Be carefull cat owners. Dumb thing I did.

[John White]

Up date on coon: I set a trap and he has got in and got he bait for last 4 nights. Last night I got a different trap. As I was watching TV and my monitor last night I seen a coon on the cat feeding table. I opened the door and two coons went running away. One was definitely not the one that bit me. It was almost black with black face. This morning when I went out I had a coon in the trap. Likes like the one that bit me. He doesn't seem aggressive. Some will try and tear your head off. I guess the only way I would know is to stick my other hand in and see what happens. ha.:licking: It being Sat. so far I cant get ahold of any one to tell me what to do with it. I am supposed to see my doctor Tues. again. I have read conflicting reports on the net. One says 5 to 10 days before showing any signs of illness, another says it can stay in your body for up to 2 years and not cause any trouble. One article says no reports of any deaths from rabies in a few years another says one died in Utah and one in New Jersey in 2018.

 

[oosik]

John - if the trapped coon is the one that bit you - then, keep the coon in the trap. Make a written note of when the coon was trapped. Talk to your Dr on Tuesday - he will have the very best advice on your situation. The coon will have to be held for a period of quarantine and observation. You might be able to hold the coon yourself or you might have to take it to a local vet. Depends upon local Health Dept Regs.

Anyhow - the coon will be held, in quarantine, for a determined period and then observed by a qualified person - local vet. This will be to determine if the animal exhibits initial signs of rabies.

You have done just great - catching the one that bit you. The overall process from this point may cost you something - but absolutely nothing like the rabies series.

 

[EddieWalker]

From what you have described, it does not sound or appear that you have a sick raccoon. Just one that has probably lived its entire life around your house and isn't all that afraid of you.

 

[MossRoad]

You absolutely have ZERO way to tell if the racoon you trapped is the same one that bit you. ZERO. Find a way to get the shots for yourself, clear your mind and move along with a valuable life lesson in your toolbox.

 

[ArlyA]

I thought coons were the number one carrier of rabies in north America? Or maybe it was the statistic "bit by animal" and the person then needed a vaccination for it. We know people who've been bit and got the vaccination... Gee whiz, I'd be careful with it.

 

[Deerherd]

So let me get this straight.

You were bitten by a raccoon because you are running a crazy cat condo co-op, where raccoons can enter unabated. You CONTINUE the crazy cat person behavior in hopes of catching the offending raccoon to prove/disprove the presence of rabies? Now you are trying to differentiate between rabid and non rabid raccoons relying on facial recognition and fur color in the hopes of catching the offender?

You obviously haven’t corrected the problem because raccoons continue to enter the building. And if raccoons can get in the cats must be be able to get out and kill all sorts of birds and small animals.

All the while the clock is ticking, you are exposing yourself and others to further risks.

The prudent thing to do would be to get the shots, quarantine or euthanize the cats, remove all food and secure the building. Or you could just wait for the symptoms.

 

[ultrarunner]

The title had me thinking of what happened to me... but totally different.

I have a storage garage that I visit from time to time.

Apparently, I locked it up with the neighbors outdoor cat inside... I was gone for about 6 weeks and the let's say the cat did not make it...

Felt bad about it but I did not even see the cat the day I was there...

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
OOOPS. We lost a cat when I was a kid in a similar manner; except it apparently got trapped in the crawl space under the neighbors house when they banked it with snow to hold the cold out.

It took me a minute how your neighbor's car got hidden in your storage space; but as I read on I saw the error.
You gotta love that spell chekc!

 

[John White]

Update on coon. Tried to call animal control officer, no luck and health dept. Finally called sheriff dept and he said hold the coon and call health dept Mon. I got the coon out of the trap and put him in a larger cage. Got a chance to look at it real good and I am very certain it is the same coon. I think I mentioned that I gave him a very hard whack with a base ball bat right over the front shoulders. There is a spot about 4"x4" with the fur missing in that spot. Now I feel bad about whacking him. We are not running a cat condo as mentioned by one poster. We just happen to have 5 very fine cats that are tame and loving and well fed and cared for. We didn't ask for them, some city people come out to the country and dump them. We had a small kitten show up that someone had poured lighter fluid and set him on fire I spent $100 taking it to a vet only to be told there was no hope. We live in the country and a recycling near us and farmers cornfields. We keep all of our trash secure and usually put the cat food away at dusk, still I have to trap and kill probably 6 or 7 coons each year. I have been told that it is illegal to trap and dump a coon (relocate it) and if you do relocate a coon many times they will find their way back of starve to death trying and other coons will not accept them in their clan and will fight them. This was the first time I had seen one in a cat box. We have one cat that is over 10 years old and been in a accident and had her pelvis broken and got hit and another time had something fall on her during a violent wind storm and damaged her mouth and lungs (bleeding out her mouth) She is the one that rides to work with me every day and goes with me on service calls in my big truck. I have a heating pad in her box and turn it on during cold weather. It was cold that night and this coon did what I would do on a cold night, find a warm bed. As far as the cats killing birds, very seldom do we see one with a bird, We had to quit feeding the birds, not because of the cats but because of the hawks. They get way more than the cats and cats are always taking care of the mice and moles.

 

[oosik]

Thank goodness you did not whack him on the head and kill him. Then you would have no choices. He can be quarantined and the results can be determined in ten day or so. Hang in John - you are doing the right thing. Especially since he exhibits the "balding" spot where you initially whacked him. The Health Dept will be able to advise you of further actions.