Help! Raccoons and skunks have invaded my feral feeding spots :(

[foodsanta]

Where I feed are 2 different places, a block away from eachother. These ferals depend on me but mostly only come out after dark. I feed 4-5 next to a park and 7-8 in a kind old man's back yard. His neighbors are not so kind and do not want anyone feeding the ferals. I have been feeding after dark for 3 years and suddenly the area has been overtaken by raccoons and skunks who have been stealing all the food. I thought my cats were just super starving and that is why I have to keep leaving more and more food but I guess it isn't being eaten only by them. I can't monitor since I have 2 jobs and do not live in the neighborhood. The old man won't feed because he hates his neighbors. I haven't minded the skunks so much but they seem to be multiplying and the raccoons are so scary how fast they came running up to me on a food mission. I also worry for my ferals' safety and health. Advice please!!!!

 

[catwoman707]

I SO know this one!

I also care for several colonies where I have tnr'd groups, and yes, the raccoons and skunks, and don't forget the possum too, all eventually find out and tell their families, and before you know it there is a full blown zoo of critters you are feeding!

Not really alot you can do about this. I just accept that they all are hungry and need to eat and just leave more food is all.

AS for the cat's safety, theyre safe. Skunks and raccoons both are aggressive about food, for sure. But that said, cats are smart and figure this out early on, and allow them to eat first, and then move in to eat afterwards.

That's really all they want is to eat first, so the cats submit to this, rather than pushing their limits and being run off or worse, injured/killed.

Possums however will eat side by side and are very cat friendly and non aggressive.

Raccoons DO eat baby kittens though. Hopefully if you are feeding ferals they have all been tnr'd.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have seen a few ideas her on the Cat site, but none of them see to work for long.  The raccoons are so smart they when they smell food, they will find a way to get to it.  I had a tall table I fed my cats on during the night.  On the table was a shelter with small 5-6" openings.  The raccoons would put their claws on the table and hoist themselves up or crawl up the side of my house.  They managed to wiggle their fat bodies into the shelter every time.  We raised the table, attached flashing to the table; nothing worked. 

I did seen idea of building a tall table with only a center post away from other trees or climbing objects.  The cats can jump up, but the raccoons can only climb not jump. 

http://www.forgottenfelinesofforsyth.org/newslettervol3page4.htm

 

[msaimee]

The only solution I've found is to feed my feral at daybreak and sunset, before the other wildlife are out, and if I have to feed him in the dark, I sit beside him and talk to him so other animals won't approach. Is it possible for you to get to the feeding station before it gets dark, either in the morning or evening? I know this would be difficult in the winter when daylight hours are so short, especially if you're working two jobs. 

Sometimes raccoons and opossum come up on my porch to eat from my cat's bowl if I'm working second shift and have left dry food out all day. My cat is too smart to tangle with a raccoon, so he will leave if one approaches, and I've seen him sit next to an opossum while the opossum was eating out of his food bowl, so I agree that opossum are generally non-aggressive. From my experience, different species of wildlife learn to co-exist in an area where they need to share food. Cats will fight with other cats and raccoons will fight with other raccoons, but cats, raccoons, and opossum mutually benefit from co-existing together. Also, when there were kittens on my block last summer, there were a lot of raccoons and opossum coming around because mama cat would only come out at night.  None of the raccoons ever attacked the kittens.  

 

[foodsanta]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I do not live in the neighborhood and there is an aggressive feral cat hater that is totally against me feeding them. She told me to let Mother Nature take its course and if they can't survive, that's life. There are only 2 cats that will come out in the neighborhood during the day. All the rest come at night. I spend all my money feeding everyone and wouldn't have a place to put a tall raccoon proof feeding station without creating neighborhood backlash. Ugh. I love the skunks and there used to be a possum :'((sad story) but the raccoons came out of no where in a gang and came straight at me. I would just feed the world but if the horrible neighbors ever catch sight of all the raccoons they will come after me and the cats will suffer. Sigh. I work almost all day everyday deep into the evening, mostly to feed animals and since I have to sneak feed it is hard. I will try to feed more during the day when I can but worry about my late night kitty crew. Thank you for helping me. I can't believe raccoons eat kittens. Sad!!! As far as I know all my females are TNRed and most of the males except a few that visit very randomly and I have no time to sit and TNR when they don't show up. It took me over 2 years of day after night to catch the dozens (close to 40) that I did. All the kittens were adopted so no raccoons will eat them :'( . Thanks all.

 

[catwoman707]

You haven't mentioned if the cats have been tnr'd. This is a huge plus all around if you can get this accomplished.

The reproduction stops, there's no fighting/aggression, no spraying, yowling, spreading of felv/fiv, infected bite wounds, and it will surely make the cat hating neighbors alot more "okay" with your feeding them.

Raccoons will eat cats too but basically only when there is no other food source they prefer.

Kittens, as I said, are very commonly eaten by them though. The younger the better, like newborns especially.

Moms know this which is why the protective way they get with their nest and hiding them. Also why a mom will remove her baby who is weak/unhealthy away from the rest, to protect the healthy ones from predators like raccoons and fox.

A momma cat will do her best to stand up and ward off these predators, but can only do so much against bigger/tougher animals. Often times moms are killed standing up to them in attempt to protect them.

This is also where the instinct of burying/covering their waste comes from, to leave no scent for predators to find them.

 

[foodsanta]

So stressful! Thank goodness for mama cats. I thought I did mention that I TNRed dozens of cats and the kittens were all adopted out. There are a few new males but no females to my knowledge.