I often see racoons traveling in pairs, but that doesn’t mean they’re working cooperatively. Sometimes one raccoon follows another in hopes of getting some of the leftovers.
Widey carefully comes up the garage steps, where Pippen, a 15-pound stray cat who adopted us, is eating a handful of cat food in a metal dish. Pippen objects to the raccoon’s presence, so Widey hastily retreats.
Widey pauses before exiting the garage, then decides instead to lurk in the shadows.
Widey ventures back up the stairs. Pippen has finished eating, but is nearby, so Widey retreats again. Moments later, Target rushes to the top of the stairs and starts eating cat food. While Target is hogging the food, Widey sneaks up and tries to check an empty dish on the stairs. Target responds by trying to steal the dish, but instead knocks everything over. Hearing a loud noise, I come in and remove the dishes. (Sadly, there’s no sound. The dishes hit the railing, which was very loud.)
Target returns less than a minute later and starts cleaning up the bit of cat food spilled on the stairs. Widey looks for any food that spilled onto the garage floor, then climbs through the railing as Target leaves and looks for leftovers on the stairs.
Target returns the neighbor’s shed.
Followed shortly by Widey.
Both racoons return to the den as if they weren’t just fighting over food.
(To Be Continued . . .)