Anyone know how to keep racoons away??

So "Kasper's Cats", the local ferals I've been feeding for a while now, have some unwanted dinner guests- racoons. The lady with the rescue group that feeds them just let them eat their share of the cat food, then the cats can eat. However, that doesn't seem like a good thing to me. If nothing else, cat food is expensive and us volunteers have to pay for it ourselves!

So, does any one else here that feeds ferals have any experience with keeping them away? Do you all just buy enough to feed the racoons (or any other wildlife) also? I've tried to think of a few ways, but they aren't scared of much- in fact less than the cats. The only thing I can think of is maybe to buy a super soaker and squirt them! Maybe it'll keep them away but not that cats...?

Any ideas, longshots, experiences, advice, or even just vibes would be much appreciated!

I am not sure if you have a place where you are feeding that would allow placement of a feeder like this one

http://www.thewildones.net/raccoons.htm

If you google "raccoon proof cat feeder" many links will come up.

The cons are people damaging the feeder or trying worse, trying to harm the cats if they didn't know the cats were there previously. Best to have these in a hidden location.

The other thing is that small kittens (if colony isn't kept TNR'ed) and old or injured cats are not able to access the food.

I can understand why you don't want to feed the raccoons, they can eat an amazing amount of food!

Thanks for the reply! I'm really surprised more people don't have to deal with wild food theives! You're all very lucky!

But yes, I have considered that, but there's no way it would work. I feed them in a parking lot, and WE aren't even supposed to be there. That would just get us all in big trouble, and probably end in the owner of the lot calling animal control and them all being euthanized!

I've even tried putting it up on the fence, but they just keep getting knocked off...

Thanks again, and if anyone thinks of anything else, I'm all ears!

If you can gradually move the feeding area to where people cannot readily see it, then maybe you can feed the kitties in the daytime. The raccoons will not come out during daylight unless they are starving.

This time of year is the worst in terms of raccoons because they eat at least double their normal amount to prepare for winter, and the juveniles have to eat to survive their first winter.

I have raccoons that live under my porch, while my 2 feral kitties live on the porch. When things have gotten bad from time to time with the coons, I've moved the food to the front of the house. Now when the coons are out, the cats just go to the front door and wait .

I tried Shake Away last year and it seemed to work for a while...
Haven't tried it this year though.

We now have a family of four raccoons coming to try to eat here. The mother comes all year round before winter and always tries to feed her babies here. Thank God I have no kittens to protect this year as all of the cats are now TNR'd.

Occasionally I come home late and they get some of the dry food I have put out, but they don't seem to be a big problem. Mostly just making sure that the food is in early seems to help.

Good Luck!