Trash Panda Palooza

The Raccoons of Summer

Apr 10, 2024

If for some unfathomable reason you don’t like baby raccoons, then best you refrain from reading the rest of this post. You’ll be in good company, because my husband is NOT a fan of raccoons and he’s still good person.

I refrained from posting my adorable baby raccoon pics and videos on Facebook because it turns out many people don’t like raccoons, including my former next door neighbors. Discretion is the better part of not starting a feud with folks who exchange daily waves from your adjacent driveways.

(If you want to warn me about rabies, thank you for your concern, please see the note at the end)

It is true that raccoons can negatively impact the modern suburban home. When I was a kid growing up in Connecticut, a family of raccoons took up residence at the bottom of our chimney on top of the fireplace damper. I climbed up on the roof with my dad and we shined a flashlight down the chimney and sure enough glowing green raccoon eyes peered back at us.

My mother was terrified that someone would accidentally open the damper on the fireplace and release a swarm of raccoons into our living room. She was already dealing with us four kids making messes so it’s understandable she didn’t want to be invaded by soot-encrusted chimney bandits.

Decades later my husband expressed the same alarm at the sight of raccoons pressing their eager little faces against our glass back door.

WHAT I SEE:

WHAT MY HUSBAND SEES:

I agreed to a rule that as soon as it got dark the blinds would be drawn and all pleas from the poor starving babies would be ignored. Of course they weren’t starving, that was just a ruse. If the door had been cracked open even an inch, a wave of pudgy ruffians would have shoved their way in like the 5:00pm crowd rushing a dinner buffet.

Speaking of mothers, I had named the raccoon mom “Roxie” and she was a sweet and gentle creature. She showed up for three summers in a row with her brood in tow, then last year I only saw her once, in the spring. She was injured and alone. I assume she has crossed the rainbow bridge and I miss her.

Because our fenced yard is dog free and relatively private, Roxie used it as a place where she could just relax, take a nap and let the kids fend for themselves for awhile.

Also, she liked to air out her titties. Who can blame her - imagine having all those greedy little suckers on you half the time.

August is my favorite time of year for sitting out on our shady deck. But you know how as soon as you get all settled with a book then the kids start bugging you? Never fails.

Disclaimer: soon after the photo below was taken, they dismantled and destroyed the potted plants.

Note: all mammals can get rabies, but in Washington State bats are the only known source of rabies.

I never try to touch, pet or pick up the raccoons. They do sometimes touch me with their grabby little fingers but they have never exhibited any aggression.