I Guess We Have A Raccoon

Due to this problem of distancing & resulting economic woes, funding and volunteer help is a problem.

Yesterday evening, a baby raccoon looked lost. It was alone & not even scared of humans. It was shaking and cold. My guess is it’s between 6-8 weeks old.

The cutie is currently in an animal trapping pen (I have nothing else) with a towel to lay upon & another over half the enclosure so it may nap peacefully.

It tries to nibble on food, but it’s not good at it. Every 2 hours or less during the day, I’ve been offering filtered water with juice from smashed grapes, little all natural peanut butter, & a tiny bit of salt & sugar from a syringe, like a healthy liquid p.b. & j sandwich. The baby seems healthy, & is drinking well, but was dehydrated. I am about to make it a smoothie with juices from fruits and veggies for better nourishment. It’s looking sad in the enclosure. I don’t know what to do. Birds of prey can get it during the day, coyotes or coldness will get it at night. I have reason to believe it’s mother may be dead and it was around no siblings outside. It stayed indoors for warmth last night.

I’ve made calls. I’ve left messages at facilities and the homes of wonderful individuals, wildlife rehabilitation experts, some of whom have returned my calls. They help the helpless ones with no funding. One lady stated it takes her 3 hours to prepare all the animals’ breakfast! Since she is caring for many babies, she has to do much of that preparing again, shortly after all have been fed. She cannot handle another animal, and now has no help from volunteers.

When/if this crap ends, Let us remember who is doing what good. I for one, if ever capable to help reptiles and other animals, and people on an individual basis, if only with $20 here or $50 there, I will do it. Hey, maybe instead of flaunting her insanely expensive refrigerator & freezer combo & $17 pints of ice cream, Nancy Pelosi can donate to unfunded individuals to cover costs of animal care, or some other selfless deed… Fat chance, right?!

If people work hard for their money, they should have it, but if someone is a public servant who has placed herself in the ruling class and above her fellow country people, well then, I suppose I feel they should be comfortable at best, and wish they had a higher level of compassion.

I’ve been a city (large & smaller city) girl all my life. Lil’ Murph has been a city lizard. We moved to just outside another city’s limits just before last winter. Since then we’ve seen many deer, a couple Bald Eagles, and different birds & wildlife, which is enjoyable. Sometimes I can actually hear only birds and wind in the leaves. Murph, I really think, has a memory of his old home, but he too enjoys more nature. Aahhh …

I’m learning a different way of life here and I didn’t expect to need to teach myself how to be a raccoon mother. It’s already winning my heart, I can’t release it to suffer, then die. I’ll let you know what happens.

I already have a special needs lizard (in a way) because Murph is a picky eater, is too intelligent & sees himself as an equal family member (which he is, but he acts like he knows this). Also, his brother Dog is a spaz – but he’s full of love. I call him, “His royal Whineness, Sir Spaz A Lot, Mr. Breathe-a-bunch, and Spaztastic.” He is addicted to wanting stuff. He breathes and whines with wants. If he’s outside, He wants inside. If he’s inside he wants outside. He doesn’t lay outside like a dog, He hates holding still. He was rescued and doesn’t know how to play. If you toss a ball at him, it hits him in the face and he wonders why you’re being mean. At 2 or 3 meals a day, He thinks he is starving. I have my hands full just with those 2 and I have projects to accomplish!! Now, there’s a baby raccoon … agh!!

If you or someone you know is considering or has already rescued a sweet lizard friend in these strange times, but don’t know what to do next, please visit here: Everything You Need To Have A Lizard. If you need an enclosure immediately, look here for an idea: Choosing A Home …. Nearly every reptile requires the sun’s light to survive. If you do not have the special lighting yet, or the uvb bulb is older than 6-12 months, I encourage you to read the last half of our post here for ideas to keep your lizard healthy & happy. O:-) Hoping the very best to all our friends and the gorgeous creatures that depend on us.

“Give me Lizardry or give me Death!” – Dawn Renee