My poor little raccoons...

I know this is a bit preemptive, but I'm also resigned to the fact it's inevitable. Either I'll come home tonight to bury you or I'll come home to call Animal control to come and put you to sleep so you aren't suffering.

I don't know why your mom never came back to get you. I wish I did and I wish I had a way to make you understand. Little light guy, ever since I found you on Saturday I've hoped you'd be okay, even though I know better. I've hoped you'd squeak loud enough that your mom would come and find you. Little dark guy, I guess if nothing else he squeaked loud enough for you to find him so now neither of you has to be alone at the end.

I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry the best I could do was give you your box and hot water bottle. I'm sorry we live in a province that doesn't give a d@mn about wildlife, I'm sorry for everyone who wanted to help but couldn't and I'm sorry for every person I've spoken to this week who hasn't cared enough to even try to help me keep you alive. I dare every person who's told me that you're just vermin to watch you guys for just a few minutes then try and say the same.

I'm trying to tell myself that this is the better way. That if you grew up here, you'd end up trapped and killed or hit by a car or attacked by a dog before you were even adults, but I still wish I had the power to give you that chance. I'm so sorry, little guys. I hope and pray that your next life is better than this one.

I'm so sorry to hear about the little coons. My cousin was a wildlife rehab. and I got the pleasure of bottle feeding some of her raccoon babies when I was there. And got to bottle feed a 3 week old fawn (who didn't survive).

How sad, and how awful for you. But at least you tried. The mama probably was killed and that's why she didn't come back. Know that you are not grieving alone, I grieve for the poor little things, too.

this brought tears to my eyes...I live on a creek by the woods and we have lots of coons here. I love them.

We have dealt with orphans also. Luckily we have a rehab gal who can take them. Gosh, I feel bad for you and the babies.

I am hugging them in my mind now. You are like me...you care too much for your own good. But I wouldn't have it any other way. And you probably wouldn't either.

God bless the babies and you for your great heart. You did more than many people would have done.

That was so moving, i'm so sorry

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Thank you, guys.

I was so worried about posting because I've had so many people over the last week think I'm crazy for worrying about raccoons.

The little guys are gone now. The light coloured one passed away and was buried yesterday evening. The dark one was still cuddled up to his water bottle last night (because animal control doesn't come out unless you happen to find wildlife that's been hit by a car during their office hours.) but this morning the box was empty, so either his mom came for him in the end or nature took its course and something else found him. Either way, I loved them both, and miss them both and I hope they're in a better place.

Anyone who thinks you are crazy, does not have much humanity in their body.

I thought about your little ones in the night. You are a good person for burying the baby. Lets believe that the mother came back for the other one. She could have.

Animal control should be called animal ignore sometimes.

RIP baby. And the other I pray is with mom or his sibling.

Be proud, you took care of the voiceless ones.

I'm another raccoon lover, especially for the babies. We have alot here...right in the city..right in my yard....and there's always grapes, dates and dry cat food for them. They start to come about mid-June, and leave about the end of October....and they all leave with names

You are so kind to worry about them Mrs. Freya and do what you could to help them feel comfortable. They felt your love. Maybe the Mom did come back....that's what I'd be thinking. Last year, I had a Mom with 6 babies, and one day in August...she left one behind to play in my garage. He was fine....he entertained me in his shy way. Mom and 5 siblings came back that night.....it was so nice to see the same Mom still with all her babies at the end of the Fall....often...there's a few missing.....

Bless you for your kindness

It is so crule how some people have no compassion for these little babies. It is hard work helping these little ones. But I have no doubt you did the best anyone could do and did it out of pure love and selflessness. It sounds like they were comfortable and knew they were loved. I have a gut feeling that the little one is with his mother and she knows you helped her tiny babies when she couldn't. It is nice to know there are still great people in this sometimes crule world! Good work! It takes a special person to do what you did! :-)

Good on you for trying and caring about these little ones. It is hard when other people are so uncaring and make you feel strange for trying to help animals. I'll never understand that attitude of casual disregard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/jcatpics/cat smilies/PlayhappilyRB.jpg, babies.

I am so sorry. I did a lot of fostering when I was in Mississippi, and besides cats, raccoons were my favorite. There is something about those crabby little sweeties that tears at my hearts.

It is exceedingly difficult to raise wildlife especially without someone to help. I wish perhaps I had joined the site a while earlier to help you.

I am sorry.

We don't have Raccoons in the UK so I've only ever seen them on TV.

They always look so cheeky and cute.

Thank you for trying to help them when no-one else would. So sad

All animals are precious and I hate to hear them called vermin. We have an abundance of grey squirrels behind our house - also classified as vermin, but I love watching their antics, especially when the little ones come out of the nests to play. Always brightens my day.

RIP little Raccoons and while there are people like you who care enough to try and help, this world is just a little bit better place.

Your post brought tears to my eyes. I am so sorry that you had to go through what you went through.

My last posts were on how an injured or sick raccoon began living in one of the cat houses and my attempts to try to get help for her. (I just think about her as a she, don't know why). I named her Rebecca. We had a really bad wind storm and we think that she fell out of a tree and got injured. At first I was just trying to get rid of her because I thought it might be rabies and I wanted to get her away from my ferals, but no one would come. I called rehabilitation places and by law no one can help these poor creatures. The second lady I spoke to told me to try to feed her that it didn't sound like rabies... to try to get her well, but she never did recover. We found her dead in the cat house. I only hope I eased her death a little. I have thrown away the house, but I still worry about the cats when they go over where she was.

I, too, think it is such a shame how these creatures are treated. In my area, whenever you call somebody to get rid of a raccoon they are automatically put to death by law. This is according to a pest control expert I know. And some of the control experts do not always do it nicely. We truly are changed by every living creature that comes across our paths...

There has to be a better way to help these animals...

I am sending prayers your way for you and that the little dark one did indeed unite with his mom.

Thank you for caring. You are indeed a special person.

Originally Posted by JIL05

I, too, think it is such a shame how these creatures are treated. In my area, whenever you call somebody to get rid of a raccoon they are automatically put to death by law. This is according to a pest control expert I know. And some of the control experts do not always do it nicely. We truly are changed by every living creature that comes across our paths...

There has to be a better way to help these animals...

Click to expand...

You were kind to try to help her out. If she fell out of a tree she may have broken her back or had injuries to severe to help.

It boggles my mind that some people (no one here) think that these animals..whether it's a squirrel, raccoon, frog, snake, deer, coyote, etc....have brains big enough to think...."okay, today, I'm going to get into Mr. Jone's garbage, make a big mess, and then just walk away". These animals have brains about the size of a walnut, or smaller. They don't have the intelligence to think rational thoughts....they're hungry, they eat; they're tired, they sleep; they have to pee, they pee;....I tell my neighbours...if you're angry that raccoons are ripping up your garbage bags, then put the food stuff out separately...the raccoons will eat it and go away. It's not like the raccoons aren't here already. In my neighbourhood, they've been here longer than me. I welcome them, their babies, their sick, and their ever-cute presence. I can hardly wait for the babies to be brought out....let the fun begin. I feed them grapes, dates, cat food, and scraps. The population hasn't increased..they take care of that themselves...but I believe that they look forward to seeing me every year. I recognize the yearlings....and I'm sure that they recognize me.

I was reading a story today about a man who found 5 very young silver tabby kittens under his porch. He found one, one day, then four more a few days later. He could take care of one..but not all five..they weren't weaned yet. He felt it would be better to take them to his local humane society..where they would be cared for and adopted out. That is what he was told when he took them in. Well, he subsequently found out that all five were PTS within hours of being taken in. No room, was the reason. He was so angry and sad...he said he would have taken them back if he had known that their lives were going to be cut short. He entrusted the HS with their care.
That makes me so sad too. So many sad stories.

Well, I do what I can to help...regardless of the animal.