The raccoons are friendly!

As many of you know, I've been living with unwanted roommates for a while now...a family of raccoons who have taken up residence in my attic.

Last evening the situation escalating. Shortly after I arrived home from work I began hearing a raucous coming from inside the kitchen wall...thumping, thrashing, chirping, and screaming. I realized one of the baby raccoons must have fallen into the wall and become trapped. I called my landlord, Weston, and he came right over. After determining the pup could not be free via the basement or attic, he decided to cut a hole in the wall in the inside of my kitchen cabinet. With the help of his wife and mother, I built a "corral" that would hopefully guide the raccoon out the front door once it was freed.

As soon as the hole was cut a little face appeared...and it was not a baby. It was the mama! And she was huge. (Please excuse the bad photos. I took them with my iPhone) She sat for several minute in the cabinet just look at us and the tried to hide under the sink. Finally, she came out and casually strolled through the kitchen and living room and then out the front door. She then run across the alley and hid in a carport.

While Weston prepared to go up to the attic to search for her pups, his wife started closing up the hole. Suddenly something grunted! One of the babies was in the wall too!

Here is the baby. Isn't he cute? But I so glad to have him out of my house. After the baby was freed we put him outside with his mama. Weston went up to the attic but did not find any other pups. But during the night I could hear babies moving around up there and the mama trying to break back in.

This morning Weston pulled two more pups out of there and placed them with the first one, who was still in the carport. The three of them are still there...Hopefully mama hasn't abandoned them. I'll keep you updated.