The Raccoon Incident

I was called out to the deer barn/hospital at “the ranch” by a customer who reported some electrical problems. The insulation had been chewed off some of the wiring. I made the repair and noticed there was another place where the second floor decking had been added recently and peeking through the cracks I noticed more damaged wiring. After talking to the carpenter he informed me that he had to chase a raccoon out of the first space he had closed up one week earlier and that there was probable another raccoon in the second spot with damaged wiring. We removed a portion of the deck and peered in using a flashlight. To my surprise we saw not just one pair of eyes looking back, but several. After some poking around with a long stick we were able to remove three baby raccoons and finally coaxed out the mother who immediately ran off. We set the little ones out under a tree where the mother could retrieve them later when things quieted down. The next morning I noted the three were still exactly where I had left them. They were still alive. That evening with buzzards circling overhead I had to make a decision. So with a certain amount of trepidation I placed them in a small cardboard box and took them home. I don’t like pets and I especially don’t like to care for them…but I couldn’t see leaving them to a fate which seemed certain.
Here is where our research began in earnest. With grandson Cameron’s interest in keeping the cute little critters and my interest in finding someone to rehab and return them to the wild, we Googled “baby raccoons”. Wow! What a plethora of information out there. All the stuff we learned. All the dos and don’ts. Mary and Cameron went to the store to get all the paraphernalia recommended. They feed them with the KMR (kitten milk replacement). Trying to get them to eat from a bottle was a trip.
Getting the digestives to work by massaging their rear end with a warm q-tip was interesting. Oh yeah...probably why mama cats lick their kittens butts.
It’s hard to believe that mama cats instinctively know more than I know even after hours of research on the computer….well maybe not that hard to believe. Mary was a trooper on that one, Cameron wimped out on that procedure.
Another day passed and still I had not found anyone to take them. I tried e-mailing different people at the Texas department of wildlife. I went from website to website searching for someone qualified and willing to take these cute little guys.
Not having time enough to do what I needed to do, I asked Mary to help me find someone. The local Zoo gave her some names. After sending her entire day tracking down info and talking to people, she finally found a veterinarian. He was licensed by the state of Texas to rehab raccoons and was only a thirty minute drive from Victoria. So Jamie, Cameron and Mary drove the orphans to Cuero and dropped them off.
Cameron was disappointed and didn’t have a good feeling about giving up his new found friends but I was relieved. I will have to admit I was a little sad and a little glad but knew it was the best for everyone especially the little masked orphans.
What a wonderful experience to have had with my grandson I hope he will have fond memories of our adventure…I know I will.

4/14/2008