territory or looking for a mate. (everyone here is fixed and vetted, sorry tom)

I really think the racoon ended up here due to the storm (6-10" snow that night with bitter cold winds and drifts of snow that I had a hard time walking through). I think they were moving through but had tangled with the donkey, it was separated from its friend, and curled up near the barn for the night. There are a couple places that could have worked as a shelter for it.

I don’t really know but for whatever reason, I have not had a racoon or skunk problem prior to this and will be more careful so that it stays that way. Will look into getting a radio for the barn too.

Thank you again for all the suggestions and experiences.

[Texarkana]

A few years ago, I had several destructive raccoons take up residence. Their reign of destruction lasted about a month.

Once I finally got everything appropriately secured, they did eventually move on. But they are resourceful buggers. It wasn’t enough to just put cat food away. I had to lock absolutely everything food-like in metal trash cans with heavy cinderblocks on top. I had to remove all trash and put multiple cinderblocks on the dumpster lid for weeks.

Locking up the food pissed them off big time and the problem got worse before it got better. They opened cabinets, chewed through containers of fly spray, ointments, etc. They shredded a heavy duty plastic treat bucket with screw-on lid that I thought was vermin-proof. After they totally trashed my barn and found nothing good to eat, they seemed to give up.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

One barn that I stayed at left dry cat food out at night. The rats were probably bigger than kittens from all that easy food!

Keeping raccoons out is a constant battle at most barns, especially if you have other livestock like chickens that drop food all over. At another barn I was at, the raccoons opened closed tin grain bins. (The bricks are a good idea.) I know some people swear by cayenne pepper or Pine Sol as repellents.

You say you don’t have rabies in your area-are you in the UK?

[4horses]

I just returned from a camping trip with plenty of raiding racoons. All feed had to be secured in my horse trailer. Dogs are very effective deterrents because as soon as someone came with a dog, the raccoons left. I don’t know how they knew the dogs were around. Maybe smell?

I think the most effective way to discourage pests is to keep all food locked up. This includes feed buckets. If it isn’t raccoons, it will be rats and mice.

[beau159]

@usernameTaken

I did have some dry cat food out. It was well inside the barn, not easily accessible and up on a high table or bench.

If your cats can find it and access it, so can other critters.

@usernameTaken

Also I think that my dogs had helped keep them at bay just from the smell - the dogs never went outside without me so it’s not like they had any firsthand interactions

Likely, the dogs do probably help.

[LCDR]

An amusing google finding was that city raccoons can jump higher vertically than country raccoons.

Adorable raccoon jumps at the window!

[Mosey_2003]

Someone here, back when we all had signatures, had theirs with a quote like, “I catch them in a Hav-A-Heart trap and then shoot them through the bars.” That is what I do.

[alabama]

@endlessclimb

Ah ok, I thought it was daylight and this raccoon is just bee bopping around. Dawn is normal activity time for them, daylight is not!

I have raccoons out and about at all hours of the day and night. I’ve had people tell me that only sick raccoons are out during the day but that is untrue, at least around my place. They are healthy as can be and very annoying.

[hillary_again]

@Texarkana, wow! Vindictive little vandals, but you gotta respect that industrious effort. Chewed through containers of fly spray? Man, leaving nothing untouched. What pesky devils.

[S1969]

@Impractical_Horsewoman

One barn that I stayed at left dry cat food out at night. The rats were probably bigger than kittens from all that easy food!

Rats are bigger than kittens. And omnivores so they might eat a tiny kitten if they had the opportunity.

As for feeding cats, they do make collars that have some kind of chip that will unlock a cat door. Not sure how foolproof they are, and whether collars are safe or not. Although while it might work against larger animals like raccoons, I’d still worry about mice and rats that could find their way in through small openings. But maybe something to consider.

I considered one for my house but thought the chance of my cat bringing in a mouse/rabbit/snake was too great so never installed it.

[Bluey]

One of our cats once brought thru the dog door a 2 1/2’ long rattler.
Gave us a heart attack before we realized she had left the snake’s head somewhere else, thank goodness!
That cat was a great hunter and liked to share or brag, not sure, we had all kinds of offerings, some disturbing, from her.

[Janet]

I have not had problems with racoons recently, but I DID have a problem 'possum.

I put the dry food out as I start to prepare the horses’ food, and put it away when they are finished. So it is only out while I am in the barn.

I feed the cats IN a cat carrier. Makes it much easier when it is time to take them to the vet. Unfortunately the 'possum had no qualms about jumping up into the cat carrier while I was right there.

[Texarkana]

@hillary_again

@Texarkana, wow! Vindictive little vandals, but you gotta respect that industrious effort. Chewed through containers of fly spray? Man, leaving nothing untouched. What pesky devils.

They shredded anything they could shred! The worst was they found some powdered fly attractant refills for my fly traps and got the powder EVERYWHERE. I think my barn attracted every fly for a 100 miles radius for weeks. So gross.

I was honestly afraid they would try to claw and chew their way into the house next, but they moved on.

[Mosey_2003]

Raccoons will be out in daylight a lot when they have babies, I’ve heard. It’s not as common, but I do see them during the day occasionally. I might be wrong or it might depend on the area, but I think it’s far less likely for them to have rabies than it is distemper, that’s pretty common. And worms.

[spacehorse]

I am having a similar experience @Texarkana. Cinder blocks on everything. All the feed can lids are removed if I don’t weigh them down! The Empower Boost must be super tasty, that needed 2 cinder blocks! I no longer feed the cat if she isn’t directly in front of me. These things are tenacious. And boy they do get more pissed when you are actually able to secure things!

[endlessclimb]

Blazer Brand Strong Strap Stretch Latch - Universal Lid Lock for Outdoor Garbage...

I use this on my trash can at home, there is NO WAY a coon can get this open. The bungee is like the black rubber ones. You can operate it one-handed. I wonder if this could be rigged to work with feed-type trash cans?