The Unwelcome Visitor

(Nope, this one is welcome.  Just not ON my computer.)

OH MY GOSH. 

This morning the cat let me sleep in until 5am.  I was so happy.  I got up and did the usual routine, feed her, open the cat door, go to the bathroom, go back upstairs to bed.  About five minutes later we heard a commotion downstairs.  I said, "Doug can you please go down and see what that was?”  

No, argument, he got right up since I had just been up.  I just thought she knocked something over.  I heard it again as Doug went down, so I thought maybe her most unfavorite cat-brother made his way in the cat door and there was a kerfuffle.

Then I heard Doug making stomping running noises.  So I got up and yelled down the stairs, “What is it?” 

    "RACCOONS!!!"  He stomped some more.

    I yelled, “Don’t try to chase them out.  You’re supposed to lock yourself in a room with your pets until they find their way out.  They are MEAN!”  

So he grabbed the cat, who was perched up on the back of the couch just a few feet away from the raccoon.  The one raccoon that was in the house was in the corner behind the conga drums—just a couple feet from the cat door.  Doug carried Fia upstairs and we barricaded ourselves in the bedroom.  Doug said that there was a whole family of raccoons outside of the cat door, but the rest ran off when they saw and heard Doug charging.  

Over the next 15 or 20 minutes we never heard the raccoon rummaging through the kitchen, which is what I’ve heard they do.  So Fia and I stayed in the bedroom while Doug slowly ventured down.  He saw that the raccoon was not in the corner anymore.  So he looked around to make sure it wasn’t anywhere else:  under the downstairs guest bed, under the couches, in any other corners downstairs.  For good measure I checked the upstairs bedrooms in case he had ventured upstairs.  

The coast was clear and we all went downstairs and had breakfast at command central.  I read stories on the internet about raccoons in the house.

The plumber came at 8am to replace our water heater circulation pump.

I moved my internet reading to the back deck.  I was intending to start trying to write in the mornings, but no way could I write with all the left-over stress/excitement.  I read all the Donald Trump news, the Brexit news, and why you shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough.

After the plumber left, I told Doug, “I’m trying this new thing to just not worry about things that might happen in the future.  We will just not open the cat door in the mornings until we actually get up (when it’s light outside).  We’ll figure out what to do when we are gone for a night or two.  But probably, if we just keep the cat door closed all night (and morning), the raccoons will learn it’s usually closed.  Probably they won’t try on the one or two nights we happen to be away.  After all, we’ve had Fia for a year and a half now, and it’s never happened before.”  That type of conversation.  I was proud of myself for almost having let this whole thing go.  For moving on.

I came inside and unloaded the dishwasher.  Now it’s about 9:30.  Fia was in and out all morning.  While I was unloading, I noticed her pawing at the little cube chair under Doug’s desk in the kitchen.  Then she darted away.  I thought maybe she had brought a lizard in.  Although that seemed weird since she would usually meow and not dart away if she brought a lizard in.  So I pulled the chair out (which is really a little ottoman cube that I slip covered with nice fabric.)

There was that raccoon!!!!

Hiding behind the little ottoman I slipcovered.  All morning.  While we were eating breakfast at command central just two feet away.  While I was READING about raccoons on the internet.  While the plumber was here, while I was outside binging on news.  While I was unloading the dishwasher.  

    I jumped back and shrieked, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!”  

    Doug yelled down the stairs, “What? What? What?”

    “It’s still here, the raccoon is still here!”  He raced downstairs and I showed him.  The raccoon was actually kind of cute.  Scared, huddled in the corner under the desk.  He didn’t know what to do either.

So we opened the back door, closed off the doors to most of the front of the house, the dining room has no door so we put up a child gate there.  At one point we saw the little guy making his way to the open back door, but then he saw us and darted back to his corner. 

So I got on Doug’s iPhone, took the cat outside to the front of the house, and called the Humane Society to see if I could get advice on what to do.  I was not calm.  I was assured that I was first in the hold queue.  I was on hold for what seemed like forever.  But they know how important my call is.

After about 10 minutes, while I was still on hold, Doug came out front where I was keeping my eye on Fia so she would not go to the back yard and back into the house.  He said the raccoon was gone.  Doug saw him leave, and then followed him out to watch him disappear over the back fence.  

Just to be sure he didn’t have an accomplice, I checked every single room, what I think is every single possible hiding place.

I think we’re all clear.  I hope.

Related Posts:

 

The Dog Free Retirement (Or Becoming Cat Parents—Part One)

Meeting Fia

Keeping Fia

 

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Comments

[Jane]

I couldn't help but laugh. Sorry.

[Still the Lucky Few]

Good idea to keep the cat door closed. But what a surprise! For the most part, I think wild animals are just as afraid of us as we are of them. But I wouldn't push that theory—especially when it comes to bears, alligators and some reptiles I will not mention!

[Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes]

Rats, mice and other pests can get in through pet doors too.

Other than getting one of those electronic doors that open and close when your pet approaches, shutting the door all the time is probably the best idea.

[april beker]

I couldn't sleep so I am reading my face book. This is the funniest story ever. If I was anywhere near i would bring over wet towels, and the comfort van. Missing you guys, Love April

[Retired Syd]

Jane: I know, it was kind of comical.

Lucky and Mr. Tako: So far the only other unwanted guests were birds, mice, and lizards--all of which Fia brought in herself. But maybe you're on to something. I could just keep it closed whenever we are home and make her ask to come in and out. Then I could just open it when we are gone. Minimize the opportunities.

April: Wet towels are always the right answer. Miss you too!

[Retired Syd]

P.S. I know I shouldn't be worried, but I sure hope the little guy found his family again. I feel kind of bad for him.

[Diane C]

Oh Syd, I feel your pain. Our cat's an indoor girl, but our dogs are not (hee). Our backyard is not completely fenced, so we get a lot of urban wildlife critters passing through. We installed an electric dog door in a bathroom wall which connects to the fenced in dog run. It is radio activated. It works perfectly to keep the critters out. The dogs don't even notice the receivers. I sewed them on their collars so they don't lose them. We buy the patteries in bulk online.
Here's a link, but I have no idea if this is the one we have, so this is not an endorsement of a particular brand, just enough to give you an idea of a proven option.

http://www.petsafe.net/doors/electronic-doors

Whew! What a story. I am so relieved there was no damage.

BTW, my kitty likes the keyboard too, but even more obnoxious is that she will sit on my lap while I'm workiing, but she wants to drape herself across my forearm every darn time, so I can't move. So, so strange my kitty-girl.

[Retired Syd]

Diane: I read about those, but also read that outdoor cats are notorious for losing their collars. (Fia doesn't wear a collar but is microchipped). There is a door with an electronic device that reads your cat's microchip (if you have the right kind--I'm not sure she has the right kind actually.) But they don't make it in that glass door panel insert--which is the kind we have. If we have more problems, I'll have to research these further, but hopefully this was a one-off. Hopefully.

[Pam]

Cute story, but I can live without that type of excitement. We live on a farm and earlier this week, we spotted a mother raccoon with five little ones. They're very cute from a distance, but the mamas can be pretty nasty, too. We had one mother who got into our garage while I had the doors open. She got nasty when we tried to get her to leave. They love tuna or cat food, so make sure to use that the next time you need to move them. However, I hope you don't have to worry about unwanted visitors again.

[Donna]

Hi, Syd - I couldn't help laughing either. Even though I DO feel your pain. We had one mouse in our house last week, and it almost did me in!
BTW - Gorgeous cat!
Donna
www.retirementreflections.com

[Retired Syd]

Pam: I'm not so sure this one would have followed food. The cat's food was out the whole time he was here. Even when we left him alone (hoping he would leave), he never touched the food. I think he was more interested in getting the heck out of here and catching up with his family than he was about looking for food at that point. Funny, at the time, I wasn't even thinking of that food. I probably would have thought to move it if I was thinking. I think this was one of the kid raccoons--glad the adult raccoon isn't the one that got inside. I think that would have been a lot more drama!

[Retired Syd]

Pam: She is a cutie, isn't she?

[Eve]

When my cats were young and I didn't want them wandering outdoors unsupervised, I put a large dog crate over the kitty door, with one side folded down. The litter box went in there too. With this setup, kitty can go outside and enjoy some outdoor air and toilet time, but not wander off. Nor could stray critters come in through the kitty door. If you'd like a photo of the setup let me know!

[Retired Syd]

Eve: That's ingenious!

[Maria]

You are lucky you do not live in Floida because our unexpected guests are snakes, alligators or bears! So consider yourself mighty lucky!

[Barb]

Laughed my dead off. That said do remember that raccoons can be carriers of all kinds of deseases that affect people and animals and that raccoons who show themselves in the daylight may be rabid.

How do I know that! Don't ask. And did I ever tell you that Trevor the beagle and Wilson killed a newly separated raccoon in my back yard???

[Retired Syd]

Maria: Yes, I'm very glad I'm not dealing with alligators!

Barb: To be fair, he the raccoons came here when it was dark out. We only saw this guy in daylight because he was hiding in our house after his family ditched him!

[Hoping to be Another Younger Retiree]

I'm shuddering - that is so creepy! We found a family of raccoons on our abandoned (just temporarily - we went for a walk around the park) picnic one time. Came back for dessert and they were all over it. Made me SO MAD!! But we were dumb to leave the food out, obviously.

This sentence made me laugh, though: " I read all the Donald Trump news, the Brexit news, and why you shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough." Your Internet reading sounds similar to mine. Haha!

[Fred]

It's judgement that defeats us. After reading this and laughing all I could think was poor Doug.

[Retired Syd]

Another: I'm trying to give up the Trump news, but it's like an addiction I can't kick

Fred: My hero, Doug!

[Fred]

Is the Donald like a monkey on your back? Don't worry someday we'll look back on all of this and just laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh............ Maybe I need something to put my hand too? Help I've been retired to long.

[Terri LaBonte]

Don't you think those animal invaders should at least be paying rent?! The gall of some critters! Great blog! I, too, write a retirement blog and have posted my share of critter-connected articles. Since retiring and moving to Florida, I've had infestations of lizards, snakes, and frogs. So far, no alligators..... But pray for me! If you are interested, please check out my blog, Terri LaBonte- Reinventing Myself in Retirement at www.terrilabonte.com. 😄