Gee thanks, Santa

Boomerang--

Be very, very careful. "Fearless" could mean "rabid". Even if he's he's healthy, remember, Purena is a wild animal--not a pet. Let him be the raccoon who walks by himself.

Merry Christmas!

Hi Noddy! And a very Merry Christmas to you to.

I've been remiss on keeping up with you - now that the holiday is nearly over I might actually find some writing time so look for a message soon.

I will most certainly keep my distance from Purina. Still, he is a pleasure to watch and it was such a fun Christmas surprise.

I suppose I will eventually have to try to have Purina relocated to a less citified area.....

Raccoons have adapted beautifully to suburbia--as have skunks who are just as intelligent but much less adorable.

The Have A Heart traps sound humane, but how would you like to be dumped off in Elsewhere without a penny (or a bit of plastic) to your name and no notion of who lived in the neighborhood.

Raccoons are usually nocturnal and while they are confident beasties,they are no foolhardy. If Purena seems healthy and continues hanging around, you might see whether any of the local vets would innoculate him.

Meanwhile, enjoy. May your New Year have only delightful surprises.

That's good advice, Noddy. I hadn't thought of having a vet give him his shots. I'll call them next week for advice.

I like that advice for another reason too - it was such a nice surprise to see him. He is very beautiful, a spot of luxury in my dingy garage.

I do worry a bit about my cats though. They're ancient and very territorial. Lately they've both had a bit of a cough although they seem normal otherwise. I don't want them to catch anything from Purina. And I really don't want them to tangle with Purina!

Domestic cats tend to assume that they are on the top of the food chain. Raccoons know they are on top of the food chain. Both species would feel entitled to defend the Cat Chow.

Are your cats outdoor cats?

Keep the little kitties inside and deliver Purina to the outskirts of town....?

The best gift I got happened to be the one that was free...an $800 Altec-Lansing sound system for the computer with a giant subwoofer, given to Mrs. cav during the office move, as they didn't need it at the new office, and nobody else wanted it. Second best was a new chair for my home office, much easier on my back.

I actually think the best gift I received was that my Aunt gave me my late Grandpa's bible.

She claims it may be 50-100 years old.

Average, thankee, average....

boomerang

Gosh, I've never met a raccoon! Do they often turn up in built up areas, or is this something unusual?

You be careful, boomerang. Before you can get shots into tha raccoon, you've got to catch it. They're pretty stout.

Vermin. Pestilence.

(Waitaminnit... am I talking about raccoons, or Christmas?)

My cats are of the indoor/outdoor variety. Ancient as they are (20, 16) they spend most of their time indoor. I also have an indoor husband who will tolerate cat-having as long as there is no litter box. That means the cats must use the pet doors like good doggies.

I know us city folk aren't supposed to have outdoor cats - - but the whole "live longer" argument is moot at this point.

I live on the Nortwest edge of Portland so while I'm only 10 minutes from downtown, I'm only 10 minutes from open farm land. (Portland's urban growth bondry will surely puzzle city planners in upcoming centuries.) Chipmunks, deer, racoons and even cougars are not unheard of in the neighborhood. I imagine Purina could beat me home if I dropped him on the outskirts of town (traffic being the disaster it is).

For shots or relocation I will be seeking advice from the pros!

Wow cav - please don't tell me your wife works for the government. I'd like to continue to think they might be a bit more frugal than that! What an incredible gift! Free makes it sound even better.

Ohhhhh Neoguin, family treasures are the best gifts of all.

Is "average" good, dlowan?

Jeez, SealPoet. You're family gives lousy presents. Next time as for coal, hold the pestilence.

I live in cambridge, ma, smack in the middle of the greater boston area. We have loads of raccoons, skunks too.

Nah... I was really talking about the 'coons. as you may recall from a thread on aBuzz years back, we had problems with raccoons at our former location. I caught them and killed them. I'm not happy about it, nor proud, but any other answer makes them someone else's problem. Donated the carcasses to a local artist who has a secret method of flaying the skeleton and doing wonderful things with the bones.

As far as family goes... once I pull my head out of my rear end it doesn't quite so sh!tty. Only one issue on my side o' the family that pains. My father sent us a very large check, and that was all. I hate to sound like an ingrate... but remember the old saying, 'it isn't the money, it's the thought that counts'?