uscitizen
Villified User
Cat-killing raccoons on prowl in west Olympia
By STEVE POWELL
The Olympian
OLYMPIA - Raccoons are cute, until they kill one of your cats.
That is what a west Olympia neighborhood is learning this summer.
Raccoons have killed about 10 cats in a three-block area near the Garfield Nature Trail at Harrison Avenue West and Foote Street Southwest.
Problem wildlife coordinator Sean Carrell of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife called the situation "bizarre, weird."
"I've never heard a report of 10 cats being killed. It's something we're going to have to monitor," he said. He added that they may have to bring in trappers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The problem got so bad that residents Kari Hall and Tamara Keeton even started a Raccoon Watch after having an emotional neighborhood meeting attended by about 40 people.
"It was a place for people to mourn and cry," Hall said.
At the meeting, they encouraged people to stop feeding the raccoons. They also decided to keep their pets and pet food inside. And they decided to carry pepper spray to drive off raccoons that attack again.
Keeton and Pam Corwin have decided to have "cat coops" built so their pets can go outside and have some room to roam, with protection.
It's not just cats being attacked. Five raccoons actually ganged up on and carried off a little dog, who survived.
By STEVE POWELL
The Olympian
OLYMPIA - Raccoons are cute, until they kill one of your cats.
That is what a west Olympia neighborhood is learning this summer.
Raccoons have killed about 10 cats in a three-block area near the Garfield Nature Trail at Harrison Avenue West and Foote Street Southwest.
Problem wildlife coordinator Sean Carrell of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife called the situation "bizarre, weird."
"I've never heard a report of 10 cats being killed. It's something we're going to have to monitor," he said. He added that they may have to bring in trappers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The problem got so bad that residents Kari Hall and Tamara Keeton even started a Raccoon Watch after having an emotional neighborhood meeting attended by about 40 people.
"It was a place for people to mourn and cry," Hall said.
At the meeting, they encouraged people to stop feeding the raccoons. They also decided to keep their pets and pet food inside. And they decided to carry pepper spray to drive off raccoons that attack again.
Keeton and Pam Corwin have decided to have "cat coops" built so their pets can go outside and have some room to roam, with protection.
It's not just cats being attacked. Five raccoons actually ganged up on and carried off a little dog, who survived.
