The saga of Rocky Raccoon

[the_siobhan]

When I got home from work last night the_axel told me he had put the bedroom screen into the window incorrectly the night before. "I was woken up by a loud crash in the middle of the night. Some animal, probably a squirrel, got in and tore up the bag of birdseed. I must have scared it away when I got up, and I cleaned up the mess this morning."

I laughed and didn't think anything else about it.

We were running around in Guild Wars together later that evening. (Geek dating.) I finally asked him, "What is that noise."

"What noise?"

"That thumping noise. Is it coming from next door? Or outside?"

"I don't hear any noise."

We play for a while longer.

"There! That noise!"

"I swear I don't hear anything."

We play for a while longer.

"There's that thumping again. It sounds like the noise Carlin makes when he falls off something."

"Well, let's go take a look."

So we go upstairs to check on Carlin and the first thing we see is the bag of birdseed spread out all over the floor. We walk up to the window and there is a raccoon peering through the screen at us from where he is sitting on the kitchen roof holding the plastic bag we were using to keep stale bread for the birds. The screen has a big tear in the corner.

I think this is hilarious of course. While I'm laughing Axel closes and locks the window. I turn around to go back downstairs and stop laughing abruptly. "Oh. Hello." Axel turns around as well and we are both facing a raccoon standing on the other side of the room and watching us with a very concerned expression on his face. When he sees us both looking at him he walks behind our bed and pokes just the very top of his head over the top so he keep an eye on us. All I can see of him is his mask and pointy ears.

We open the window, take the screen off and perch on top of the bed. As soon as he realizes there is a clear path in front of him he runs across the room and dives out the window so fast the only clear look I get at him is his fuzzy tail disappearing across the window sill.

So we'll need to get a new screen or fix this one. And keep the window closed until the locals forget that food is likely to be found on the other side of it.

And I should probably get a proper bird feeder.

Comments

[jo]

It's hard to get mad at raccoons - they're such amazing creatures. Major PITAs, but amazing.

Not related to the above but... I am concerned about the space in our new apartment, and if worse comes to worse, I was wondering if you'd consider taking in a second beardie? I'm hoping we'll find a nook for him, but just in case, you know? We've also not told the new landlady we have a lizard. Officially it's no pets, but the current tenants have a cat, so we told her we have 2 cats. She was a bit iffy about that, but I assured her up and down and sideways that they won't do a stitch of damage. Figured mentioning a lizard was pushing it (even thought Sagan would definitely not do any damage).

[wild_irises]

They will never forget food can be found on the other side of it. If we miss a night of closing the cat door after six months closed, we may be lucky, but if we miss a week, they'll be back.

[greylock]

You might need better screens if it comes back.
I'm assuming you've got simple flywire, but I can recommend the proper security mesh.

I am amazed there are raccoons. That's near!

[the_siobhan]

We could foster him for a while if you need it but I don't think we would want to have two males full time. Carlin pretty much has free run of this place whenever one of us is home and I'd hate to take that away from him.

But if you do need us to take care of Sagan for a while until you find somebody to take him permanently - or if you just want to wait for a while before moving him in with you - we can definitely do that.

[the_siobhan]

Yes please. We'll want to have the window open at night next summer so it would be nice not to have to worry about it.

[greylock]

Do you not have "SecureMesh" there?
It's the same as the woobly stuff, but as hard as.

[jo]

No worries. We'll work something out, I'm sure.

[the_axel]

Toronto is filled with raccoons.

Is this the kind of thing you're talking about? I don't think I've seen it, but now that you mention it I'll go see what the internet has to offer.

http://www.invisi-gard.com.au/window_screens.php

[greylock]

That does look like what we have on our windows.
Its awesome.
You can stick a knife in it and it it okay. I can pull our accounts and see what the proper name is if you want (but invisi-guard seems right).

In a city were you have racoons and such I'm surprised its not standard. Or at lest the XXX mesh

[the_axel]

A moderately quick search isn't finding it in any of the usual DIY store websites.

My guess is that the assumption is that most people regulate temperature with closed windows and AC or heating and only poor people leave their windows open so there's not much of a market for a such a thing.

[greylock]

Ours was pre-made by a "security" company.

I will look in the am when I pull the file, assuming I can find it and it is useful, but here leaving the windows open is last resort.

[the_siobhan]

I mentioned to my nephew that you might have to rehome Sagan. He dragon-sits for me when we're out of town and he adores beardies. (His girlfriend has one too.)

His asked me to let him know - so if things work out that way with the new place Sagan definitely has a home.