For those that followed the entire saga of the raccoon bite

[Aerows]

I got my last shot yesterday. It's a doozy in making me feel fatigued, but I'm pretty overjoyed I won't get rabies!

[Kali]

1. bet you are glad that is over with

[Aerows]

3. You can't even imagine!

I'm so glad this mess is over!

[steve2470]

2. I know you're super happy

Good luck avoiding those raccoons from now on

[Aerows]

4. Super happy

and glad that I have had the last one!

[Warpy]

5. Good for you, those things are no damned fun

Is there any way you can get your neighbor cited and fined for feeding wildlife?

[Aerows]

7. She got two of my neighbors visiting her house

and if those two visit you, you pretty much don't want that experience again . They told her in no uncertain terms to stop doing it, and they have gone away. She was causing a danger to the damn neighborhood.

[Warpy]

11. If you ever speak to her again

suggest she put her animal loving self on the list as a Humane Society volunteer.

We call them wild animals because they're all potentially dangerous, duh.

[Aerows]

15. If you have never seen a raccoon up close

They have fangs like a damn Doberman. Mouth full of teeth.

[Warpy]

23. One used to pop out of the garbage cans and chatter at me when I was walking home

from work at midnight in Boston. I'd tell him hello and keep moving. There is no way I'd ever get close enough to try to feed one.

Yeah, teeth.

[PDJane]

54. I found a neighbour in my building, a woman from Sweden,

Holding out a piece of ham and calling here, kitty, kitty. Woman nearly gave me a damn heart attack. I snuck up on her, told her to put the damn ham in her pocket, because that nice kitty was too big for a cat and had fangs to take her arm off. Then I hissed at the damn thing, and it took off at an amble down the alley.

I told her it was a raccoon, and she didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I told her it was a feral animal, and a lot bigger than she thought....this is an old tom, and it was huge. She went to the coordinator of the building the next day to ask her about what I'd said, and she paled, and asked her not to try to feed another one. It's nice to have back-up........

[Aerows]

60. One in the neighborhood weighed in excess of 37 lbs. The thing was freaking

huge.

[safeinOhio]

33. No matter where you grab them

They can turn around in their skin and bite you.

They make very bad pets as do all wild animals.

[Squinch]

17. Or invite her over for some racoon stew. She'll feel like she is saving their lives by not feeding

them and bringing them into the neighborhood. AND Aerows would get to watch her eyes bug out.

[Aerows]

66. Let's not go there

I realize I am a Southerner, but not all of us eat roadkill on a regular basis. And yes, I like to cook, but I don't have dirt in a pot either.

[Squinch]

124. I wasn't thinking "south." I had no idea you were from the south.

[Aerows]

125. I was teasing

I didn't mean anything by it and was trying to lighten the situation. I know you were kidding, Squinch. No offense taken whatsoever!

[Squinch]

126. Oh, good. I was checking around in my mouth for a foot!

[Aerows]

127. no foot there :D

I have a sense of humor. If you want a misery hound, check up thread and see someone excoriating me and saying this was absolutely, positively my fault that it happened.

I know the difference between teasing, a sense of humor and people being out and out ugly - you are not among them my friend, Squinch

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4448982

[Squinch]

128. I noticed that. And thank you for the compliment.

[Aerows]

151. Collard greens

That really needs to be introduced into the conversation, Julia

RIP Dixie.

[fadedrose]

67. We feed the birds a lot of stuff . . .

But when we saw a raccoon in the feeder some time ago, and possums occasionally coming on the patio, we made a rule of bringing in the seeds and suet at night. It's a pain, but it cuts down on their visits.

Our place borders the wetlands, where the animals belong, and they can't be stopped from coming here, but bringing in any food at night discourages them from being nightly visitors.

[Aerows]

69. Those nightly visitors

also prey on the birds you are feeding. They are cute right around the time that they become a huge nuisance and drive your birds away. My heart went soft for them, but they get dangerous when they get hungry and if your house is a restaurant, they will take it over.

[fadedrose]

75. Haven't seen a raccoon for a couple of years

Can't quit the birds. They're my lifeline.

Birds, dogs, shrubs, trees, and everything in their place.

A few skunks around but haven't seen them for some time. Sprayed the dog just a bit last year. Yuk.

I think I'm going to find that coyote pee that MaDem mentined....

[Aerows]

76. All the raccoons apparently came here

We've had so many of them you can't go outside without nearly tripping over one of them (and I discovered getting the shit being bitten by one of them!) Please take them back!

[snooper2]

100. Really, You are blaming it on your neighbor now?

You ADMITTED to feeding the fucking things LOL...

[Aerows]

101. Back in October

And I paid for it. The lady that lured them here to begin with had been feeding them for months before that. See, problems like this don't start overnight. I didn't go out of my way to find the little bastards, they started stalking everyone that had pet food out because that lady had been feeding them all summer.

I realize that you are one of those that likes to immediately find culpability in any person that does something stupid and blame them for it, but I *DID* quit feeding them long before I got bitten.

Did I feed them? Yeah, a few times, before I discovered their aggressive nature, then I STOPPED. They kept invading the neighborhood, however, because they already had an established source of food.

You can blame me for a lot of things, including the fact that I initially found them cute, but I wasn't the one luring them here to begin with.

But hey, thank heavens I'm not rabid. And frankly, thank heavens I don't go out of my way to be caustic and self-congratulatory when someone has something bad happen to them.

My hope is that others learn from my stupidity and mistakes. If it comforts you to call me an idiot, then thank goodness you are giving someone else a rest, snooper2.

[snooper2]

103. just looking for honesty on the Intertubes :)

We had racoons AND a possums living in our backyard/neighborhood last year.

There was a cat called Scrappy that kind of came with the house and my wife always put food out for it for years.

Something happened to him, he just disappeared one week but she kept putting food out for the stupid racoons and possums. Finally had an end put to that. My indoor/outdoor cat Samy didn't need to get in to fight.

Funny thing is, he would just sit on the patio and look at the stupid possums while they hissed at him and be like, whatever, go away ugly creatures I live here

[Aerows]

106. Yes, snooper2

I've lied about this whole situation from start to finish, including when I posted pictures of the wound and the hospital band when another person claimed I was lying.



Like I said, at least you are giving someone else on DU a rest.

[snooper2]

108. actually I'm multi-tasking

[Aerows]

109. Glad you are proud of yourself

Whatever gets you through the day, right?

[snooper2]

111. Right now Popeyes Chicken is getting me through the day

plus for some reason they have the BEST mashed potatoes and gravy!

[Aerows]

133. What do you imagine is in it to make it taste so delicious?

Just asking what you think we serve here in the South.

[snooper2]

148. I don't know but I'm going to find a copycat recipe

They put something in the gravy

[Rex]

161. "just looking for honesty on the Intertubes :)"

Is THAT what you are doing?

[Aerows]

119. You know, I had a thought

I've admitted to walking across a dark parking lot before, too. That is "risky behavior". I've admitted to walking around with too much cash on me before, too. That is "risky behavior".

In this situation, I didn't know how risky it was. If someone else learns from me, then that is a positive result from a bad situation.

At this point, making fun of a person that did something they weren't aware was risky way after the fact really shows your character. Reveling in someone else's suffering? I guess that's even better for you. I don't think I need to send good vibes to the folks you harass - I think you need some good vibes sent *your* way, because being part of a community just to dog and down other people isn't healthy.

[snooper2]

121. LOL

you are going WAY too deep but I love you too!



I wouldn't put feeding raccoons in the "risky" behavior category.


Now, say driving down 141 at 4:30AM in Fenton MO after eating a couple grams of shrooms with six people in a 85 Escort might fall under that label

[Rex]

163. You briefly showed joy at another's expense.

Why not just admit to it? Not like you would be the first to do so.

[snooper2]

174. I roll with some snark

for years...

I'm the Les Stroud of DU

[Rex]

175. Yeah but that was just cruel.

Haven't you ever done something with good intentions that resulted in getting hurt? Come on now, there is snark and then there is just meanness for no apparent reason.

[snooper2]

176. You're still up :)

Good intentions and getting hurt--hmmm

Probably helping my neighbor when I was 15 pull a tractor out of the ditch and getting my ankle broken. He was pretty drunk though- does that count?

[Rex]

177. Just farting around on the WWW.

Ouch I've broken both ankles. That shit hurts!

A drunk tractor driver...yikes.

[Paulie]

6. Yay!

Now ya have a story to tell the neighborhood kids one day, when they are on your lawn.

[Aerows]

10. I'd like to think I'm not a "get off my lawn" type

since I am fairly young and just turned a vigorous 41. If you had five of them rushing the back door once and then another time one of them bit the hell out of your hand, you might think I wasn't kidding that it was a pile of dog doodoo.

[Paulie]

16. I meant when you're 80.

And humans not beasts!

[hootinholler]

8. Good deal

I'm sure you are glad that's over.

[Aerows]

14. Me, too, Hoot

Glad it is over with, and I will actively help keep neighbors informed NOT to feed the bastards.

[angstlessk]

9. Aren't rabi shots good for years?

Invite your rabid sucker to bite you again!...Then bite him back!

[Aerows]

12. I want nothing to do with the

little suckers. A deep puncture wound on my hand and then a horror in the ER is enough to convince me that raccoons and I cannot co-exist peacefully.

[Samantha]

30. How about this, Aerows?

http://www.critter-repellent.com/raccoon/raccoon-repellent.php

Congratulations on finishing your treatment and living to tell about it! Here is hoping you never go through that again. Check out that link.

Sam

[Squinch]

13. Congratulations!

[Aerows]

18. You aren't kidding

I had to go to the next county over, too, to get them. Pain in the butt to have to travel that far, but yesterday I saw the funniest damn thing on the way. A restaurant named "Mother Cluckers" I nearly had an accident I was laughing so hard!!

[Squinch]

22. Do they hurt? Did you try the chicken?

[Aerows]

37. Actually no, the deltoid shots don't hurt at all

They just cause a bit of fatigue. The ER, however, is an entirely different story when they inject the crap in the wound. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

Edit: And I didn't stop at the restaurant because it was 8:30am. I might have stopped, though!

[Alameda]

19. Wow, I missed the first of the saga...

can you give me a link?

I have a serious problem with them where I live and have been on constant battle with them. I've found playing coyote howles and putting granulated coyote urine around helps discourage them from visiting.

I have a neighbor who feeds his cats outside.... He does watch that the cats eat the food and takes their bowls in when they are done...but still....the raccoons know when it's cat feeding time.

[Aerows]

20. In all it's sordid glory

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024284727

[MADem]

21. You can get liquid coyote urine at feed stores and on Amazon....

Put it in a spray bottle and spray it up high enough so that the impression of a large animal is given, yet low enough so the little invaders can get a good whiff....

[FSogol]

24. I've never seen a liquid coyote. Just the solid kind.

[MADem]

26. It's the pee that's liquid--much more effective than the granulated stuff.

Squirrels in the attic? Spray a little coyote pee in there and watch 'em scramble over one another to git-gone!

[FSogol]

27. Please tell me granulated coyote pee comes in plastic containers w/ measuring cup lids like pink

lemonade.

[MADem]

29. It comes in plastic containers with large holes in the top, so you can shake it out

like cheap parmesan!

It's not as effective as the real stuff, though--they put garlic and a few other things in the granulated mixture; the liquid coyote pee is NBP--Nothing But Pee....and it will make a varmint run!

[Lasher]

35. Yeah, put it out and I'll bet all the male coyotes will come from miles around...

looking for that, uh, friendly female that smells so good.

[Aerows]

47. Which I'd love coyotes more than raccoons

One bites the shit out of you and the other mauls your pet. I think Ill pass.

Well intentioned, but I won't be doing it.

[MADem]

85. I think they use male coyote urine....

Those guys are pack animals and kinda territorial, so you're not going to have other guys coming around to claim the area. They only mate once a year--around now, actually, I think.

Still if you have pets and are in a coyote habitat, you'd do well to be careful; they will go after a pet if they need a meal.

[Lasher]

89. No doubt that's true.

I was trying to be funny but it looks like I'd better not give up my day job. Aerows is fun, so she brings out the jokester in me.

[MADem]

90. OMG--that gif is no doubt striking terror in her right about now!!!! Grrrr, grrr, bite! nt

[Aerows]

99. Nah, I have a sense of humor about the situation

Seeing them doesn't bother me. When I go outside at night, though my eye is always on the lookout for something that darts up with a hunched back.

[MADem]

147. Darts up with a hunched back? Cue an "old paramour" joke!!!!

Hee hee...!

Seriously, glad you escaped what could have been a dreadful situation!

[Aerows]

154. Surprisingly, the last dose

is horrid. and yes, I fear things with hunched backs rushing toward me. I never want this shit again.

[MADem]

156. Invest in a pair of steel-toed boots....

and some of that coyote urine; I think it will do the trick for you.

[Aerows]

157. I have a pair of steel toed, 10 eye'd Doc Martins

You REALLY don't want these buggers in the plague they are around here. I'm not a wilting flower. These things are assholes that do not give up. I think it has to do with the weather.

[MADem]

158. Either the weather, or your food-leaving-out neighbor...! nt

[Aerows]

159. Well according to one DUer

It's my fault. Solidly my fault that the son of a gun bit the crap out of me.

[MADem]

160. Well, consider the source when you take in stuff like that.

It wasn't your fault. That's just a foolish thing to say.

It was a nasty, rotten, shitty accident. You had a bit of bad luck, is all. You also had the crap scared out of you.

Fortunately, despite no small amount of inconvenience and a good deal of pain and discomfort, you've come out the other side of a miserable ordeal and survived what could have been a very ugly situation.

There will probably come a day when you can make raccoon jokes, it just won't likely be any time real soon!

Wear those boots, get some of that pee and spray it around your perimeter--refresh it every few weeks. Those little basstids will find someone else to bother!

[Aerows]

162. Thank you MADem

for a post that pretty much summed up what was ...I won't explain because I would prefer to not get banned.

You rock!

[MADem]

165. I was 'on' that thread when you first mentioned the whole business...

I was worried for you--I wish it hadn't had to happen to you at all, but since it did happen, I'm glad you're going to be OK.

And as for raccoons, I hear in some corners they make good eatin'! Perhaps they'll become a fancy menu item, like bison and ostrich....that'll cull the population a bit!!

On a more serious note, I meant to mention this to you but I got busy and forgot about it--when I lived in northern VA, I had a place that backed up on a nice piece of woodland. In that woodland, apparently, there were a lot of raccoons (they never approached my house, I had two bold and brave dogs that were fierce watchdogs--sweethearts, but very territorial). Anyway, I guess they were giving some of the other neighbors a bit of trouble and creating a nuisance, so the Fish and Game/Wildlife (not sure who was in charge, this was a number of years back) sent me a letter asking for permission to put raccoon birth control bait here and there on my property. I said sure, go on ahead, and they did it. It might be worth calling your county people and asking if they have any kind of program along these lines--it'll at least keep the population of those biting, hunching a-holes down!

[Aerows]

166. That sounds like a great solution!

My goodness do we need raccoon birth control. I appreciate you telling me about that!

God, I can't stand next winter with multiples of them as they were this year!

[Aerows]

164. I'm probably a horrible person

but after this incident? I wish all raccoons would drop dead.

[fadedrose]

68. Good idea

Never heard of it before... will look into it, thanks....

[MADem]

84. I cleared a family of squirrels out of an attic with two sprays of the stuff.

The quoted price for a "pest removal" was north of four hundred bucks. The bottle of wee cost me something like fourteen!

I later found out that the pest removal people use coyote wee and one of those humane trap thing-a-ma-bobs nailed to the egress hole to get squirrels out of attics! The idea behind the humane trap is to show the customer what they spent their four hundred bucks on....The reality is, the squirrels aren't coming back if they think a coyote has moved in! And all it takes is a board to close up the hole where the little beggars came in until one can do a proper repair!

[herding cats]

122. I just looked into buying some coyote urine as you recommended because I have a wildlife problem

There are no feed stores near me so I checked out Amazon as you recommended. After reading the reviews for one product called Deerbuster, which claims to be 100% pure coyote urine, I'm no more knowledgeable as to if it's effective. I am, however, highly entertained.

Here's a sampling of what I read there.

URINE, BUT NOT COYOTE URINE!

I bought a jug of Deerbusters Coyote Urine to beat the drug tests that my job had been making me take, but I was immediately let go.

The urine tested positive for both heroin and a methamphetamine, which I never use and don't think "coyotes" use either.

I wrote Deerbusters and Amazon, asking for an explanation and a refund, citing that, clearly, this is NOT coyote urine! Also, I demanded that Dearbusters fire the employees tasked with filling these jugs full of their pee, since they're obviously high off their rockers and don't deserve their jobs.
............

A classic vintage that sets the palette alight!

This is an oenophile's delight, a radiant gold, with a browning rim.
Clean, medium intensity, developed aromas of garbage, mushroom, ammonia, and game. Herby and savoury, slight oxidation.
Initial burst of sweet dark badger moves through all the savoury notes of the nose, more frarant herbs, firm tannins and a surprisingly juicy and complex finish.
Retains good acidity for its age, with no signs of tiredness yet.
.............

This product is lacking

My main issue with this product stems from the taste. When I consume coyote urine, I expect that rich taste similar to the finest of champagnes. I was highly disappointed. The taste of this coyote urine can only be compared to the disgusting taste of wolf urine, which is better known by it's grocery store name, Keystone Light. This gallon of coyote urine hardly tasted like the real thing. I expect authenticity. Also, the size was rather small. My diet mandates that I consume at least 3 gallons of this "Nectar of the Gods" per day, because it is both great for my skin and cures my Alzheimer's. If you are looking for large quantities of the good stuff, look elsewhere!
...........

First, I think it smells more like digo urine

First, I think this smells more like Dingo urine.

However... In order to get this onto an airplane with the 3oz limit, I tried to pour it into another small container. But, it spilled onto my baby who was crawling under my legs at the time, and she got eaten by a bear.

Unless there is a three ounce version of this product, I'm not carry it on an airplane.

I would have given it 5 stars, except that I had to remove one star for the bear accident.

Thanks for accidentally leading me to a good laugh.

[Aerows]

123. LMFAO!

"I accidentally spilled it on my baby and she got eaten by a bear"

[herding cats]

129. Amazon sometimes has the funniest reviews.

The coyote urine that showed to be at amazon via my google search had been accidentally posted under "kitchen" goods. Which probably led to the burst of humor the reviewers expressed.

[Aerows]

130. "It smelled like dingo urine"

Then a bear ate my baby.

OMG, that was hilarious.

[herding cats]

132. I've read some there in the past which lead me to believe they're written by professionals.

They were just that good! The one you mention is in that class.

[MADem]

146. Hee hee!!!

I've used the Deerbusters--it works! That was the stuff that sent the squirrels packing! You can also order it right from the company; I tend to use Amazon for the convenience -- I get a buncha stuff all at once (e.g. vegan dog food for my liver-diseased dawg).

Some Amazon reviews are flat-out hilarious! Those are a scream--it's kind of hard to resist having a bit of fun with that kind of product!

[The Wielding Truth]

102. Try this from post#30.

http://www.critter-repellent.com/raccoon/raccoon-repellent.php

[Egalitarian Thug]

25. Whew. Did you ever get the little bastard? n/t

[Aerows]

63. Most of them

The big ones, the one that weighed 37 pounds is gone as is it's friend that weighed nearly 40 lbs.

These things were big like a dog.

[Egalitarian Thug]

88. Oh I know. We had a pack(?) decide that our crawl space would make nice home when I

lived outside Atlanta. That was my first and last encounter with the fearsome raccoon, they kind of are like terriers, so cute and clever you just want to love them, and then they reveal their true nature...

RUN AWAY!!!

I'm very happy that you escaped relatively unscarred.

[Orrex]

28. What you need now is some asshole making a poorly-timed joke about it.

Glad that you're through your treatment and feeling better!

[nenagh]

31. I am so glad Aerows, that you have finished the injections...

I am so relieved for you that it is over..

[Gothmog]

32. Please get well

I am glad that your last shot is behind you

[kestrel91316]

34. And there is this delightful bonus:

Now that you have been fully vaccinated against rabies, if you get bitten again, the treatment is less involved - just 2 or 3 shots.

Welcome to this very exclusive little club.

[Aerows]

40. Oh, I'm incredibly thankful that I can ONLY have two shots if this happens again

Thanks for being concerned and offering good advice during this mess. I appreciate it. You were a great source of information, and I hope I never deal with this again!

[Lasher]

36. You have one last thing to do:

Foam your mouth up with toothpaste and scare the shit out of your partner. It's the only way to achieve the closure you need.

[Aerows]

41. LMAO!

That would be hilarious!

It makes me edgy, anyway though, so I won't go there.

[Lasher]

45. I am glad you are OK and have this taken care of.

Thanks for sharing this story with us, Aerows.

[JDPriestly]

38. I would not dare go out in my yard at night, anyway, not near my vegetable plants or my compost

bin. I get regular visits. We have found two dead raccoons in our yard. I do not know how they died or why. It's pretty frightening to see how big they are.

You have all my sympathy.

[Aerows]

42. They get huge

Will all that teeth and aggressive attitude.

[JDPriestly]

79. They love earthworms from what I can tell.

[Aerows]

82. From what I understand

they like to eat, period. Anything, everything and whatever is between the two.

[JDPriestly]

87. They seem to like avocados too and rotting garbage from my compost bin.

They may be searching for worms in my compost though.

[Hekate]

83. They're very clever.They've been known to roll up the edges of new sod in lawns to get to earthworms

They catch koi in backyard ponds, too.

>sigh< And backyard chickens: they'll pull them right through the poultry wire, which leaves a mess.

[Rozlee]

39. Those damned animals attacked one of my dogs last year.

He had his shots and the vet gave him a booster, but they did a number on him. He chased after a mama and little ones and a whole bunch of them came piling on top of him. He's a little guy, just weighs 14 pounds. I found him as a stray and then, he gets attacked on our property. I thought they'd killed him, but he just got mauled up. I hate those bastards. Sometimes, at night, I'll be on the porch swing enjoying the evening and one will pop up to the cat dish and glare at me, like it's demanding I feed it. No way. We have feral cats in the neighborhood that we feed, but I dispose of the food before it gets dark. We live in the Texas Hill Country and a little Bichon Frise was attacked by a mountain lion at the Dominion down the road from us. Leaving food out for wildlife is a good way to attract even worse predators than raccoons.

[Aerows]

78. I'm not sure what is worse around here than a raccoon

but I don't want to find out!

[Aerows]

43. Much thanks to everyone

that encouraged me to go to a different hospital than the one that blew me off. That was an extraordinary lesson for me that not all hospitals are created equal!

[RainDog]

44. glad you made it through

my sister had to have a rabies series long ago. she said it was no fun. but glad she made it through, too.

[Aerows]

51. Anything is better than contracting rabies

is what I have heard, and I'm not sorry I went though this process to make sure I didn't freak out and go rabid. It's pretty much nothing to play with, I've heard, and I wasn't prepared to become an experiment with people that do get rabies!

[Rex]

46. I am glad you are getting better!

[Aerows]

74. Thanks, my friend

I hope you are doing well, too.

[TygrBright]

48. Yay! I'm hoping you also got tested for raccoon roundworm?

Baylisascaris procyonis isn't transmitted via bites, but if you have had contact with them it's possible they've left droppings about. It's a nasty, nasty infection. Be safe!

helpfully,
Bright

[Aerows]

62. I've been filled so full of antibiotics

I could practically cure a cold by breathing on you. Trust me, I got enough penicillin to down a horse.

[TygrBright]

97. It's not something that antibiotics will deal with.

Raccoon roundworm is a parasite. Nasty little bugger.

If you live in a "raccoon-rich" environment you want to be aware of it.

Glad the other "worst case" hasn't materialized!

informatively,
Bright

[Hekate]

49. Congratulations. I am SO glad your saga is drawing to a close and that you are well.

Thanks for letting us know.

[Aerows]

77. Me, too

Thanks Hekate

[Silent3]

50. Yeah, but now you'll catch teh autism!

Wouldn't good, old-fashioned, all-natural rabies be much better than having that Big Pharma POISON!1!! pumped into your veins!?

[Aerows]

58. Oh good heaven's

I was shot up with more needles than a pine forest. If I was going to have autism, it would be now.

[libodem]

52. I followed your story

Glad it is over.

[Aerows]

81. Me too!

Thank goodness.

[libodem]

95. .

[arthritisR_US]

53. Good to know your ordeal is over and that you

are ok. Once the last of the fatigue is gone you'll be right as rain!

[Aerows]

57. I will

The shots aren't painful past the initial part, but they make your butt drag in tiredness. I'm so glad this is finally over with!

[Scootaloo]

55. So I just have one question.

What's it like being a were-raccoon?

[Aerows]

56. Well, I haven't craved catfood

too much. It looked appetizing there for a while. Give me Whiska's treats!

LOL.

[cherokeeprogressive]

59. I followed it. I feel connected in an odd sort of way.

There is but ONE appropriate response to your post:

I'm so very glad you're going to be okay!

[Aerows]

80. Thanks for the love

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. Good

Glad it's over

[Aerows]

70. Thanks Nadin

Nobody is any happier than I am that the shots are done with!

[fadedrose]

64. I am very happy for you Aerows

Could have been tragic.

Did you ever find out if the raccoon was rabid? I hope he wasn't, but regardless, you did the right thing in taking precaution.

[Aerows]

71. I don't know

we have so many of them around here, it is impossible to pick on out of the bunch. It's weird, we have NEVER had this many, but it's like a plague of them this year.

[TDale313]

65. So very glad to hear

That you're doing well and this whole thing is over. Thanks for keeping us updated.

[Aerows]

72. Thanks for caring :)

I'm just glad this is over with.

[TDale313]

73. I bet :-)

[Warren DeMontague]

86. Raccoons scare the shit out of me.

Glad that's over for you. Phew.

[notemason]

93. Should be

had one kill and eat all of my chickens; I confronted him with the last one in his jaws and he dropped it and started growling at me with sounds like a bear. Had to put him down.

[malaise]

91. Wow!

I'm glad it's your last shot as well.

[Aerows]

139. It's been harsh

But I'm completely over this mess and I can at least share my experience and say "stay the fuck away from wild animals that get to close to you!" LOL. I don't like to curse, but that is my only statement after this ordeal!

Thanks Malaise

[malaise]

150. Ha - who could disagree with you on that

Glad you're now protected

[pnwmom]

92. So glad you got that taken care of and you're all done. Stay well (and stay away from raccoons)!

[Aerows]

138. I will, and thank you so much for the kind thoughts

DU was very helpful in this mess, and I appreciate it more than all will know!

[pnwmom]

140. I understand why you were reluctant to make a big deal out of the bites and go to the ER.

But it was kind of a big deal -- so I'm glad you came here and let everybody talk you into taking care of yourself.

I'd seen what had happened to my niece with a little cat bite. She cleaned it up, put some antibiotic on it and went to bed. When she woke up her arm was swollen like a football, and she's lucky she didn't lose it.

So there other things besides rabies that can happen from an animal bite. Flesh eating bacteria is of them.

I'm glad you've turned the page on that particular chapter of your life.

[Aerows]

141. Me too, and thanks pnwmom

[LiberalEsto]

94. I'm glad your ordeal is over

[Aerows]

137. Me too

Thanks for the

[madokie]

96. A lot of us are with you on the happiness

of you not getting rabies.

Thank you for keeping us informed on this ordeal. It adds to the value of what we call DemocraticUnderground.

[Aerows]

114. Thank you

And I hope others learn from this, too. Stay away from the bastards. They are dangerous!

[Gothmog]

98. I am glad that you do not need any further shots

Get well

[Aerows]

104. Thanks for the positive thoughts

I'm well, actually. Don't get mixed up with wild animals LOL.

[Gothmog]

105. Has your neighbor stop feeding the coons?

[Aerows]

107. As far as I know, she has been made aware

by the lady that lives in front of her, and my nextdoor neighbor (we're across the street). People just don't know (I didn't) how bad they get when you encourage them.

[Gothmog]

115. That is good news

[Logical]

110. Thank Louis Pasteur! nt

[Aerows]

112. No kidding ...

though I'm not sure what the hell is in this particular stuff. They call it an immunoglobin shot. It might have dead rabies in it, I don't know, I haven't really researched it.

[Logical]

118. It does contain dead rabies virus! nt

[MineralMan]

113. And now, back to normal life!

Good on ya!

[Aerows]

116. And thank you for your help, too

MM. I was freaking when the other hospital basically gave me a pat on the head and said "Don't worry about it."

[MineralMan]

117. I'm just glad you're safe.

Take it easy.

[Aerows]

120. I'd like to take the opportunity to refer everyone upthread

Last edited Wed Feb 5, 2014, 05:30 PM - Edit history (1)

and send good vibes snooper2's way. Obviously, there are some issues there when making fun of people is a sport.

I don't mind that it is me. I wish it remained directed at me, because I wear big girl pants and can take it. I wonder about those on DU that can't, however. In any case, let's dwell on the positive that others learn from my mistakes, because heaven knows, no one else has ever made one, especially not snooper2.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4448851

[RKP5637]

131. I'm glad you're OK. I had wondered about that often. We were having a dinner

party one night on an open porch on the second floor and suddenly a family of raccoons climbed up a tree and invaded. We had no idea they were so dangerous, but we fled back inside.

[Aerows]

134. Thank you

and please be careful around them. They look cute, but they get huge and dangerous. I'm just glad I was the one that got bitten and not a small child.

[MoonRiver]

135. Congrats, Aerows!

You've been through the mill with this!

[Aerows]

136. Thank you for the kind words

Moon River

[Rowdyboy]

142. Just reading this makes my skin crawl...We saw a big ass one on our back porch a couple of nights

ago stealing our cats' food. We ran it off but it hid under a shed nearby. I'm really worried about the kitties because they consider this "their" yard and don't like strangers. We've gotten much more careful about picking up their food after meals but we have a large compost pile next to the shed. Saw some ideas in this thread that I'm planning to try.

Congrats on being done with the shots. That really sounds like a bitch.

[Aerows]

143. Oh, Rowdyboy, protect your cats

Make sure you don't leave food out for them. They get humongous and if you get bitten, it's a bitch to deal with.

I'm starting to think this is weather related, too. We've never had so much cold weather this far South, but the North has had it brutal. I think a bunch of them migrated down here to survive. They are all OVER the place. It's just a theory, and I could be wrong, but I never saw one before this year. Now they are all the heck over.

[countryjake]

144. I'm happy that your ordeal is coming to an end!

You may not think so yet, at this point, but you were lucky.

Here's a big "WHEW!" for you...so glad those shots are over!

[Aerows]

145. I do think I am lucky!

I'm starting to think, as I hypothesized in another post, that this has to do with the brutal winter weather. I NEVER saw them before this year, and there are freaking flocks of them. Hopefully once the winter is over they will take their ugly butts back up to from whence they came!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

149. Now you can bite anyone you want to!

If you were a lawyer you could go to court and bite opposing counsel!

[Aerows]

153. It isn't anything to celebrate

it makes you seize up a bit and feel terrible. I've gone through 5 of these.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

172. Sorry, that was a lawyer joke.

Because lawyers are often compared to unflattering animals.
I apologize.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

152. Not getting rabies is certainly a good thing.

[Aerows]

155. The last batch requires some sort of mixing

It isn't as bad as the first one in the ER, but it is FUCKED UP.

[madokie]

167. Another benefit of this

is it takes away some of the worry and fear if any of us was to have the same thing happen to us. For that my hat is off to you. You have been a great service to us your DU friends.

[Aerows]

168. I am sincere in trying to keep those around us from feeding them

I'm thankful it was *ME* and not a child.

[steve2470]

169. now for my raccoon mini-story

I read the entire thread and my memory got jogged about our raccoons in our back yard.

Our metal trash cans were in our back yard (back when the garbage guys had to go get them back there), and the raccoons would crawl under the 9 feet high chain link fence with barbed wire on top, to feast on our garbage. Behind us was a municipal park that had raccoons in it. This was around 1970. The raccoons came from the park, of course. By feasting on the garbage, they would rattle the metal trash cans in the middle of the night and disturb the neighbors.

I guess my dad was braver than I thought, but he would put a 6 feet long rectangular cage (see image below)



with a trap door back by the cans. The raccoon would crawl in the cage to get the bait (piece of steak I think) and the trap door would slam shut behind him or her.

Next morning we'd go out to inspect the cage and voila, some mornings a raccoon would be in there, mad as hell and hissing at us. My dad would load up the trusty station wagon and take the trapped raccoon out to the middle of the boondocks (maybe 25 miles from downtown back then) and let the critter go. He would wear gloves when handling the cage but damn the raccoon would lash out furiously at him. Then they would run out of the cage fast as hell into the forest. We did this about 4 times I think.

I think I wore gloves too. I'm glad neither of us got bitten. Again, I'm glad you're safe and sound now and getting back to normal !

[JanMichael]

170. Good god-

Yes, I got your message.

The "last one" is no more different that the last two.

[Aerows]

171. Sorry, my friend that got bitten by a bat

but it is important to remind folks. 5 people have survived it.

[greatlaurel]

178. Glad you made it through this ordeal.

Raccoons are smart and mean critters.