07/02/2021 – Visitor Buddies

We have raccoon babies! This year’s baby visitors come courtesy of Shaggy, who Mom is more and more convinced is actually Peeky, one of Peek-a-boo’s babies from two years ago. Wild raccoons often have nips and tears in their ears making them somewhat easier to identify. Peeky was raised mostly by Peek-a-boo’s sister, Rose Ears, after Peek-a-boo went missing halfway through the summer of 2019.

While we do have one or two returning mama raccoons each year, we don’t often see them bring back a second year litter. Frankly, raccoons have a very short lifecycle here. Traffic, hawks/eagles and humans don’t allow for that. We aren’t sure if Tippy, the raccoon we seldom see and who has a shortened tail, is one of Peeky/Shaggy’s babies from last year and even so, it’s possible Tippy is a male. And Rose Ears, a grandmother now, hasn’t been seen since April. That said, Mom’s not home as often due to work to keep good tabs on whose visiting throughout the day.

Anyway, Shaggy/Peeky has three babies. Please forgive the poor picture quality as our camera isn’t fond of nighttime shooting. Two babies were scarfing up the remaining kibble we left out for a couple of outside neighbor cats whose families are off on vacation (don’t get Mom started on this topic!), and the third baby was out in the fountain rearranging rocks, chittering all the while. Not sure what that was about, unless that baby is studying landscape design.

So, while Mom was crouched on the garage floor, snapping photos from the open garage door her usual safe distance several feet away, one of the babies decided Mom was something interesting to check out.

This baby, in particular.

And very quickly, it got closer. And closer. So fast! And mama Shaggy/Peeky looked up from her kibble for a moment, stuck out her tongue, and went right back to eating.

Meanwhile, even though Mom’s finger was on the button, her camera wouldn’t take any more photos because something was too close. And Mom didn’t want to startle anyone so she didn’t make any moves.

Until she felt a very soft, somewhat damp, dog-like nose on the back of her hand and then, she jerked back a bit and the baby jerked back and mama Shaggy/Peeky and the other baby just kept chowing down as if this was just another normal evening and hey, as long as there’s food to eat, they weren’t going anywhere.

Whew! Mom knows she is INCREDIBLY lucky that this baby didn’t think Mom’s hand was a steak, AND that mama Shaggy/Peeky didn’t think Mom was a danger to her baby. So incredibly lucky. Mom has yet another level of respect for wild animals and won’t soon forget this encounter and the danger she put herself in. And how fast baby raccoons can move if they want to.

And move it did, right back to munching kibble next to its mama and sibling, as though nothing happened.

For anyone who’s curious, just so you know, that nose was as soft and gentle as can be. And that’s all we’re going to say about that, other than to say should one of these babies return next year and Mom can reasonably identify this baby as the one, she’s going to name it Shirley/Surely, as in, “Surely, you didn’t just nose boop my hand!”

Meanwhile, the following weekend morning, Rusty stopped by. He is still so, so, SO afraid of everything, making Mom sad. He has good body weight but a few scratches and healing wounds around his neck that she wishes she could get a better look at. At least she thinks they are wounds. Might be oil from under a car for all she knows. Rusty won’t have anything to do with Mom and Mom hopes patience will win out.

Rusty is also very smart, and seems to know when someone like Mom is trying to get a better look at him. Bye, bye Rusty. See you again next weekend! And thanks for the reminder that your water bowl needs to be cleaned and topped off!

Meanwhile further still, we had all-time record setting three-digit high temperatures in our area this past week and are fortunate that we have air conditioning (and can still afford to use it). Apparently, only thirty-three percent of homes in the Pacific Northwest have some kind of cooler/air conditioning, making our regional cities number one (Seattle) and number three (Portland) in the U.S. in housing not prepared for really hot weather and future climate changes.

Tessa and Quint most likely won’t ever have to experience hot temperatures since they are inside-only cats. Nor have a lack of boxes to share in one of the coolest spots in the house. Talk about smart cats!

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A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2020 – No post
2019 – No post
2018 – On Vacation
2017 – No post
2016 – No post
2015 – No post
2014 – Colehaus Visitors – Scruffy
2013 – Ruby Tuesday
2012 – Meet the Visitors – Summer Birds