HELP!! Sick raccoon on our porch!

Oh this is just heart breaking. I am so sorry sweetie!

...at this point, what about calling your vet with the update? If it's a broken leg, maybe they can help? What if you put the food and water in a large carrier near the picnic table? He doesn't seem to mind going into things.... then you could just close the door on the crate and get it to the vet. Maybe you could talk to them about splitting the cost with you or something? Since there's no wildlife rehab near and animal control doesn't want to help!

I don't know if a vet would take it if a wild life rehabber won't due to rabies in the area.

It's just one leg? Then it may only be injured - which doesn't help the poor raccoon at all, but at least isn't something contagious. Be very careful if you try to do anything yourself. Cornered raccoons can get nasty.

Try again?

And maybe it's just my overly suspicious nature... but does that sound a little like a scam to anyone else? The city won't take care of wild animals, a person must hire a private contractor (pest control) to do it for a high fee, when AC handles that sort of thing in most other cities. Makes me wonder if someone said "hey, we'll take over picking them up for people, for a price, all you have to do it make sure no one else can do it".

I just want to apologize for my vent yesterday! I really am very sorry!
I just want this taken care of. Yesterday at work I talked to two co-workers and got no sympathy, just "You really shouldn't feed the cats. Then I called my sister and she said the same thing. It just put me in the worst mood. Probably should have calmed down before I wrote my post.

All of you are the only ones that understand and I vented at all of you. I truly am sorry!

It does seem that the raccoon is limping withboth back legs from what I can see. I will be waiting for him to come out tonight to get a better look. (Can't wait.)

In the meantime do I feed it because it can't go anywhere? Just leave it water?
Don't give it anything...Try to starve it out of my yard?

Oh my goodness, some people just irritate me, you feed cats, so flippin what, good on you and I say good on you for helping the racoon at the minute. I am not suprised you felt the need to vent hun, I would too, I don't know what you can do at all, is there no wildlife shelters? I am sure you have already tried every possible avenue. Maybe just keep feeding him/her and hopefully he/she will get better and go away?Or not, I just do not know, I am so sorry for you, sounds like you have done everything possible, gosh I am mad too and its not even me in this situation, I cannot get over that nobody cares, its so sad. xx

It's so frustrating that no one is helping you!

I googled "what to do if find injured racoon" and it took me to this site: http://www.doryandtheorphans.com/ http://animalra.org/animal-emergency...ation/raccoons

The advice of calling a wildlife rehabilitator is given, but since that hasn't been fruitful, I don't know what to say.

It sounds like the raccoon is possibly just injured, not rabid.

I'm sorry you're going through this. And no, I don't think anything was wrong with your post yesterday. Hang in there! I hope everything turns out as best as possible.

Oh good grief this makes me wonder why we pay taxes when the tax driven services and departments can't be bothered.

I would say starve it out of your yard. Then it'll go to the neighbors yard and eat their dog's food or something and it becomes their $450 issue. I'm really surprised at the health department with the rabies and all. Around here they're all over that sort of thing in town.

I hope you can find a solution and if I can think of anything you havent tried yet, I'll let ya know.

Do you have kids or do your neighbors have kids? Heck, call a local reporter, have them do a story. What if there were children and not just pets around? What if it goes into someone else's yard and ends up cornered unsuspectingly and bites off some little kid's finger? Its rediculous that you can't get help to remove a raccoon.

Something is going on in the yard as I write this. There is much raccoon "talking". I don't know if it is between the sick raccoon and others or just others in the trees. For the first night, the raccoon hobbled onto the porch and looked around for some crumbs but didn't sit by the water bowl. I don't see it anywhere right now, but is is dark out there and with all that talking, I don't want to go out there! I don't know if it is hiding from the others or will go to join the others...but I'm asking once again for some prayers and vibes that it leaves to be with the other raccoons. I read that the lady raccoons stay close their entire life and can live in each other's territories.

I also read that the raccoons come to live on your property like chimneys, attics etc. when they are pregnant. I will die if this turns out to be the case.

I do know one thing...it seems to me that it is looking skinnier every time I see it.

So please keep your prayers and vibes coming!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by tamarae

Oh good grief this makes me wonder why we pay taxes when the tax driven services and departments can't be bothered.

I would say starve it out of your yard. Then it'll go to the neighbors yard and eat their dog's food or something and it becomes their $450 issue. I'm really surprised at the health department with the rabies and all. Around here they're all over that sort of thing in town.

I hope you can find a solution and if I can think of anything you havent tried yet, I'll let ya know.

Do you have kids or do your neighbors have kids? Heck, call a local reporter, have them do a story. What if there were children and not just pets around? What if it goes into someone else's yard and ends up cornered unsuspectingly and bites off some little kid's finger? Its rediculous that you can't get help to remove a raccoon.

Click to expand...

GREAT IDEA!

Get the media involved. Bet that'll get some people hopping.

You don't need to apologize. We are all rooting for you and sorry we can't do more. Vent away, you're a hero for caring.

Both back legs, now? Can it move them at all or is it acting like it's partially paralyzed? If the latter, you must find some way to get this animal gone ASAP. I know, you're trying, but if it's showing signs of paralysis it really could be rabid.

As for the other raccoons, if they're avoiding the sick one then this is very serious.

I feel so bad for you and this situation, its just horrible.

Did you have any luck calling around for cheaper prices in trapping?
Maybe if you borrowed a humane trap and tapped him, then call the wild life rehab people and say I have a possible rabid raccoon IN A TRAP.
If he is rabid, he will become violent and you cannot have that around your ferals. Although, even though they are behind on the vaccinations, if they have been vaccinated, they should still be vaccinated against rabies.

If he is just injured and gets better, there are a lot of raccoons that actually live and share food among feral colonies with no problems at all. If only you knew what the situation actually was : (

Originally Posted by Pami

If he is rabid, he will become violent and you cannot have that around your ferals.

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Not necessarily. It doesn't always make animals violent, and nearer death they're pretty bad off.

I just tuned in to this thread, and first of all - Kudos to you for all your efforts Yup, you are doing a good job caring for one of His creatures. Can you call your department of Fish&Game?? Around here, our AC isn't much different than yours. I do worry about your feral colony, not only about rabies but about distemper (cat fever) which raccoons also transfer to cats But, also, I feel badly about the raccoon - I send vibes that it heals and goes away or that someone comes out and catches it for you. If you can, call your local farm advisor - they may know of someone who will help. I didn't read all the posts, but did you try a TNR group - you know that cat people are often the most helpful when it comes to caring & doing. I have had great success with cat people to help me help humans, even when the churches didn't bother to get involved!
Sending vibes that you get reinforcements soon, that your cats are protected & that the raccoon gets a good result soon

Oh I just can't believe no one will help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If only Gary felt better than he did - we'd come out there and he'd take care of it for you.

...and of course you were in a horrible mood after that. What is wrong with people? Have they no compassion?????????????????????????????????????

Ohhhhh man, I was really hoping that this would have been resolved by now.

I am so sorry, more

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have not been feeling well and it's been a very stressful time.

I had called a Rehabilitation center again and they told me by law they could not help me, but she did talk to me about what I could do.
After describing everything she said that it didn't sound like rabies, more like an injury...maybe I could feed her for a little while and see if she might get better. I decided to try this and fed the raccoon some cat food and some fruit.
After a couple of days she was walking better and drinking some water (from her own bowl, of course.) Then I didn't see her for a while. I had the health and family issues and really didn't think about her so much, but about two weeks ago I looked around and found her dead. I am so sad as I write this, I hate any death...I thought maybe she had gotten well enough to leave. I know it's only a raccoon and I know I might get negative reaction to this, that I should have have handled it all differently, poisoned it or something else, but I did my best. I can't believe there isn't a place around that will help these poor animals.

I now ask for ask for prayers for the ferals that are out there, that they will remain healthy.

I decided after her death to give her a pretty name so Rest in Peace, Rebecca. I tried...

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. And yes, you did try. RIP, Rebecca.

I would have felt EXACTLY the same way about her dying. Poor thing. I hope she knows you tried to help her...

You are true animal lover and did what an animal lover would do.
Im sorry it ended so sadly.
Sending lots of vibes for your feral kitties to all remain healthy
Rest In Peace Rebecca

I would have done the same too. I am sorry it turned out this way, at least the little thing isn't suffering anymore.

I'm so sorry there was no one to help. You did what you could.

Enjoy health and happiness over the bridge, Rebecca Raccoon.