The Creatures of the Night

Living in the urban jungle that is Toronto means that you are going to live with other urban creatures.  No I am not speaking of  stockbrokers and lawyers....I am speaking of the neighborhood urban creatures.

Meet Rocky, Rockie and Rochelle.

Friends and loved ones have reprimanded me for my easygoing ways when it comes to sharing space with raccoons.  Rocky Rockie and Rochelle were three babies that came to my backyard every evening for the first summer of their lives.  They were so cute and not in the least bit violent and they had no fear of me.  It would not be unusual to have one paw my foot if I were sitting in the backyard when they came around. 

Of course the reason that they kept coming around was for the cats food, and if I left the backdoor open they would stroll into the house and help themselves.  A mild shoo would send them on their way.  As they got older they, or their cousins, (now that they are full grown I cant tell them from any other raccoon) got more aggressive in their attempts to get to the food source and damaged my roof and porch so I am not quite so kindly towards them as I used to be.

This spring there was a big raccoon who showed up at the backdoor begging for food and I shooed her away, only then did I notice the four babies shuffling behind her.  My shooing scattered them in different directions but the smallest of the bunch got separated and started crying, or chittering.  I felt terrible.  As the summer has progressed this same bunch keep coming around because I have been putting out food for the feral cats in the neighborhood.  I have come to recognise that the small one is not too bright.  He gets separated from the rest quite easily, or perhaps they are trying to run off and leave him behind.  All the same his cuteness buys him points.

They are cute, they are curious, they are eternally hungry, while I don't encourage petting them, or even allowing them into your house, I doubt any bodily harm would come from either.  I wish there were not so many of them.  They do fight with each other over territory and food, but aside from that I love sharing my urban space with raccoons.

Squirrels on the other hand......