My first experiences with a raccoon!

We found our first raccoon at neighbours, about. 20 km away from us. He was locked up in a birdcage, vegetating and close to death. I may have had no knowledge about raccoons, but I could not watch this suffering. So we took him with us! The first stop was at the veterinary surgeon. I wanted him to be examined, in order to be sure that he was healthy. Unfortunately it came to an incident which was going to happen a few more times. The vet grabbed the little, about three week old raccoon with gloves at his collar and pulled him out of the cage. The little guy cried as if his life was depending on it, peed himself and defecated, to the horror of the vet, everywhere in the consulting room. It was impossible to undertake any examination. The only comment of the vet was: "Throw him into the bushes. That is the most aggressive raccoon, i have ever seen!"

"Brigitte, what now? Brigitte, what are you doing?" was rushing through my head.

My motherly feelings made me decide correctly: I took the cage with my new baby and drove home. It had to eat, it had to drink! But how was I to do that? As soon as I opened the cage, a little devil hissed at me. What did he already have to go through? So much hate and fear in this poor animal!

"Perhaps he likes baby mash", I thought. So I cooked mash with some fruits and placed it into his cage. The little guy did not even look at the mash. I felt that he wanted to die. Surely he could not forget the death of its siblings in that cage!

I had an idea: Perhaps a cook spoon could helped, which should serve me as an extended arm. I tried to stroke him with the cooking spoon but the raccoon child bit into the wood and became even angrier. I talked to him for a long time and tried again and again to stroke his back. Probably one hour. I suddenly noticed that the small chap became calmer and let me stroke him. While I was stroking his back, I heard a strange purring. At that time I did not know what it meant. Today I know that a raccoon baby is animated to eat when stroked firmly on the back. This realization was to help me in future years.

Racky actually began eating his mash. For me it was a miracle and I was overjoyed. Three days and nights I sat before that cage. I talked to him, stroked him and even fell asleep sometimes. My man could not get me to go to bed. I felt like a mother, who does not want to leave her baby on its own. In the morning of the third day his small hands touched me as if they wanted to stroke me. Quiet crying followed. It pained me, because I knew, what he wanted: I should open the cage! So we both cried, because none knew, what would happen. After a few minutes I plucked up all my courage and opened the cage. Racky came onto my lap. I took him into my arms and hugged him tightly. It was love, nearly the same as if I was his mother and he my child. Together we laid on the sofa and fell asleep.

It had been a tough start for us both!

From this day forward Racky and I were the best friends, he loved the whole family. He lived two years with us, until he decided to go to the forest. Now he would always be free, never again in a cage, but we were his family! I When I think about him, I think that it is wonderful to have such a friend. I know that he now has his own family and lives happily in freedom. Racky, we love you!

Racky taught me a lot, for which I am very grateful. Since then many years have passed. Every year we take more and more foundlings into our family and I would not like to miss these small creatures. Everyone lives unforgettably in my heart.

The love of these animals, in my opinion, is the most honest and most sincere thing that exists on this earth.