Raccoon invasion. Morality question.

nolaegghead

One of the little bastards already sneaked in, took a bath in the cat water and left, leaving a mess.  All in a nanosecond. 

Have two air rifles on the dining room table locked and loaded.  Can is leaned against the cat water, which will crash over when disturbed.  Safari.

Skiddymarker

Hate to burst your bubble, but once 'coons find food, they are coming back as long as the food is available. That leaves three alternatives:

1. Lock the cat door for at least four or five nights they will try for a night or two to get in and when they can't they will look elsewhere, 

2. Move all the cat food and water to another area of the house - this means if the cats go in and out, they will be without food and water for the night and shut off from their home

3. Shoot them. 

You can't trap them because you might catch a cat. 

Me, I'd try #1, then move onto #3. Good luck, layoff the bourbon when using those firearms.....

Zmokin

nolaegghead said:

jllbms said:

Since you titled the post "Morality Question", I think you already have your answer.

I want moral support.   I want the little bastards out.  If we herd all the cats in the house at night and close the cat door, they whine like little bitches.  The cats are used to their freedom, horses done left the barn on that.

Um, who pays the mortgage?  You or the cats?  Lock the cat door, then lock the cats in the garage or someplace where you can't hear them all night long and go to sleep knowing your felines are safe inside and the coons are safe outside.

nolaegghead

jllbms said:

Since you titled the post "Morality Question", I think you already have your answer.

Wha?!  Explain.

jllbms

If you're questioning the morality of shooting the critters, then you believe at some level that it's not right. Otherwise, you'd have just phrased the question in terms of e.g. effectiveness, not morality. Just a theory.

snakedriver

The only way to get them off the food stamps is to relocate them. Permanently or temporarily. Use a live trap. Who cares if you catch a cat. Doesn't hurt them. Just turn them loose and bait and set it again. You will eventually catch the coon(s). Then carry the trap to the point of relocation. Shoot and/or release.

It should be considered that the little bastards will bite. They will also bleed, which is one deterrent for shooting on sight. Even .22 caliber bullets will pass through and ricochet.

I have caught and permanently relocated coons from my place. They come uninvited, they pay no rent or taxes, they do no work, and they make a damn mess. They assure their eventual place in the scheme. Help them and yourself toward that end.

This could so easily be interpreted in a political sense.

Jerry

500

nick_banich said:

Fight chaos with chaos. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war

Love that quote. HAVOC is the mantra for our VCU Rams basketball team.

Hokie_Smoker

How about something like this: http://store.petsafe.net/magnetic-cat-flap This way the door won't open for the raccoons.

500

You can get collars for the cats that trigger the cat door to open when they are near it. Means a new door and collar, but the prox sensor on the door only opens to the code on the collar. Saw it on the Dog Whisperer.

jhl192

It is not safe for your family or pets to allow raccoons into your home! Close up the cat door at night, set out traps, hit them with a bat, poison them or use a 22 at close range (preferably with a silencer and not near any gas lines). Good luck!

Jeremiah

This is how I'm picturing Nola while I'm reading this. ) \m/

Hokie_Smoker

Jeremiah said:

This is how I'm picturing Nola while I'm reading this. ) \m/

So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote.

DaveRichardson

Pillowcase or burlap sack attached to door at the with some rare-earth magnets (if the door is metal...) around the cat door. Zip tie it closed and tote the bag of fur and cussing out to armegeddon point and do as you will.

nolaegghead

Thanks for all the advice.  They invaded before midnight, apparently had sensed that I had a  trap set and that was that.  Woke up on the couch in a bath robe, not by choice, SWMBO was getting ready for her cardiac ICU nursing shift.  And here I am.  It was a dark and not quite stormy morning, ominous and humid. I am going to get a harbor freight trap and relocate the little bastards.

As the Japanese say, business is war.  And they have no business spreading raccoon germs in my casa, so I'll try to relocate some POWs as soon as I get the trap.

DaveRichardson

@nolaegghead‌ will be the next Discovery Channel show, hot off the heels of those guys also in Louisiana, the Bretherton Boys of VexCon....

500

You need to call the Turtleman!

http://youtu.be/OP89pDTkgVs

Eggcelsior

snakedriver said:

The only way to get them off the food stamps is to relocate them. Permanently or temporarily. Use a live trap. Who cares if you catch a cat. Doesn't hurt them. Just turn them loose and bait and set it again. You will eventually catch the coon(s). Then carry the trap to the point of relocation. Shoot and/or release.

It should be considered that the little bastards will bite. They will also bleed, which is one deterrent for shooting on sight. Even .22 caliber bullets will pass through and ricochet.

I have caught and permanently relocated coons from my place. They come uninvited, they pay no rent or taxes, they do no work, and they make a damn mess. They assure their eventual place in the scheme. Help them and yourself toward that end.

This could so easily be interpreted in a political sense.

Jerry

Wolfpack

Traps or lock the cats up and put out a bowl of antifreeze. No way I would let that continue. You will have to move them a long way away or kill them- otherwise they will come back. Or buy some 22 short subsonic rounds and have at it- very quiet round.

jimreed777

I use sub sonic 22 rounds to dispatch possum, coon, whatever else. I live in a subdivision. 

Have your air compressor plugged in and have your nail gun attached. After you shoot one of the suckers...flip on your air compressor and pop a couple nails in a 2x4. Neighbors think you are just doing a project in the garage.

jimreed777

I do also have a hava-a-heart trap....cat food in a can works best as bait.

cajuncook

No cats, no food, no more problem. Oh, did I mention I'm not a cat person?

Fred19Flintstone

I say go into the ventilated coonskin cap business!

DaveRichardson

Dang it, @Fred19Flintstone, you took the next line I was going to use!!!!

SmokeyPitt

http://www.whateats.com/what-eats-raccoons

You just need to get a pet cougar, bobcat, wolf, coyote, crocodilian, boa constrictor, hawk or eagle.  

Eggcelsior

SmokeyPitt said:

http://www.whateats.com/what-eats-raccoons

You just need to get a pet cougar, bobcat, wolf, coyote, crocodilian, boa constrictor, hawk or eagle.  

Screw that. Get an Ocelot!

Epuente

I usually set my trap and put soft cat food fish flavor and tie the can to the cage that way when they pull on the can they can not remove the can.

johnkitchens

Living in Georgia we have our share of wildlife to contend with. 

Personally I would kill them without hesitation if possible, but I understand your predicament, and I would not want to fire live rounds inside my home. 

I would do as many have suggested and purchase a have a heart trap. Bait it and wait. If you catch a cat just release him. It won't hurt him. After you catch a coon in it you can either take him a long way from your home and release or cap him. 

Either way the problem will be solved. 

My only advice is to be careful if you plan on shooting one in your home. Coons are tough and will kick your ass if they are cornered. There have been many a coon dog killed around here by a bad ass coon. 

I personally had to shoot one about half a dozen times in order to kill it. That was with a 22 rifle. 

Good luck!

SmokeyPitt

Do you think the electronic cat door someone mentioned above would solve the issue?  The problem is the sneaky 'coons might learn the routine and just follow a cat in...then it can't get out.  

TexanOfTheNorth

Sell the house and move!

onelikearock

Aguila makes a .22 Super Colibri ammunition. They are considered powerless ammo and make less noise than my pellet rifle. They will not eject in a semi auto rifle, so manual ejecting is required. I have terminated many racoons with them with close neighbors.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=AG22SC&name=Aguila+.22lr+Super+Colibri+20grn+50rd+box&groupid=18