Hey Raccoon!

I got out this morning, just before sunrise. Love that time of day. No one on the trail but me and the bunnies, so as long as I've got the "bunny radar" on high, I can hammer. Riding my Bianchi, 65 degrees/clear skies, legs are strong, and life is good. As I get near a portion of the trail that abuts a community garden, I see this animal in the middle of the trail. Thought he was a groundhog, so I say, "hey, get off the trail." Usually that will scare the bejezus out of whatever is there and it will take off. Not this one. As I get closer, I see that it's a beautiful racoon. More of a lighter grey that I've ever seen before. I keep saying, "git, git varmit." But she/he won't go. Just stands there and forces me to slow to an almost stop. Stares at me. I'm thinking "rabies or just gutsy?" and wondering if I should just turn around. Finally, the raccoon moves off into the grass next to the trail and lets me go by. I think that being a city raccoon, she/he must be used to people. I hope the coyote that lives nearby doesn't find him/her! I also hope he/she was able to bust into the garden and have a good breakfast (it's fenced).

We had six of those guys on our deck one night! They were trying to get into the cat door that stays locked at night. They were looking through the windows and we were looking right back. We didn't seem to scare tham at all!

When I was touring down 101 a racoon ate the alfalfa sprouts I had been growing in a nylon hung from the back of the saddle.
(I would rinse them a few times a day - a great source of fresh green when I was touring)
Perhaps this was its great great great...27 times... grand baby

Raccoons are seriously nervy. EB White wrote a great piece on an encounter between his dachshund and a raccoon. Cracks me up that you were considering "rabies" as a possible explanation for its behavior!

In wild or stray animals, and in pets, a change in normal behavior is the most common sign of rabies. There are two common forms of rabies:

*"Dumb" Rabies: An animal may become shy or hide -- or become unusually approachable. This may be followed by sluggishness, confusion or depression.

* "Furious" rabies: An animal may become excitable, irritable and aggressive. At times, it may seem confused and calm, then attack suddenly when approached. The animal may lose all caution for natural enemies.

Other signs of rabies include:

* Daytime activity in animals normally active at night.
* Staggering, weakness and paralysis.
* A change in the sound of the animal's voice.
* Inability or reluctance to eat or drink.
* Drooling.
* Convulsions and frothing at the mouth.

When I saw a racoon in the middle of the day when I did the Green Swamp ride a few weeks ago, which did not run off, rabies was the first thing I thought of! But then I saw she had a baby right next to her.

Rabies is what I think of immediately when I see a nocturnal animal out during the day, or an animal that shows no fear of humans.

Nanci

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Originally Posted by Nanci

When I saw a racoon in the middle of the day when I did the Green Swamp ride a few weeks ago, which did not run off, rabies was the first thing I thought of! But then I saw she had a baby right next to her.

Rabies is what I think of immediately when I see a nocturnal animal out during the day, or an animal that shows no fear of humans.

Nanci

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Smart woman! We farm folks back in the day would just throw up our hands in ... i dunno, disgust, alarm, scorn, whateva ... when we heard of city folks driving along, seeing a skunk or a raccoon sitting in the road that wouldn't budge, stopping the car (ok so far) then getting out to "shoo" the animal away. Had they never heard of rabies?!?!? No wonder they got bitten!!! And this would happen up my childhood way every couple'a years. I kid you not. Also people stopping to pick a bouquet of those beautiful shiny red Fall leaves ... of poison oak. City folks. [snort] And now I am one myself, capable even of doing silly dangerous things like feeding the deer in Yosemite Park. Oh well. Naivete has its charm too. Don't wanta get overly cynical about seeing wild animals.

I didn't realize they were fearless. Don't worry---if the bugger had shown signs of coming after me, I'd have been outta there. I wouldn't have gotten off my bike and given his/her a chance to bite me!!

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Originally Posted by mickchick

I didn't realize they were fearless. Don't worry---if the bugger had shown signs of coming after me, I'd have been outta there. I wouldn't have gotten off my bike and given his/her a chance to bite me!!

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They ARE fearless, especially when cornered. We used to be worried about our German Shepard cornering one under a chicken house. Don't recall now if it ever happened, but I DO remember she cornered a skunk once. Pheeeyew!

Watch Old Yeller!!

I loved old yeller

...I always thought that was just a movie & rabies wasn't really like that at all..i'm just a city dweller...

c

There is a possibility that my tear ducts have a limited capacity and I could become dehydrated from crying if I watch Old Yeller! I'm not even sure I've ever seen Old Yeller, but I have it playing in my head anyways from things people have told me about it. Boy loves dog, his only friend. Dog gets rabies. Dog gets shot. Boy doesn't have any friends any more.

OK! I remember from To Kill A Mockingbird! Atticus throws his glasses on the ground and kills the slavering rabid dog menacing the neighborhood. Happy Fathers Day to all the Atticus Finch fans, by the way!

Thanks for the heads up. I (obviously) wouldn't have thought of rabies. Now I will. Do you think that's what's wrong with those Yorkies on a string downtown who leap off the curb to try to bite my wheels? :eek: :p

Old Yeller is a guaranteed tear jerker. Lise, you _almost_ had it right- it's boy shoots _own_ dog.

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Originally Posted by Nanci

Old Yeller is a guaranteed tear jerker. Lise, you _almost_ had it right- it's boy shoots _own_ dog.

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No way I could watch that movie, then. Last night, I mistakenly cut one of Agnes' back nails too short and it bled all over, even though I used styptic (sp?) stuff on it. Bloody paw prints all over the kitchen. Ended up putting on more styptic and a bandage until the bleeding stopped. I felt awful about it. She has been giving me the "treatment" since--very haughty. It's going to take a lot of belly rubs to get back in her good graces.

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Originally Posted by Nanci

Old Yeller is a guaranteed tear jerker. Lise, you _almost_ had it right- it's boy shoots _own_ dog.

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Did you not notice the use of the passive form of the verb?!?!? Dog gets shot (but we're not saying by whom). Sheesh. Some of us have delicate sensibilities around here. All this talk of rabies is making me slather at the mouth.

One time the Princess Ariel-cat had something gummed up around her posterior. She has long, elegant grey fur, and no doubt it was...ahem...poop. I took scissors to trim it away. She protested very loudly. As well she should, since I trimmed away part of the princess posteriors along with the gummed up fur. I felt like the worst cat mom ever. It healed.

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Originally Posted by Lise

Do you think that's what's wrong with those Yorkies on a string downtown who leap off the curb to try to bite my wheels? :eek: :p

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Næh. They've been vaccinated. They're just suffering from small dog complex: jealous of bigger faster "dogs" off leash and running (spinning) free.