"Knock it off!" I scream as the dogs scratched at the laundry door, barking, growling and carrying on. It was clear that another stray cat had found its way to the basement, climbed up the stairway into the laundry room where the dog food is kept and was enjoying a leisurely free meal.
Each winter, for as long as we have lived in this home, the neighborhood stray cats have found their way into the basement for warmth. It didn't take long before they found the dog food kept in the laundry room. The first year we thought about fixing the hole allowing them entrance but then decided that it was the least we could do for these freedom loving creatures. It wasn't too bad, they were very low maintenance guests. The only time we really knew they were there was during breeding (oh man, they make noise during the courtship and mating cycles) or when the dogs would smell them under the laundry room door.
In January of 2008 the dogs became extra aggressive as the cats came up for their late night meal. They scratched, clawed and growled at the door sometimes body slamming into it. For several days we continued telling them to just chill out because cats need to eat too. One evening, however, our curiosity got the better of us. We put the dogs to bed in their crates then quietly, ever so quietly, opened the laundry room door.
"What the hell!!" I exclaimed as I saw the ringed tail creeping silently, stealthily down the stairway. At first glance I thought it could possibly be a very unique cat but then it slowly turned to look at me square in the eyes midway down the stairs to the basement. "Raccoon? Raccoon? Really? A Raccoon? In the middle of the city? A raccoon? We were in shock. Our minds began working on the problem immediately. These had to go! OK but how?
We called around and found a live trap. That would do it. We will live trap it then let it go down at the lake. The lake would be a much nicer home for these dog food loving bandits. That night we set the trap in the laundry room after removing the dog food and placing a nice vegetarian meal inside the trap.
In the morning we raced from bed to see if anything was captured during our sleep. Not only was a real beauty of a raccoon captured but another was on top of the live trap. It leaped from the top of the trap to the stairs and disappeared into the dark basement. Two? Really Two? OK so now what?
We dug out an extra dog crate, put some towels in it, a bowl of water and another bowl of dog food then tried to coax the coon from its trap. Nothing doing, it was not budging and with those claws it dug in furiously growling, hissing and snapping as we tried to coax it with the broom handle. Nothing to do, "You asked for it" I announced as we upended the dog crate and then poured the raccoon into it. Plop, it landed in the back side of the crate now serving as a temporary floor. After righting the crate we placed the food and water again inside. More hunting tonight I suppose, you can't go live at the lake without your mate, I thought.
The next morning, we once again sprang from bed to check the trap even before pouring our first cup of coffee. This would do it, we would take them to the lake this evening, let them go and everyone would be happy once again. The only problem was when we opened the door there was one in the trap and two on top of it trying to figure out how to get it out and one was BIG and PISSED OFF. Oh crap!! That must be Momma.
I had no idea they could get so big but then again we do use a high quality dog food and who knows how long they have been doing this. I then mused that we had not seen any cats in the basement this winter. Now, I thought I knew why. In the mean time, we just threw our dirty laundry in the room, on the
other side of the live trap unable to reach the washer and dryer with it
in there.
That night was the same as the first and Kit number three was captured then put in the crate with its siblings. No one was very happy and they sure did stink but we were NOT going to get close enough to those sharp teeth and claws to clean the crate or bathe them, it would just have to wait until we were able to get Momma then everyone is off to winter camp at the lake.
The final night of our adventure we once again set up the trap, by now there was enough laundry in the room to set the live trap on top of but getting these wild creatures into a wild setting was more important than doing the laundry at this very moment.
The dogs were very curious about the new "house guests" and to keep the peace we quarantined them. I was fairly certain they had not received their shots AND who knew how many fleas resided on their furry bodies? OK the ewww BUGS!!! On with the story before I go off onto that tangent, AGAIN.
Morning came, we opened the door to the laundry room slowly then came the inability to stay anything. Completely speechless (almost unheard of) I witnessed Momma Raccoon who had been furiously pulling every piece of cloth she could into the live trap with her. She could not stand, she was pressed to the top of the cage while still pulling in anything she could reach. It was her revenge, certain of this fact, I forgave her immediately. We were after all evicting them from their cozy nest and free food. She must have been out of her mind with worry over her babies. Shopping is all I thought, yes shopping is in our near future.
It took a little bit to figure out how to get Momma water in the trap, there was no way we were getting very close to that hissing, growling, snapping thing in the trap. Oh to say she was pissed off is an understatement and we could see the word REVENGE being beamed to us with that icy, angry stare. Cutting off the end of a hose we filled it with water then closed the other end with our thumb creating a vacuum. After she stopped biting and clawing at it she drank her fill of the cool liquid in the tube. We just did not want to be responsible for any type of dehydration, judging by their weight starvation would not come soon.
The days of January are short so we loaded up the four unwanted house guests into our SUV then picked up a friend who volunteered to come help with the eviction procedures. We wanted to be certain they had enough day light to find a suitable safe dwelling for the night. Our friend suggested that we let Momma go first and that the babies would follow. We had debated all the way to the lake how to get this part of our plan executed without anyone going in for a series of rabies shots.
The lake was cold, no leaves left on the oaks and an icy wind whispered through the bare branches. Leaves made a soft crunching sound as we surveyed the area for the perfect release spot far enough from any residences yet near to the lake for food and water. After finding the perfect spot we unloaded the babies, placing them facing the trees ahead. Next came the live trap which contained Momma.
My partner with a ball bat at the ready (just in case anything went wrong with our plan) stood like a batter ready for the perfect pitch while our friend opened the trap allowing free access for Momma. Thankfully she headed like a bat out of hell toward the tree line then stopped about 30 yards ahead looking back at us. We were certain it was actually her brood that she was looking at but just in case my partner held the bat steady in wait.
Opening the door to the dog crate the three inhabitants ran for the clearing, giving us a quick look back as they sprinted toward their Momma. I am not certain how to interpret that look from them. Was it gratitude? Was it hatred? I will always wonder what goes on in a raccoons brain and what their interpretation of the event really was.
