Are you having problems with raccoons stealing cat food in Germantown TN? Raccoons are omnivorous animals. This means they prefer to eat plants and meat. Many animals that eat plants and meat are opportunistic animals. In general, raccoons eat whatever they can get their hands on, including berries and vegetables, and this is why you will see them in the trash. This includes raccoons stealing and eating your dog and cat food as well.
What Types Of Food Do Raccoons Eat?
The raccoon’s main diet is nuts, berries, insects, rodents, plants, frogs, eggs, and other small rodents. Of course, this is when they are in the wild. They will stray from these food sources when other sources are more abundant. If they are living near suburban areas it is much easier to dig through your trash and get leftovers. It is even better when they find a bowl of dog or cat food left out for them! There is almost nothing a raccoon won’t eat!
Raccoons are often one of the biggest cause of problems in suburban areas. They are extremely smart and have hand-shaped paws that allow them to open almost anything. The best way to deter raccoons is to make sure they do not have a reason to be there. Make certain your trash can is locked up tight or put away until the morning the trash collector comes. Also, do not leave food out near open windows. For more information about raccoon removal in Germantown, click here.
Raccoons Eating Cat And Dog Food?
If you eat outside on your patio, any leftovers need to be removed. Also, make sure no food was overlooked and dropped on the ground. Dog and cat food must to be kept inside. If you feed your animals outside make sure you clean up any pieces that may have been dropped. If a raccoon smells any food in the area he will come looking for it. Once raccoons find a good source of food they will want to make a home close by. This will often be in someone’s attic!
Raccoons can climb on roofs and chew holes in the eaves to get into the attic. They do this when they find a safe and quiet spot to nest. This can lead to additional structural damage on the inside and outside of your home.
Possible Health Concerns When Raccoons Don’t Leave
If raccoons are in the area to stay, you may begin to see a lot of fecal droppings. This may be in your attic or yard, depending on where they decide to stay. This is extremely unsanitary and may cause several health concerns. The main concern is a disease you can get from coming into contact with raccoon fecal droppings called Baylisascaris.
This disease comes from roundworm eggs in the fecal matter. Roundworms live in the raccoon’s intestines. This is not harmful to raccoons, but is extremely harmful to humans and other animals, creating neurological damage. Symptoms may include tiredness, lack of attention to surroundings, fatigue, and an enlarged liver. Also, loss of coordination, lack of muscle control, blindness, and even coma can occur. These symptoms may start to show anywhere between one and four weeks after contact. If you start to display any of these symptoms, you should go to the doctor immediately.
Raccoon Fecal Cleanup And Deodorization
Apex Wildlife Control offers a fecal cleaning and deodorization service should you need help. It is very important that the correct equipment is used to safely clean up fecal droppings. Safety goggles, suits, gloves, respirators, and proper cleaning supplies are needed for your protection. Give us a call if you see feces or urine stains in your attic or on your ceiling. We will clean it up so your family and pets don’t have to worry about getting sick.
Types Of Bait We Use When Raccoons Are Stealing Cat Food In Germantown TN
There are specific baits we use to attract each species. Raccoons really love cat and dog food. However, if there are domestic animals around we use a different bait. We will use baits such as marshmallows or Twizzlers. These are sweet baits that dogs and cats do not enjoy.
Once all of their food sources have been removed, raccoons should move on. However, there are times when this is not enough because they have already settled down and made a home. This is when our company steps in to help with the relocation of the raccoons. We use live traps that are harmless to the raccoons and any other animals that may get in them. The live cage traps are used to prevent unwanted harm to domestic animals.
Do You Have A Family Of Raccoons?
It helps to know if there is more than one raccoon that we are trapping. This information will help us determine the number of traps needed. For raccoon families, we set the same number of traps out so we can catch the entire family together. Our technicians will always relocate family members together if possible.
We may go as far as to hold the raccoons for a day or two. During this time we are able to feed and water them. We try to keep a family together because they have a better chance of surviving together. When relocating animals, we are putting them in another animal’s territory. This results in the raccoons to find other food and water sources. They may have to either fight for territory or avoid the other predators and hide. If they are by themselves, it is much harder and they may not survive. We want to give every raccoon the best chance of survival.
For additional questions or concerns please call us at 901-598-8555 and let us help you solve your wildlife problems.
