Night Visitors, and a Deer

With food and water in abundance, wildlife are bound to visit. There are very few deer in my neighborhood, but just two blocks away is a community garden with a wet-weather stream and woods. I get a glimpse of one every now and then, like the deer I saw on my morning walk today. Aren't those foliage colors beautiful? It's not even Fall yet. The one good thing about being sandwiched between houses with fences is that deer don't get in. I'm so thankful for that.

Raccoons

There are several cats in the neighborhood and sometimes food is left out, providing an easy meal for night feeders, like the raccoons that live in the gutters. About a year ago they decided to visit my backyard. One night, standing at the kitchen sink, I looked out and was startled to see something unrecognizable outside the window. Finally, a raccoon came into focus, trying to eat seed from the bird feeder. A gentle tap on the window scared him off. In the morning I saw the damages: a couple of overturned potted plants and a large can of bird seed overturned in the shed, a fairly easy clean-up. He visited the shed a couple more times before a latch on the door deterred him. I guess he didn't like the menu over here because he hasn't been back. He does, however likes the menu across the street where they leave food out for their outdoor cat, Cremesicle. I've seen Mr. (or Mrs.) Raccoon on their porch, scarfing up a dinner of leftover catfood.

Next to her is the Cat Lady. Little Bit, who likes to roam, is her only cat now, so she leaves the cat door open so he can come and go. The racoon discovered he can get into the house and find an easy meal. My neighbor says she's used to it now. He eats and leaves--it's not worth listening to her cat yowl all night because he can't get out. I don't think I would be so welcoming and tolerant of a raccoon in the house, but I don't mind their presence outside.

Then there was the momma raccoon who decided to have her babies between the walls of another neighbor's house. After returning from an extended vacation, Teri heard scratching noises in her bedroom. An animal removal company discovered the mama had entered through some small hole in the roof and had babies in the walls of her bedroom. They first tried a live trap, which didn't work. I'm not sure what else they tried but they were careful not to hurt the animals. Finally, some kind of bad-smelling chemical made her move them out herself. I wish I could have watched her!

Oppossums

These strange-looking creatures with their long, bare rat-tails look kind of scary, but they can be quite docile. Before I knew better, I wasn't very tolerant of them. Then, while visiting the beautiful rural area of Rosanky, my friend Ruth showed me her baby pet oppossum. So sweet, so friendly, so clean! Of course, keep them away from chickens; they will kill them. But I don't have chickens, just rats, and oppossums are their prey as well, which is fine by me.

I've seen them late at night, walking on the top of the fence or scurrying in the neighborhood. Soaking in the pool the other night, I heard something large rustling in the Inland Sea Oats and caught a flash of something running up into the Cedar Elm. It had to be an oppossum.

A few weeks ago I opened the shed to get birdseed, and there was a small oppossum

curled up in the corner. That really made my day! A resident oppossum would be great for keeping rats away. I began to set out food for him: old cat food and scraps from the fridge. The food was gone every morning and he was back in his corner. This went on for about a two weeks, then he disappeared. It was a little inconvenient because when I needed to get in the shed I had to try not to disturb him. I guess he didn't like being disturbed either. During the time he was here I didn't see any rats, but since he left I've seen one or two after the birdseed. Time to set the traps.

I wish I had more night visitors, but so far that's it. Except for the afore-mentioned rats, and they'll have their own page. For now, I leave left-overs by the gutter at night for my occasional night visitors.