Re: Raccoons are like humans:-(

[zookeeper]

Hank Pagel wrote:
> This is the third time this year that I have found a
> disemboweled bull frog on my deck when I came out in the morning. I
> would not mind as much if they were eaten, that's nature. But to kill
> for the hell of it, that's human nature.
> Plants are trashed, rocks moved but no fish harmed ...

This is a definite sign of raccoon -- they often pick tomatoes, apples,
pull carrots, beets, then take one bite, decide it's not quite what they
were looking for (ala Goldilocks!!) and move on to the next "taste test."

That bullfrog probably wasn't quite what the raccoon was hoping to eat
last night, so it was discarded. Good luck with the 4th trapping.
--
Kathy B

[Cybe R. Wizard]

On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 12:02:01 -0400
"Hank Pagel" > wrote:

> I have come to the conclusion that raccoons are picking up bad habits
> from humans.
> This is the third time this year that I have found a
> disemboweled bull frog on my deck when I came out in the morning. I
> would not mind as much if they were eaten, that's nature. But to kill
> for the hell of it, that's human nature.
> Plants are trashed, rocks moved but no fish harmed. They are
> not even frightened.(still hand feeding)
> Well! The trap is set again. This will be #4 this year. I
> think I will just leave it set all year.
>
It ain't necessarily only /human/ behavior. Ever seen a well-fed house
cat with a mouse?

Cybe R. Wizard -pounce and strike!

[dkat]

Actually Humans act very much like other mammals. "Playing" is part of the
system and it is used to learn skills. All mammals have a cortex and depend
to some degree or another on learning. Mammals nurture their young, care
for other's young, will kill under various circumstances, have wide variance
in personality and behavior, etc.. I believe it was Jane Goodall that
observed a young chimp making friends with a monkey (different species).
Another chimp in the troop with a rather unpleasant personality then killed
the "friend" and ate it. We humans do not have a monopoly on either our
best or our worse personality traits.

What greatly disturbs me is that we are wiping out habitat at the rate the
land mass of a small city every single day. We push wildlife out of their
homes and then complain when they seek refuge in "our" territory. I may
bitch when the kingfisher swoops down and eats my favorite comet but I
appreciate its right to do so. That doesn't mean that I don't build my pond
in a manner (steep sides and deep) to keep the raccoons from tearing it
apart or that I don't wave the heron perching in the tree away after
enjoying its beauty.
DK


"Hank Pagel" > wrote in message
...
> I have come to the conclusion that raccoons are picking up bad habits
> from humans.
> This is the third time this year that I have found a
> disemboweled bull frog on my deck when I came out in the morning. I
> would not mind as much if they were eaten, that's nature. But to kill
> for the hell of it, that's human nature.
> Plants are trashed, rocks moved but no fish harmed. They are
> not even frightened.(still hand feeding)
> Well! The trap is set again. This will be #4 this year. I
> think I will just leave it set all year.
>
>
>

[Susan H. Simko]

Hank Pagel wrote:

> I have come to the conclusion that raccoons are picking up bad habits
> from humans.
> This is the third time this year that I have found a
> disemboweled bull frog on my deck when I came out in the morning. I
> would not mind as much if they were eaten, that's nature. But to kill
> for the hell of it, that's human nature.
> Plants are trashed, rocks moved but no fish harmed. They are
> not even frightened.(still hand feeding)

The bullfrog definitely sounds like a cat to me. My Maine Coon female
(Chelsea) when I took her outside on a leash (long story) would jump in
my first pond after frogs. She also liked to decimate plants. My Maine
Coon male (Wallenda) often brought me frogs as "midnight snacks". I
would go downstairs to let him in in the middle of the night because his
bellowing at the backdoor would wake me up and he'ld run in, jump onto
the island in the kitchen and present me with his "fresh catch of the
day". *laugh* Funny thing, he would never hurt them so I would just
put on a robe and take them back out to the pond. Lizards on the other
hand, were a totally different story.

The breeder who I got Chelsea from got into Maine Coons because he also
breeds rare geese. He was having problems with snakes eating the eggs
so someone recommended getting some Maine Coons to him as they have a
reputation for liking water and going after snakes. He got some, egg
hatching rate way up, he found he loved the Coons so got into breeding
them also as a sideline.

Susan - who can't imagine life without Maine Coons
shsimko at duke dot edu

[jammer]

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:45:09 -0400, "Susan H. Simko"
> wrote:

>Hank Pagel wrote:
>
>> I have come to the conclusion that raccoons are picking up bad habits
>> from humans.
>> This is the third time this year that I have found a
>> disemboweled bull frog on my deck when I came out in the morning. I
>> would not mind as much if they were eaten, that's nature. But to kill
>> for the hell of it, that's human nature.
>> Plants are trashed, rocks moved but no fish harmed. They are
>> not even frightened.(still hand feeding)
>
>The bullfrog definitely sounds like a cat to me. My Maine Coon female
>(Chelsea) when I took her outside on a leash (long story) would jump in
>my first pond after frogs. She also liked to decimate plants. My Maine
>Coon male (Wallenda) often brought me frogs as "midnight snacks". I
>would go downstairs to let him in in the middle of the night because his
>bellowing at the backdoor would wake me up and he'ld run in, jump onto
>the island in the kitchen and present me with his "fresh catch of the
>day". *laugh* Funny thing, he would never hurt them so I would just
>put on a robe and take them back out to the pond. Lizards on the other
>hand, were a totally different story.
>
>The breeder who I got Chelsea from got into Maine Coons because he also
>breeds rare geese. He was having problems with snakes eating the eggs
>so someone recommended getting some Maine Coons to him as they have a
>reputation for liking water and going after snakes. He got some, egg
>hatching rate way up, he found he loved the Coons so got into breeding
>them also as a sideline.
>
>Susan - who can't imagine life without Maine Coons
>shsimko at duke dot edu

My Maine Coon also brings me critters unhurt except she can't quite
keep her teeth out of a yummy rat. She gets very upset if i don't
happen to want a half dead rat. Last week she did her GODAWEFUL, i
brought a critter bellow, and when i didnt want the mangled rat, she
did something i have never seen her do. She started with the tail, and
ATE everything up to the two little front legs and the head. It was
like Godfather Kitty or something. The head was in the middle of the
welcome mat. She thinks it's great fun to bring baby birds inside and
let them go for her future hunting pleasure, i GUESS! My favorite, is
when she somehow gets a little garden snake, brings it to the front
door and holds it with her paw then she wails that special known wail.
There is rarely any harm done to the snake by the cat and i let it go
after i finish playing with it.

Every once in a while, she will find a crispy gecko and bring it up on
the porch to consume the snack. I have learned not to go peeking when
i hear "crunch, crunch, crunch"....

Great cats, they are. We talk back and forth in kitty talk, i just
don't know what we say.

[Susan H. Simko]

jammer wrote:

> My Maine Coon also brings me critters unhurt except she can't quite
> keep her teeth out of a yummy rat. She gets very upset if i don't
> happen to want a half dead rat. Last week she did her GODAWEFUL, i
> brought a critter bellow, and when i didnt want the mangled rat, she
> did something i have never seen her do. She started with the tail, and
> ATE everything up to the two little front legs and the head. It was
> like Godfather Kitty or something. The head was in the middle of the
> welcome mat. She thinks it's great fun to bring baby birds inside and
> let them go for her future hunting pleasure, i GUESS! My favorite, is
> when she somehow gets a little garden snake, brings it to the front
> door and holds it with her paw then she wails that special known wail.
> There is rarely any harm done to the snake by the cat and i let it go
> after i finish playing with it.

The Maine Coon "I have a present" scream is hard to miss or ignore.
Until some friends heard it no one ever believed me that it would wake
me up no matter when or where. There's also no ignoring it because they
don't stop.

My male, Wallenda, was the hunter. Frogs and lizards were his specialty
along with any snake he could find. One particular time he brought me a
lizard and I played with it for a while and let it go. Thirty minutes
later, here he is, back with the same lizard, this time with a tooth
mark in it. Played with it again and let it loose. Hour later, he
returns, this time with the head chewed off. (First and only time he
ever killed something.) I guess he was trying to make sure the
"present" didn't get away from the inept hunter once again.

Wallenda has now crossed the bridge and all my current cats are strictly
indoor only.

> Great cats, they are. We talk back and forth in kitty talk, i just
> don't know what we say.

I talked to Wallenda and still talk to Chelsea. I lover their vocal
range and the fact that they really rarely ever come out with a classic
meow. Lots of other noises but rarely a meow. Another hallmark of
Maine Coons.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

[Nedra]

Gosh How I do love cats! I have two little boys... full
grown. One is a Snowshoe (came out like that... from a
'wild' cat) ... he is such a talker.
The other is a huge orange kitty. He barely
makes a sound and his mouth is so tiny ... so sweet!

They are indoor cats. Took them at 3 weeks from
the 25 cats I fed at the time ... which is another story.
They are not related but are inseparable. Sleep entwined
around each other....

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Susan H. Simko" > wrote in message
...
> jammer wrote:
>
> > My Maine Coon also brings me critters unhurt except she can't quite
> > keep her teeth out of a yummy rat. She gets very upset if i don't
> > happen to want a half dead rat. Last week she did her GODAWEFUL, i
> > brought a critter bellow, and when i didnt want the mangled rat, she
> > did something i have never seen her do. She started with the tail, and
> > ATE everything up to the two little front legs and the head. It was
> > like Godfather Kitty or something. The head was in the middle of the
> > welcome mat. She thinks it's great fun to bring baby birds inside and
> > let them go for her future hunting pleasure, i GUESS! My favorite, is
> > when she somehow gets a little garden snake, brings it to the front
> > door and holds it with her paw then she wails that special known wail.
> > There is rarely any harm done to the snake by the cat and i let it go
> > after i finish playing with it.
>
> The Maine Coon "I have a present" scream is hard to miss or ignore.
> Until some friends heard it no one ever believed me that it would wake
> me up no matter when or where. There's also no ignoring it because they
> don't stop.
>
> My male, Wallenda, was the hunter. Frogs and lizards were his specialty
> along with any snake he could find. One particular time he brought me a
> lizard and I played with it for a while and let it go. Thirty minutes
> later, here he is, back with the same lizard, this time with a tooth
> mark in it. Played with it again and let it loose. Hour later, he
> returns, this time with the head chewed off. (First and only time he
> ever killed something.) I guess he was trying to make sure the
> "present" didn't get away from the inept hunter once again.
>
> Wallenda has now crossed the bridge and all my current cats are strictly
> indoor only.
>
> > Great cats, they are. We talk back and forth in kitty talk, i just
> > don't know what we say.
>
> I talked to Wallenda and still talk to Chelsea. I lover their vocal
> range and the fact that they really rarely ever come out with a classic
> meow. Lots of other noises but rarely a meow. Another hallmark of
> Maine Coons.
>
> Susan
> shsimko at duke dot edu
>
>

[dkat]

My Mainecoon is extreme sweet but I have known ones that can be less so
(perfectly happy to bite or scratch you if you don't behave properly). Just
like people every individual has their own personality. None of the ones I
know are quite the stereotypical feline "type". They really do seem more
bear or raccoon like in some way (if nothing else, just the way they move
and walk). We used to open our kitchen silverware or utility drawers and
there would be the Koosh Bear as flat as a pancake snoozing away. When we
first adopted her she was insistent about laying on our feet and didn't like
being held in our lap but now she moves in and snuggles up anywhere she can
to be in contact. Koosh is a house cat and has no problem with that (though
she will go walking outdoors with me she also comes in with me). I don't
think any home raised Mainecoon is at all wild. It may be that they have a
very sure sense of themselves. That is they are not timid. They strike me
as grounded and some think of them as more dog like than most cats. Our
family is a big fan but we like all cats (have five as well as a blind/deaf
aussie). DK

"Bob Adkins" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 16:27:31 -0400, "Susan H. Simko"
>
> wrote:
>
>
> >I talked to Wallenda and still talk to Chelsea. I lover their vocal
> >range and the fact that they really rarely ever come out with a classic
> >meow. Lots of other noises but rarely a meow. Another hallmark of
> >Maine Coons.
>
> Susan,
>
> Do Maine Coon's make sweet pets? Do they have a wild streak and tear up
the
> house trying to get out, or are they content to stay indoors? I dislike
the
> sight of flattened cats on the road.
>
> Do you (or anyone else) know if Bengals make sweet pets?
>
> How about longevity? Is either breed notoriously short-lived or
susceptible
> to ailments?
>
> I love the impressive size of the Maine coon's, and the unusual look of
the
> Bengal's. However, in the end, it's not size or appearance that makes a
good
> pet.
>
> Bob,,,
>
> With cat hair clinging to his monitor. :-\

[Susan H. Simko]

Bob Adkins wrote:

> Do Maine Coon's make sweet pets? Do they have a wild streak and tear up the
> house trying to get out, or are they content to stay indoors? I dislike the
> sight of flattened cats on the road.

Mine have been content to stay in the house. Pretty much any cat gets
used to the situation sooner or later. All will try to escape giving a
shot at it.

Maine Coons are certainly different than a lot of other cats. I can't
live without at least one in my life. They tend to live longer than
average, reaching twenty not being uncommon for them. (The one I grew
up with lived to twenty-two.) Each seems to have a very distinct
personality and know what they want. Mine have all been very set in
their ways in one way or another. Chelsea, my current MC, must be
touching me, likes to initiate the contact, hates to be touched if she
doesn't initiate it and loves to groom (lick) me. If anything does not
go her way, she won't hesitate to scratch or bite. These range from
"warning shots" (don't do that again if you know what's good for you) to
inflicting serious damage. I just can't imagine living without their
supremely in control, regal character.

> Do you (or anyone else) know if Bengals make sweet pets?

I've heard mixed things about them. I think it all boils down to making
sure you research the breeder. I've heard they're wonderfully sweet
tempered but like any other animal, bad breeders do too much in-breeding
which results in neurotic animals. I actually thought seriously about
getting one but then stumbled across my gorgeous baby Spike at the
shelter so that was that.

> How about longevity? Is either breed notoriously short-lived or susceptible
> to ailments?

As I said, Maine Coons are known for their longevity. Chelsea is almost
11 and romps the house with out 11 month old kitten.

> I love the impressive size of the Maine coon's, and the unusual look of the
> Bengal's. However, in the end, it's not size or appearance that makes a good
> pet.

I don't know about that. *grin* Next cat for me will be another Maine
Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat.

Susan who has a perverse fondness for black clothes considering she has
four cats, two gunea pigs, a hamster and other assorted pets *laugh*
shsimko at duke dot edu

[Susan H. Simko]

Bob Adkins wrote:

> Do Maine Coon's make sweet pets? Do they have a wild streak and tear up the
> house trying to get out, or are they content to stay indoors? I dislike the
> sight of flattened cats on the road.

Mine have been content to stay in the house. Pretty much any cat gets
used to the situation sooner or later. All will try to escape giving a
shot at it.

Maine Coons are certainly different than a lot of other cats. I can't
live without at least one in my life. They tend to live longer than
average, reaching twenty not being uncommon for them. (The one I grew
up with lived to twenty-two.) Each seems to have a very distinct
personality and know what they want. Mine have all been very set in
their ways in one way or another. Chelsea, my current MC, must be
touching me, likes to initiate the contact, hates to be touched if she
doesn't initiate it and loves to groom (lick) me. If anything does not
go her way, she won't hesitate to scratch or bite. These range from
"warning shots" (don't do that again if you know what's good for you) to
inflicting serious damage. I just can't imagine living without their
supremely in control, regal character.

> Do you (or anyone else) know if Bengals make sweet pets?

I've heard mixed things about them. I think it all boils down to making
sure you research the breeder. I've heard they're wonderfully sweet
tempered but like any other animal, bad breeders do too much in-breeding
which results in neurotic animals. I actually thought seriously about
getting one but then stumbled across my gorgeous baby Spike at the
shelter so that was that.

> How about longevity? Is either breed notoriously short-lived or susceptible
> to ailments?

As I said, Maine Coons are known for their longevity. Chelsea is almost
11 and romps the house with out 11 month old kitten.

> I love the impressive size of the Maine coon's, and the unusual look of the
> Bengal's. However, in the end, it's not size or appearance that makes a good
> pet.

I don't know about that. *grin* Next cat for me will be another Maine
Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat.

Susan who has a perverse fondness for black clothes considering she has
four cats, two gunea pigs, a hamster and other assorted pets *laugh*
shsimko at duke dot edu