His name is Bandit

15 years ago

One of the neighbor "boys" (twenty-something, really...) stepped out of his house yesterday while I was working in the yard and said, "Hey, Brenda, check this out!"

I thought it was a kitty, but...OMG, it was a young raccoon! They found him with his mother, who had been shot. :( They are raising it, knowing he will probably never be able to return to the wild. Jr. said, "Twenty, twenty-five years, I'm going to be stuck with this little rascal." LOL This neighbor family always takes care of lost, injured, etc., animals, so I know Bandit's in good hands.

He keeps Jr. up all night, of course, nibbling on his toes and generally wreaking havoc. :D

But I got to let him crawl all over me!!! Ohhh, I was in heaven! Bandit walked up my arm, across my shoulders, and proceeded to whisper sweet nothings in my ear, making that little chatter noise. And the pads on his tiny "hands" are softer than a baby's bottom, I swear! LOL He was very careful with his claws, too....except when Roscoe walked up to me to get a closer look! Bandit started hissing and arching his back...the tension was palpable...in my neck and shoulders, mainly. LOL Good boy!

I told Bandit he can come play in the pond any time he wants, but "good luck finding any goodies in that jungle," I said. :)

DH let him climb on him for a photo op, but I could tell he was a little freaked out by it. LOL

They also have a female ground squirrel, Alvin (Alvina?), who was hit by a car. Her head wound is healing nicely, and they should be able to release her in the next week or so. I was so enthralled by sweet Alvin girl, I forgot to take her pic! :D

Brenda

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Comments (8)

chickadeedeedee
15 years ago
Oooooooo Bandit! I *love* the feel of little whiskers on my face!

Have they ever raised raccoons before? You SERIOUSLY must be careful raising them. Aside from the Rabies thing, they carry a type of roundworm that is deadly to humans. Once they reach maturity the raccoons revert to wild things.

Hope we get to meet sweet little Alvin too. How nice that people care enough to care!

Thanks Brenda.

Me :-)
pikecoe
15 years ago
We had a male raccoon named Randy. He had fallen out of the nest as a baby and injured his right front leg. Friends had rescued him and gave him to us. We loved having him, but they can hurt you if not careful He wouldn't usually bite, if you picked him up the right way. But when they do bite their jaws are so powerful that it will make a much worse bruise than a bite mark. He would reach into our pockets and search out treats that we hid there. He loved marshmallows. We eventually gave him to the local College for their raccoon habitat. They already had a female and was hoping for some little Randys.
Glenda
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youreit
Original Author
15 years ago
Holy whiskers, that's SCARY, Chicka!! I'm going to print out info on Baylisascaris that I found on the CDC site and give it to the neighbors. I have NO idea if they've raised raccoons before, but I'm going to talk to them about this, hopefully today! Thanks so much for the heads up! You should have seen DH's face when I read him your post. I knew was freaked out before, but that didn't help. LOL!!!

Oh, I remember your Randy stories, Glenda! Dang, I should have bought marshmallows at the store yesterday to see if Bandit might like one. :D Bandit definitely didn't like being held very much. He squirmed around until I let him crawl up my arm, then he was happy. He kept trying to perch on DH's head, but his hat kept slipping, and I was afraid Bandit would fall.

Those little hands are so droolicious!

Brenda
comettose
15 years ago
He is a cutey and will live up to his name!
maryo_nh
15 years ago
*biiiiig grin*

Brenda, you're such a lucky girl! Bandit is absolutely adoooooooooooorable... I so want to come over to have him get comfy on my shoulders... *jealous, jealous*

:) Mary
youreit
Original Author
15 years ago
Isn't he droolicious, Mary? I almost crumpled into a pathetic heap when he chattered in my ear. *purr*

I heard Jr. with Bandit out in their yard yesterday, but I was busy with drudgery, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him about the roundworm thing. DH just reported he got to hold Bandit again, though. "Did you wash your hands after??" *blank stare*

Lord, help me, but that's NASTY!!!

Brenda
maryo_nh
15 years ago
Roundworms seem like a small discomfort compared to having Bandit whisper sweet nothings in your ear...

We found a dead baby raccoon in our yard once, the neighbor in the back was cutting trees in their backlot (his wife almost divorced him over it) and it probably lost its mommy in the chaos. We saw the baby the day before, but we couldn't convince it to come and eat the strawberries. It was too scared. It probably was already too late for the little fella. We had looked up the number of the wildlife people in the area and everything. It was so adorable and so very sad. All we could do was give him a proper farewell.

So that's why I have this aching need to stroke a healthy little raccoon baby... Gimme! Gimme!

:) Mary
youreit
Original Author
15 years ago
Awww, Mary, that's so sad! I'm sending you virtual Bandit cuddles and whispered sweet nothings!

I think the neighbors should rescue a baby elephant next. LOL!! I would have to move in next door if that happened. :D

Brenda