Had some visitors last night.

[SadButGrateful]

I had some dry cat food left so I threw it behind the trash cans so I could get some pictures. These are young ones and one of them actually barked/hissed at me! :-) I kept a lookout in case momma was around. This was a one-time feeding...very adorable but too dangerous to encourage.

[chocolatepuppy]

Raccoons sure are cute but I don't want any in my fence with my dogs!

[mon]

I sure can relate. We have 6 regulars and have for 5 yrs. I feed them sometimes My bad

[kaycountrygal]

I agree; it's not a good idea to encourage them. About 8 yrs ago a grown racoon came into my yard in the daylight, walking in an odd way, not normal. (I had never fed him) He kept coming toward me sort of off balance. I knew he wasnt acting right. I got my shotgun and killed him... had him taken away and tested. He had rabies. Thank Goodness, my Luke cat was not outside (he started going outside later in life), my little dog at the time (Honey) was inside with me, and Annie wasnt here yet. I've been wary of racoons ever since then.

[pomtzu]

They're cute, but destructive and potentially dangerous. I certainly wouldn't be encouraging them to come around, and of course they are a big carrier of rabies, along with those cute little skunks! Living in a rural area, we have more than our share of nocturnal critters that come calling.

[chocolatepuppy]

In a Youngstown, Ohio paper today. I don't live in Youngstown, but not far from it.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/aug/3...d-here-over-n/

Published: Fri, August 31, 2012 @ 9:43 p.m.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

To prevent the spread of raccoon rabies across the state, the Ohio Departments of Health and Natural Resources will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits across 14 Northeast and eastern Ohio counties between now and next Friday.

The Mahoning County District Board of Health and the Youngstown City Health District, with the help of the Mahoning-Columbiana Medical Reserve Corps, will distribute the baits Wednesday through Friday across

Mahoning County.

Operations may be extended due to weather conditions if necessary.

Baits will be distributed by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and vehicles staffed by USDA and staff from the local health

departments.

Mahoning residents should be aware of low-flying aircraft and should keep children and pets away from the baits.

Dogs in particular are attracted to the baits and will occasionally eat them. The baits are not harmful to pets.

To keep children and pets safe, officials suggest these safety precautions:

Know what the baits look like. The coated sachet is about the size of a ketchup packet. It is white and rolled in a brown fish meal glaze.

In urban areas, where baits will be distributed by vehicle, the sachet will be inside a hard, brown fishmeal block, about 2-x-2-inch square.

Photos of the baits can be found on the Ohio Departments of Health website.

Instruct children to not touch the baits.

Once your area is baited, keep dogs and cats inside or on leashes for up to five days. Most baits disappear within

24 hours; however, it is important that raccoons have every opportunity to eat them.

Do not attempt to take bait away from your pet; you may be bitten.

Anyone handling baits should wear gloves. If baits are found in areas frequented by pets or children, toss them into deeper cover. Damaged baits can be disposed of in the trash.

If a person is exposed to the vaccine (liquid), thoroughly wash any areas of the skin that were exposed to the vaccine with soap and water.

If someone has been exposed to the vaccine or has questions about the baiting, call the ORV Information line at 614-752-1387 or the Mahoning County District Board of Health at 330-270-2855.

During 2011, 13 cases of raccoon-rabies virus were confirmed in Ohio, including eight skunks from Lake County, three raccoons from Ashtabula, one raccoon from Trumbull County, and one dog from Summit County.

[Alysser]

A friend of mine feeds 'em. When I slept over one night I was fascinated and didn't wind up sleeping much

This picture is rather funny. He literally just sits there and eats. He washes his little paws first and then eats..truely smart creatures.

I don't encourage, but it's not much of my business. I wouldn't ever do it. I interned at a wildlife refuge this summer and because I didn't have my rabies vaccines I couldn't work with them, FINE by me! They were nasty buggers...though they are cute. I couldn't work with ground hogs or skunks either. But, it was still a good experience. The opossums were interesting.

Your visitors are cute =) Glad you enjoyed them and you won't be doing it often though!