Do you want to know How To Keep Raccoons Out Of Cat Food?
Check this article for a step by step process.
Let’s get started
Perhaps you have seen the viral video of a raccoon stealing cat food while the cats were literally still feeding. It may look funny and cute but in reality, if that happens to you and your cat, you have a fight in your hands.
Keeping Your Cat’s Food Safe From Raccoons
Aside from the lethal danger that raccoons impose on cat, another thing that bugs cat owners is how they just won’t stop stealing cat foods. You carefully select the best food for your cat only to be stolen by gangster raccoons. That is uncool.
Keeping raccoons away can be virtually impossible especially if they have experienced your place having adequate food. These bandits do not scare easily and they are brave enough to protect “their” food. But, there are a few tips you can do to shoo them away.
Step 1: Get a magnet locking cat door.
There are cat doors specifically designed to keep unwanted animal friends from getting inside your house.
Pet doors like Patio Pet Door are sensor triggered and you won’t worry about the raccoons coming in since they are only open by the signal sent off by your pet’s battery-operated collar.
Step 2. Seal down the hatches.
Your attic and chimney are potential entry and exit points for raccoons. Keep them sealed tight with a tough and sturdy net or planks of wood. Make sure to check for any structural weakness or voids that raccoons may use to edge in.
Step 3. Keep all food and food waste locked up.
The most basic of all. Raccoons have a strong sense of smell. Locking up food to keep the scent from attracting these goons is one trick. Another is to dispose off leftovers sealed and again, without any odor for them to trail.
Step 4. Install motion detectors that set lights on or off.
They don’t just deter uninvited raccoons, they startle uninvited humans, too. Pretty convenient, huh? However, raccoons are wise and they know whether these lights are motion activated. They can get used to it eventually, so back it up with some human intervention.
Raccoons may also attack while your cats are eating. Just like in the video shown above. In that case, you may keep these annoying critters from raiding your felines’ eating with the following tips.
Tip 1. Get your cats some raccoon proof cat feeders.
These automatic cat feeders don’t just dissuade raccoons from feasting on your cat’s lunch, they also keep the cat’s food fresher for longer periods. Some cat feeders you may try are:
3. Cat Mate C3000
Tip 2. Slightly make an adjustment to your cat feeding.
Pick the perfect time to feed your cats. Feed them early in the morning or at odd times during the day to cut down the chances of the raccoons to steal your cat’s food.
There are also tips from some homeowners that can also be handy in shoo-ing away raccoons from our cats and their food.
Tip 1. Invest in a sturdy fence.
Fences are an excellent deterrent. These ringtails are experts at finding a way to break and enter, however, if you put an obstruction on obvious footpaths and pathways, they are more likely to go and scavenge somewhere else.
Tip 2. Keep trash bins away from where raccoons can reach them.
Raccoons are foragers, anything that triggers their sense of smell, they will surely put their hands into.
Keep such things like your trash bins in areas where the raccoons can’t get into. Otherwise, you can pour the hot sauce all over the garage. They most likely will not come back after that.
Why Should You Keep Your Cat’s Food Away From Raccoons
Allowing tanukis to eat your cat’s food is bad for a lot of reasons. To start with, these animals are rabies vectors. And if your cat is not vaccinated for rabies, it could be a serious risk.
Another thing is, while we all want to be the accommodating animal lover, it is just not a good idea for a vicious animal to mislay their fear of humans. Apparently, not all humans have a soft spot for animals.
Moreover, you don’t want to go out every time just to bring food for your cat. So keep those in a safe place. You know you can’t keep your cat hungry for a long time.
Conclusion
Raccoons are not just a threat to cats because they steal their foods. If you have a pet cat, take time to understand how dangerous it is for raccoons to be around.
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.