Month: February 2022

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Hal’s Microphone

Hal, the Wyze Pan Cam covering the stairs in the garage, has a speaker so you can remotely talk to someone at the other end.  Except I don’t know if it actually works that well.  The sound may be garbled.

While exercising on my stationary bike, I remembered I hadn’t brought in the cat food, so I brought up the live video from Hal and discovered Target munching away.  I used the microphone feature to talk with him.  Although curious, he continued eating.

After ten minutes, I gave up and opened the garage door.  Target promptly ran off and I brought in the plastic dish he had been eating out of.

Half an hour later, Target was back.

Wasting no time, he tried to steal the empty metal dish, which was empty.

Widey came by 20 minutes later, but ran off as soon as I started talking over the microphone.

 

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Stray Cat in Garage

A stray cat wandered into our garage. Ironically, it has white and black bands on its tail, just like a raccoon.

Rosie and Pippen appear to be out of the garage. There is no food or water in the cat dish, so the only real reason to stay is to rest and get warm.

After about 25 minutes, the visitor leaves.

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Widey Determined in the Garage

Widey goes up the garage steps and starts eating out of the cat dish.  Pippen is sitting in the cat bed, but doesn’t seem to object.

A couple minutes later, Widey returns down the stairs.  She stops at the side of the car and stands on her hind legs for a moment.

Widey walks toward the cat door, then startles as Target shows up.  Widey runs around the car, while Target heads straight for the stairs.

Target runs up the stairs, while Widey stands on her hind legs to get a better view.  As soon as Target starts to leave, Widey runs off.

Widey avoids Target and comes up the stairs, but quickly leaves again.  (Pippen’s presence is likely an issue.)

Widey circles the car, then climbs the other side of the railing.  Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t pan over.

Widey seems to consider climbing the car, then goes part way up the stairs and climbs the rail instead.  After standing a moment on top of the rail, she climbs back down and goes up the rest of the stairs.  Pippen rises from her bed, steps towards the raccoon, and raises a paw as if to strick.  Widey flees down the stairs.

Widey tries to climbs nearly onto the hood of the car, then jumps down.

Widey considers climbing on one of the bicycles, but decides against it.

Widey tries again to climb the car, but falls.  After looking around a moment, she gives up on reaching the cat dish while avoiding the cat, and leaves the garage.

 

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Waiting at the Tire Tunnel

Target and Widey leave the den.

Target enters the tire tunnel as daylight fades to black (and white.)

Widey joins Target in the tunnel.

Target takes a position at the tunnel opening

After waiting about five minutes, Target leads way toward the side of the shed, and Widey follows.

Eight minutes later, the raccoons return (Widey with a leaf in its tail) and they groom on top of the tires.

After a couple minutes, Widey descends and stands alert on the ground.

Three minutes later, Target steals the cat dishes in the garage.

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Widey Daylight Expedition, February 17

Widey leaves the den at 6:13 PM, just a few minutes after sunset.

After being outside for a little more than a minute, Widey considers going back inside, then wanders over and disappears under the other shed.

A couple minutes later, Widey returns to the den.

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Tip Still Attached to Cotton‘s Tail

Three days after fighting with with another raccoon, Cotton still hasn’t lost the top of its tail. I picked the name because, once the last piece falls off, the tail will end with a white band (a Cotton tail.) Widey, who also lost the tip of its tail, ends with a black band.

In these three videos, Cotton returns to the den later in the morning, then leaves (after distantly finding no one home.)

In the rare color videos, you can see the top of Cotton’s tail dangling uselessly as the raccoon walks around.

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Target Steals the Cat Dish, Again, February 17

Target enters the garage.

Pippen, sleeping in the cat bed, looks up as the raccoon approaches.  Target carefully takes the entire cat dish down the stairs and sets it down beside the car.

There must have been some food in the dish (oops) because Target doesn’t leave the garage for another six minutes.

From the way the scene plays out, it appears Target’s main motivation for moving the dish is to get it away from the 15-pound black cat.