“Able to cause harm or death, likely to cause problems or have adverse consequences.” This is the definition of “dangerous” as found in the dictionary. Do raccoons fit this definition? Are raccoons dangerous?
The first part of the above definition is pretty drastic. To say that raccoons can cause death is probably not fair to the animal. When you have raccoons around your property, you don’t feel like they are about to kill you at any time, right? In some very rare cases, the presence of a raccoon can be fatal to humans, but we will explain that later. Generally, however, this is not the kind of “dangerous” we commonly have in mind when it comes to raccoons.
Raccoons are widespread in the U.S. and more and more people every year are likely to have a raccoon encounter. While some people welcome such a meeting, others may panic if the animal is spotted around their house. Which is the correct approach to raccoons?
As we often say, the truth lies somewhere in between.
Keep in mind this statement that encompasses an essential truth about raccoons: In most cases, are raccoons dangerous? As dangerous as you allow them to be.
Let’s look at some facts about raccoons and the reasoning behind this statement by answering the most popular questions that people ask when raccoons come too close.
1. Do Raccoons Kill Cats?
Raccoons are wild animals, and they behave as such. Incidents with cats are not frequent, but your pet and a raccoon could get into a conflict. This usually happens for one of two reasons. One, cats may chase raccoons. If the raccoon feels trapped, he will defend himself by attacking your cat. Two, raccoons love cat food. If they get used to feeding from your cat’s bowl, a fight could easily ignite.
Cats are by nature reserved and usually don’t pay much attention to raccoons. That’s why it’s not common for raccoons to attack cats. But if you aren’t careful about putting your cat’s food inside at night, you may be inviting raccoons to visit your property, a bad habit that could easily answer the question of are raccoons dangerous by putting your cat in harms way. If a fight breaks out between your cat and a raccoon, there will not be a happy ending for your pet. A raccoon can easily kill a cat, or at least inflict severe wounds.
As a preventive measure, make your house raccoon-proof and always keep your cat and its food inside at night.
2.Do Raccoons Attack Dogs?
There are reports of raccoons attacking dogs for no apparent reason. This is not the norm; raccoons do not usually attack dogs without cause.
If there are raccoons in your neighborhood, you should still be cautious. Dogs are curious but territorial creatures. If they see a raccoon in the yard, they may chase after him either out of curiosity or to defend their territory. The raccoon’s first reaction is to flee, but if he is cornered and feels trapped, he will attack your dog.
Another potentially dangerous scenario is when the raccoon visits your house to eat your dog’s food. You know how jealous your dog is at mealtimes. If he spots the raccoon stealing his food, a fight will start in no time. When raccoons and dogs have a confrontation, pets are the ones who typically pay the consequences. A raccoon’s claws and teeth are sharp weapons, and they can kill small dogs. If your dog is big or medium-sized, he may survive the encounter, but he will come away severely injured.
You play a significant role in preventing raccoon run-ins. Always keep both your pet and its food inside at night and do all you can to keep raccoons away from your house altogether.
3. Do Raccoons Eat Chickens?
Raccoons are omnivorous and will eat anything, including chickens. The eggs in particular are a succulent meal for raccoons, who will venture inside your property looking for a treat. Once the raccoon is in your chicken coop, he may decide to kill the birds as a source of food.
It is vital to raccoon-proof the area where you keep your chickens. During the night, keep the coop closed. Raccoons are brilliant and have nimble fingers; for them, opening a lock is a walk in the park. For this reason, you need to use latches or locks that raccoons cannot easily open.
The area where the chickens are during the day needs to be protected by a fence. Raccoons are nocturnal animals, but it is not unusual for them to hang around your property during the day. Therefore, your chickens are a potential target all day long. Since raccoons are excellent climbers, an electric fence is the best solution to discourage the critters from nabbing your chickens.
4. What Other Dangers Do Raccoons Pose To My Pets?
In the first two questions, we considered why raccoons might attack cats or dogs. Here are some more facts about raccoons and your pets.
Besides the risk of violent encounters, raccoons are a threat to your pet’s health. The presence of raccoons often goes hand in hand with a flea, ticks or mites infestation, so your pet is at higher risk of contracting diseases if raccoons are around.
Another significant danger is raccoon droppings. Raccoon feces and urine are carriers of diseases like Leptospirosis and raccoon roundworm, some of which can be fatal to your pet or cause serious health issues. It is quite easy for your pet to come into contact with or ingest raccoon droppings.
Additionally, if your dog gets infected, his droppings will become dangerous as well, exposing you and your family to the same health risks.
5. Do Raccoons Have Rabies?
Raccoons, along with other wild animals like foxes, skunks and bats, are the primary rabies carriers in the United States. Even though contagion rarely happens, raccoons are potentially dangerous to the health of you and your pets. The disease is transmitted by a bite or a scratch. If you ever have such an encounter with a raccoon, you need proper medical treatment immediately. Even though post-exposure treatments are available and efficient, they are known to be very painful and highly expensive.
Not all raccoons have rabies. A 2013 survey revealed that about 32 percent of raccoons are rabies carriers. The percentage is still high enough to demand extreme caution. Close contact with raccoons, such as feeding them by hand, must be avoided so as not to expose yourself to potential bites.
6. Is A Raccoon Rabid If He Is Out During The Day?
This is a common belief. Raccoons are well known to be nocturnal, and it is not common to see them around during the day. But when a raccoon is rabid, his behavior changes. For instance, raccoons are usually shy, but a rabid raccoon may become unusually aggressive. And yes, he may wander around in the daytime.
However, sometimes non-rabid raccoons decide to deviate from their customary habits. If a mother raccoon is taking care of newborns, for example, she may be around in the daytime looking for extra food for her litter. In other cases, raccoons living in metropolitan areas have developed different habits from the ones living in the wild. These different habits may include looking for food during the day.
If you see a raccoon out in the daytime, do not jump to the conclusion that he is rabid. Observe his behavior instead. Besides becoming more aggressive, a rabid raccoon has difficulty walking straight, and his movements are somewhat impaired or unnatural. It is quite easy to recognize that something is wrong with the animal. On the other hand, if the raccoon is alert, quick and moving naturally, and if he can climb without any apparent problems, it means that everything is OK. He is probably just hungry and scrounging for food.
7. Are Raccoon Feces Dangerous?
We can't answer the question, are raccoons dangerous, without talking about the dangers of raccoon droppings. This is one of the most serious and worrisome facts about raccoons. If the animals start using your yard as a latrine, or if they settle inside your house, their droppings need to be handled with extreme caution.
Raccoons feces can spread several serious and sometimes fatal diseases.
For instance, Leptospirosis is a bacteria found in raccoon urine. If the urine touches an open wound or is ingested accidentally, the disease may be contracted. If promptly treated, Leptospirosis can be cured. Otherwise, it can cause kidney failure or meningitis with fatal or devastating consequences to the human body.
Salmonella is another bacteria found in raccoon feces. Infection happens by incidental ingestion. Many people recover without any treatment, but sometimes hospitalization is necessary.
The raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) is the most dangerous threat found in raccoon feces. To become infected, you don’t have to touch or ingest the droppings; it is enough just to inhale airborne eggs. That is what make this disease extremely dangerous. Once contracted, the roundworm will attack the brain, the eyes or the spinal cord causing permanent damage or in some cases death. To make matters worse, areas touched by raccoon droppings remain dangerous for several years.
Obviously raccoon droppings are a serious issue. Unfortunately, too often people underestimate the danger. When you consider that babies and young children are especially at risk, as are your pets, you should feel compelled to properly address the problem.
Click here to read a complete article on the many ways raccoon droppings are dangerous and how to remove them. In any case, the best option for removing the droppings is to call to a wildlife specialist like Get Raccoons Out. We will not only clean the area but sanitize it thoroughly to ensure total safety for your family.
8. Do Raccoons Attack Humans?
Generally speaking, raccoons do not attack humans. Raccoons are wild animals and as such they prefer to avoid any contact with humans, choosing to flee instead if they see you coming.
But there are situations that may push raccoons to attack humans. This is usually caused by taking a wrong approach to the critters. The primary mistake you should avoid, which is unfortunately all too common around the U.S., is making your house appealing to raccoons.
If a raccoon can easily find food around your property — for example, in an unprotected trash can or a pet’s outdoor food bowl — he may become overly accustomed to your house and your presence. A bold raccoon can get too close to humans, increasing the chances of a confrontation. If you try to chase away the raccoon and end up cornering him, you’ve set up a classic situation where a raccoon may attack you in self-defense.
Following the same line of reasoning, intentionally feeding raccoons is something to avoid altogether. It is not beneficial for any wild animal to be fed by humans, and it is an excellent way to invite raccoons to enter your house. If you feed them by hand, the raccoons will not attack you, but they may bite you.
One of the most dangerous situations that can expose you to an attack is when a raccoon lives in your house, perhaps in your attic, chimney, garage or a crawl space. Oftentimes when raccoons settle in your house, it’s because the mother is about to give birth. A mother raccoon is very protective of her baby raccoons. If, in an attempt to get rid of the raccoons, you get too close to the pups, the mother may attack you.
For this reason, if raccoons are around your yard or inside your house, it is always a good idea to ask for the intervention of a raccoon removal expert like Get Raccoons Out. A professional approach to raccoon removal will prevent accidents and limit the damage the raccoon can cause.
9. Are Raccoons Dangerous To Human Health?
Yes, raccoons are dangerous to human health in several ways.
As aforementioned, raccoons are rabies carriers. Cases of a human contracting rabies from a raccoon are very few; however, the possibility is still there. Rabies is a life-threatening disease in humans, but it can be easily cured if you contact your doctor immediately. The price you pay is enduring a series of painful, costly injections.
A lesser known but more serious threat to human health comes from raccoon droppings. Raccoon feces and urine can spread some dangerous diseases, including Leptospirosis, Salmonella and raccoon roundworm. Of these diseases, raccoon roundworm is especially worrisome since transmission doesn’t happen by contact but by inhalation. An area that has been touched by raccoon droppings can remain infected for years after the droppings are removed if it’s not sanitized properly.
If you have children, you need to be super careful. Kids like to play on the ground and are notorious for putting things in their mouths. For this reason, they are at high risk if there are raccoon droppings in your yard.
Your pets are also exposed to the danger. Additionally, a pet that has been infected by raccoon droppings becomes a carrier. As a result, his droppings are now dangerous too, further heightening the risk to your family’s health.
A word of caution if you have raccoon droppings in your yard or house: Before removing them, wear disposable clothing, gloves and a professional respirator. All the tools you use need to be disposed of or, even better, burned.
Due to the high and often underestimated risks posed by raccoon droppings, the intervention of a wildlife specialist is always the wisest choice.
For more information about the risks posed by raccoon feces and urine and how to handle them, read this article on the dangers of raccoon droppings.
10. Are Raccoon Dangerous In My Yard?
It is never a good idea to have raccoons roaming around your yard. They may not be dangerous at first, but they may become so in time. That is why it’s important to take every preventive measure to keep raccoons away from your garden.
Among the problems a raccoon can cause in your yard are broken bird feeders, stolen vegetables and fruit, raided trash cans, destroyed flowers and so on. All of these are nuisances that may cost you a little money but are not real dangers.
A greater danger is to your pets. A raccoon visiting your yard may have an encounter with your pet sooner or later. If they start a fight, make no mistake — the raccoon will be the winner. A raccoon can easily kill a small cat or dog, and larger pets may come away severely injured.
Don’t underestimate the danger of raccoon droppings in your yard. Raccoon droppings are highly hazardous to humans and pets. The diseases carried in raccoon feces and urine are sometimes easily treatable but other times incapacitating or even fatal. Children are particularly exposed to the dangers of raccoon droppings, which should make it a matter serious enough to deserve your attention.
A raccoon that grows accustomed to your yard may in time decide to enter your house and make his den inside. This is a scenario to avoid at any cost. Once the raccoon is inside your house, the damage he can cause is unlimited. If you do not get rid of the raccoon promptly, the cost for repairs may amount to several thousand dollars.
If you have raccoons around your yard, do not hesitate to contact a raccoon removal specialist like Get Raccoons Out before it is too late. We will be glad to help you not only in removing the critters but also in wildlife-proofing your property. Most important, if the raccoons have already damaged your property, we will help you file a successful claim with your insurance company.
11. Are Raccoons Dangerous In My House?
When dealing with raccoons, having them inside your house is the most worrisome scenario.
The critters may decide to make a den in the crawl spaces underneath your house or deck. But it is more serious when a raccoon enters your house and makes himself at home in your attic, garage or walls. If you are not alert in detecting signs of a raccoon’s presence inside your house, the animal will use the opportunity to destroy your property.
Typical damage caused by raccoons includes trampled insulation, chewed pipes and cables, torn apart ducts, destroyed wall insulation and so on. Sometimes, to find a way into your house, a raccoon will even damage the roof or the walls, tearing apart shingles and wood planks.
All this destruction may result in increased heating bills due to the damaged insulation or water leaks through raccoon-made holes in the roof. Damaged water pipes and electric cables are also very dangerous as they can cause flooding or fire.
The area where the raccoon decides to make a den will be contaminated by his feces and urine, which are hazardous to human health. Removing the droppings and sanitizing the area is a dangerous task if not done carefully and while wearing the proper protection gear.
If you hear the critters moving inside your house or if you suspect they may be around, immediately call a raccoon removal service like Get Raccoons Out. Time is crucial when dealing with raccoons. You cannot afford to give the raccoon any extra time to wreak havoc on your property. Addressing the problem by yourself can be partially or totally ineffective, whereas a professional service will remove the raccoons quickly and safely. Additionally, a wildlife professional will help you handle your insurance company. Most insurance companies cover the damage caused by raccoons if you know how to correctly file your claim.
Final Thoughts On The Dangers Posed By Raccoons
There is one thing that all the above facts about raccoons have in common: You always have a chance to prevent raccoon problems.
If you take preventive measures and do not allow raccoons to come near your house, you will rarely have issues with these creatures. It is critical for you to make your house uninviting to raccoons before it’s too late.
If you want to know all the steps for keeping raccoons away, contact us and we will assist you in making your house raccoon-proof.
Comments 18
lee
December 19, 2018 |
I have had a raccoon come into my house through doggy door twice to eat my dogs food. I have since closed off doggy door but my dog now goes potty on my carpet. I was told I could open doggy door during the day, however according to your article they will come in during the day. I have called animal control and they told me that they do nothing unless the raccoon is in the house. I have bought some laser lights that are suppose to scare off wild animals what else can I do? I have a small dog that is 16 yrs old and he enjoys his yard. Help Please.
admin
December 28, 2018 |
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your raccoon problem. I know how frustrating it can be when it upsets your household/pet routines. My best advice is to contact a local pest removal service (especially one that advertises experience with raccoon removal) and have them trap the raccoon. If you happen to be in the Fort Collins, Colorado area, we'd be happy to help. I hope you can get the help you need!
Lydia
August 27, 2019 |
I thought they have doggy doors that can only open with a magnetic/key activated thing. Like if you put that on your dog, that only your dog can use the doggy door, and no other animals. I've heard about it, but never actually experienced it myself. Could be something to look ino.
Carol
January 18, 2019 |
I live in Almaden, a neighborhood in San Jose. I had a raccoon enter my home while I was at work and kill my Toy Fox Terrier. I came home at 6:00 PM September day, still light outside and found my dog ripped apart. So to answer your question from my experience, yes they do come in through pet doors. Be very careful. Put up an electric top fence, so they can’t climb over. Good luck
admin
January 19, 2019 |
Hi Carol, That is a terrible story. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for advice, hopefully it will be helpful to other people with small pets.
angelique agee
January 19, 2019 |
We have noticed 2-3 large raccoons wandering around our yard every evening..our motion detection video flood light picks up the motion. They are surrounding my husband's car and walking around that area. Is it dangerous? Why do they keep coming back? We have put these green pellets that are supposed to get rid of raccoons all over our yard. It seems like they are coming more frequently now. What to do?
admin
January 21, 2019 |
Hello Angelique, The raccoons can be dangerous if you have small pets (especially if you use a doggy door) and also their scat (waste) can be quite toxic. If you see them around during the day where they don't seem frightened of you, take extra precaution because this is abnormal and can indicate sickness such as rabies. We have found that having them trapped and removed is the best method for getting them to stay away. If you don't want to go that route, make sure to keep garbage covered and inside, watch your children and pets when they go outside, and seal pet doors.
Lori
April 9, 2019 |
I had my household items in storage and something got in and chewed on some boxes and actually pulled some items out of a box. I did not see any feces thank heaven but they sure left soy crumbs from a soy candle making kit that was in there. I still have one box they were got into as many personal items, jewelry and papers were in it. This was maybe 6 months ago. I put the box in a plastic bag and haven't really touched it yet. Should I maybe bleach all the items in it and just pitch the personal papers? Another person with a storage unit a couple down from me said it was probably racoons and they were somehow getting in from the top jumping from unit to unit I assume. They probably jumped on clothing I had hanging on the wall where they would have been coming in to. Thank you!
admin
April 9, 2019 |
Hello Lori, That's frustrating! Have you spoken to the management of your storage unit? It seems like they would be under obligation to keep raccoons out of your storage. In the meantime, thinking through any items that would remind intruders of food (like the soy) and taking extra precautions would be recommended. And as you probably know, they are good at getting through plastic and cardboard when they are determined to do so.
Jim
May 14, 2019 |
Raccoons are adorable.
Hailey Parker
May 21, 2019 |
So I saw a raccoon just walking around my grandmas yard in the daylight so I went over and gave him some rice crackers. He seemed like a nice little guy. He was walking up to me when I was squatted down but I stood up to fast and he ran off limping. I thought he may have been hurt so I left some food out for him. So my question is... are raccoons tame-able?. I know it sounds crazy but he was cute and really nice.
admin
May 21, 2019 |
Hi Hailey, To answer your question, yes, there are situations where people have had raccoons as pets. However, you must not forget that a raccoon is a wild animal. Your little friend could be carrying a number of diseases so exercise extreme caution especially around it's droppings (please read the above section about raccoon feces). It may not be nice to other animals if you have any, and you could run into a situation like this one that I read about last week:https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/macomb-county/6-year-old-girl-injured-8-year-old-boy-attacked-by-neighbors-pet-raccoon
Mike Daniels
July 9, 2019 |
I had a encounter with a raccoon a few years ago that was “strange”. I had a raccoon approach me in my garage one morning, which worried me cuz my only way out was to try and go by him! But, he just stood there staring at me. He wasn’t being aggressive, in all actuality he just kinda had this look like, hey! How ya doin? Then all the sudden he kinda sat back on his hind legs and started shaking for a few seconds and then just fell over. I thought it was dead but after about 10-15 seconds he just sat back up like nothing happened! I don’t know if raccoons can have seizures but that’s what it kinda looked like. I ended up calling wildlife control and they came and picked him up! She said it was probably rabies, but with rabies I always pictured something like ‘Cujo’ not ‘Lassie’ lol.
admin
July 11, 2019 |
That is strange! I guess if dogs can have seizures, raccoons can too. Although the Wildlife Control might have been correct too. Glad to hear the experience ended safely for everyone.
Sistah
August 13, 2019 |
😂🤣 I actually feel bad for laughing 😕especially since I'm pretty sure they ended up putting the creature to sleep 🙁 but I couldn't help but think:🤔 1) Out in daylight (morning)🌄; usually nocturnal so sightings are less common during the day🌞 though not that unusual...I suppose. 2) 🦝 Not scared away by humans;😎 usually avoids humans or is easily scared by them😬 3) Has seizure 🤯 & collapses then pops back up like nothing happened😐 Yep, sounds rabid to me! 🤷♀️ I agree with Admin, I'm glad that neither you nor any other humans were hurt. D@mn! I hate that the little fella had to go out like that.😔
Molly
August 4, 2019 |
We were feeding squirrels as there was tons of logging around our area and the squirrels were displaced and its baby season so now we have a huge raccoon issue. Weird we saw one during the day then all of a sudden there are at least 8 roaming around all during the day. They approach us and beg for food. We are in the mountains and likely they were displaced by logging too. We've tried not to feed however they are so close to our house and other animals to draw them away we've taken food into the woods and they follow us to eat. We are stopping this and just keeping everyone in until this blows over. We are trying to deal with this with compassion realizing that we put food out for the squirrels causing this. Electrifying the duck pen has kep them out of there at this point. My question is I let my horses out to roam our property. Are they in danger of raccoons too and will they get sick if the grass they eat has raccoon droppings on it? I've not heard of this happening to horses and I'm sure we've had raccoons this whole time roaming our property at night maybe not this many all at once though. Thank you for your response and knowledge of these beautiful wilds.
admin
August 5, 2019 |
Oh wow, you're in a tough position! I would want to help the baby squirrels too. I'm not an expert on horses, but I do know about the many diseases that can be in raccoon scat. Outside of the scenario of an accidental ingestion (a little droppings on grass), I'd recommend keeping your horses well fed so they aren't lacking any nutrients that might compel them to eat droppings. Judging from your love of animals, I'm sure you're on top of that. I'd keep up on their regular worming schedule since roundworm is commonly transmitted through raccoon scat. Other than that just be on the look out for lethargy and intestinal changes. As soon as you can, I'd advise backing off on the outdoor feeding though, because unfortunately your problems will keep growing.
Sistah
August 13, 2019 |
Such an unfortunate dilemma.🙁 I'm from Alabama so I grew up around horses and still love them to this day. It sounds like the raccoons have gotten entirely tooooooo comfortable and I believe (from the abundance of detailed information gathered from this page) that the raccoons pose a serious threat to your pets/stock. Hopefully there is something that can be safely dispersed around the area which is not harmful to your livestock but deterring to the raccoons. I hope that it all works out.🙂