Solve the Case of the Missing....

[catwhisperer]

We have been putting an aluminum pie pan with cat food on it on our extended deck nightly for over a year. Usually a couple of feral cats come in the middle of the night to get their hand out.

Lately though the pans have been disappearing along with the food. So I started putting the food on folded paper towels, but then the towels would disappear also. We looked around - no pans and no towels. Who was this cat who could carry these things off?

Sherlock has solved the mystery. Can you? The evidence is conclusive. I found the paper towel still on the deck with the food gone, but it was securely under the big water bowl. Scratches were in the towel and the water bowl was full of dirt. Someone had dirtied the water, taken the food, but was unable to get the towel loose. Also a wet footprint revealed all. Who was the culprit? A bit of a hint is that we live in the woods. If you wish to venture a guess just post it and in a few days I'll post the answer.

[Cataholic]

A raccoon???? I can't wait! PM me the correct answer. I won't tell anyone else..he he he

[sasvermont]

a racoon

[LoudLou]

Depending on where in the Pacific NW you are from, I am guessing A) BIGFOOT ? ....... orB) Rocky Racoon.

[margaret]

grizzly bear!
field mouse!
moose!


just kidding....

My guess is also

RACOON!!!!!!

[catwhisperer]

I just sent out PM's to the three of you who have answered so far and have PM's, but will no more to PM's and just will give the correct answer here on the forum in a couple of days. Keep guessing all of you animal and woods lubbers; this is fun. I am surprised someone hasn't guessed "human" yet cause for a while I thought only a "human" could have such agility. Also will post what happens tonight. BTW, I have seen the culprit.


Cat W.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Was it a crow???

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I say it's a raccoon too. Or a bear, but that's highly unlikely. And if it is, I'm not sure you want to continue feeding it!

[yumyum6970]

Could be a deer?

[zookeeper]

Is it a skunk? Or a squirrel can be pretty crafty too.

[Uabassoon]

my guess is a raccoon. maybe a possum, but I don't know if they are that crafty.

[Cat-astrophic]

My vote is for the raccoon.

It could be a possum (an opossum?) though, -- I found one in my recycling bin licking out a can when I lived in North Eastern Connecticut! After that I made sure the cans were spotless!

In that same area I once left my back door open to air out the kitchen and came back a few minutes later to find a raccoon next to the stove, eating out of my cat's dish! So I know they like cat food...

But what on earth does a raccoon (or any other fuzzy critter) want with an aluminum pan? Or a paper towel? That's what I want to know!

[catland]

I also vote for the Raccoon. As another Pacific Northwesterner - I have seen these vistors in my back yard.

The best way to describe them is that they behave like a pack of juvenile delinquents - tipping things over, muddying up the water... I can always tell when a raccoon has used my cats' outdoor water dish.

One time my next-door neighbor left a plastic container of cat food outside, we found it the next day in our yard, with a hole chewed through it. Also, because they need water, our sprinker hose that was lying on a new patch of lawn was chewed and rearranged

[Felicia's Mom]

My guess is also for the raccoon.

[krazyaboutkatz]

My guess is either a raccoon or a skunk. While I was feeding my parents cat, something other than the cat was eating her food and drinking all of her water. She had a kitty door so that she could come and go as she pleased. We thought it was another cat but it turned out to be a baby skunk.