Opossum and raccoon prevention - cat food

[snoggle]

We have barn cats. The opossums and raccoons keep finding their food and water. We've gotten rid of 2 opossums and 2 raccoons in the last week!

Is there any way to make food available for the cats, but not the wildlife?

My current thought is to start putting the cat food out in the morning and bring it back in at night. Sounds like a hassle, but I'm sick of providing food for all of the opossums. And I don't want them hanging around eating my chickens.

Also, does anyone know what the opossums do that gets the water filthy? Do they play in it? I can put out fresh water for the cats each night and it is filthy by the next morning.

 

[Wisher1000]

The raccoons are the ones playing in the water. They have no salivary glands and will wet their food before they eat it. Trapping is the best way to control them, but as long as there is food (dry catfood or chickens) around, they will keep coming back.

Bringing in the food at night will keep them out of it, and may make trapping them easier. Try baiting with tuna, canned cat food, and/or marshmallows.

 

[jentralala]

Raccoons actually do have salivary glands, they soak their food in water as a tactile thing (will it get mushy, expand, etc). Their sense of touch is mainly what they use to explore the world around them.

If there isn't food out there near the water the raccoons probably won't dirty it up at night. I'd recommend bringing it in at night so you aren't attracting any unwanted guests.

 

[Wisher1000]

I stand corrected.

 

[Folly's place]

I feed my cats meals and never leave food out. The day we had a skunk in the cat food, years ago, was the last day the cat food was left out free choice! Mary

 

[snoggle]

Argh!

So, we just figured out why the water is still dirty every morning. There are 3 young raccoons living in the rafters of the "new barn"/garage. We'd only caught raccoons at the old barn, and opossums at the "new barn". So, time to set up some live traps. We'll have to put the barn cats up so we don't catch them instead.

Catching these three and no longer leaving out cat food, should fix things. I'm also going to move where we keep horse and chicken feed. Now that the cat food is gone, those will become targets!

I'm grateful I haven't lost any chickens lately!