sickly coon

[saylean]

This morning I am fixing breakfast, looking out to my porch (a fenced in little porch, by the lake). I occasionally see a squirrel, birds, etc...this morning I saw a cat (which is not uncommon) but he was acting strange, walking away to the back side of the porch...looking back...which caught my eye.

He kept looking back so I was wondering what the hell he's looking at...then I catch this coon laying down (bout 3 ft from my door) just laying there. At first I thought he was asleep and the cat just stumbled upon it.

It's eyes were half open, but it was breathing. About 2 minutes later (and it can clearly see me watching it) it gets up and walks about 4 ft slowly and lays back down...it looked sick. I thought maybe a cat fight?!..but it didnt act like it was physically hurt, more sickly.

It lays for a bit longer, then gets back up, lays under the table for a bit. Finally, it gets back up, slowly and walks over to the edge of the porch where it can scurry under the deck (it could have went under the deck from where it started at as well) and it totally misjudged its footing, missed the piece of wood it was going for and fell right on its face, rolling on its back...it layed there.

About 4 minutes later, it finally made it the 2 ft it took to get under the deck. I would have put it out of its misery, but I live in Redmond and didnt have a proper way to dispatch the miserable creature. I warned my neighbor bout it, since he has an old lab who I would hate to see get something nasty from it. Just thought I would share.

[dbllunger]

I would kill and get rid of that thing immediatly.  If you don't have a pellet gun then get a club.  Hit your local sporting good store and buy a pellet rifle.  Shoot him right in the side of the head and lights out.  Frontal shots will deflect off.

[saylean]

I was going to take care of it...but again, I have close neighbors who might not like me clubbing a coon as they look at my porch from their window...(the joys of city life)

but if it was me, alone and I lived in the back 40 somewhere, that thing would be worm food.

[runamuk]

I'd call the animal control tell them you have a possible raccoon with rabies  sounds more like distemper which is bad enough, but animal control is supposed to investigate possible cases of rabies so I'd go with that.

[dbllunger]

If you have lame neighbors then chase that POS into their yard and let them deal with it.  If they wank then give them your other option.  Bad news as those things have every disease known from Rabbies to Herpes, and if he is sick then something is really at work.

[saylean]

I might call him in tomorrow morning and take care of business...that is..if he can get outta bed.

[atomicjoe23]

Kill it IMMEDIATELY!!! In this case you shouldn't care what your neighbors think. . .especially if they have a dog. . .even if they don't you have a cat and you should be VERY concerned about this. . .if you don't want to "traumatize" your neighbors then you NEED to call animal control and get rid of that thing ASAP!!!

. . .my Dad is a veterinarian and I have seen a LOT of very bad stuff happen to animals. . .you don't want any sort of wild animal that might be sick hanging out anywhere around you, your pets, or your kids (if you have any). . .distemper, parvo, and rabies are not diseases you want hanging around your house!!! Get rid of that coon ASAP. . .plus think how bad that thing is gonna smell if it dies under your porch!!! and then think about having to go under their and drag a dead or extremely sick coon out from under your porch!!!

[ICEMAN]

Worried about the neighbors? Live trap him in the dark, dunk him in the lake for a few minutes, then bag him and get rid of him. Clean up with mild bleach and water. 

[jeepasaurusrex]

Have you tried duct tape?                                       






Got some golf clubs?  A 2 Iron would have done the job. 

[saylean]

My fire poker would work great...

quick blow to the head, problem solved. I am keeping an eye out for him.

[FrankDown]

Remember that contact with brain tissue and rabies dont go well together. 

[saylean]

If he comes back...be sure I wont be touching him except through a large plastic sack.

[saylean]

Here's some video of that nasty critter...

[youtube=425,350]object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="

hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[atomicjoe23]

Did you notice how hard it was panting for how little it was doing. . .not a good sign. . .was it stumbling around like it was drunk. . .if so it is probably rabies. . .if not something else but anyway you look at it it's not good. . .

[Clumber]

Please take him out asap or call animal control to do it.  Even if "just" distemper, I really think that on decency grounds and to protect the area dogs etc., it is past time for that ringtail to be "pining for the fjords".  I think ringtails are damn cool animals, but my own dogs are cooler.

The video made me very sad.