Wildlife animals like raccoons are best kept at a distance. They may be interesting to observe but when they interact with people and domesticated animals such as pet cats and dogs, they can cause adverse effects such as diseases and injury. With expert raccoon removal services Milwaukee residents may be able to help keep their pets safe from wildlife interaction. But there are some measures that pet owners can put in place to safeguard their furry companions.
Your Pet vs a Raccoon
Dogs and cats by nature are enthused about smaller animals like raccoons. The predator gene in them, and sometimes their playful nature makes them want to chase after the wildlife animal. The outcome of such interactions could be harmful in many different ways though.
One of the foremost concerns for pet owners whose furry companions interact with wildlife animals is the risk of contracting diseases. Raccoons and other wildlife animals are carriers of diseases like rabies. Once a pet dog or cat has had contact with a wild raccoon, especially one that demonstrates the signs of a rabies infection transmission is possible.
Both the raccoon and the pet are vulnerable to physical harm especially when the interaction between the two is aggressive (as it typically is… after all wildlife animals and domesticated one shave totally different temperaments!). In fact, raccoons often maul cats and dogs severely with cats being more at risk of suffering fatal raccoon inflicted injuries than dogs.
Raccoons tend to avoid dogs especially the larger and more ferocious breeds but when they get into conflict with dogs they are strategic. If a raccoon attacks your dog, it will focus on areas such as the chest and abdomen. A raccoon will first attack the dog’s eyes by scratching at them. When the dog is distracted the raccoon launches further attacks. Raccoon bites can penetrate a dog’s chest wall and cause lung collapse. Injuries to the dog’s abdomen may lead to peritonitis. Raccoon attacks can also damage the dog’s urethra causing urine to collect and triggering secondary kidney failure. In some cases, dogs maul raccoons to death and so dog owners who keep their pets away from raccoons are also doing the wildlife animal a favour.
Limit and Monitor Outdoor Activities
Your furry companion needs outdoor exercise. That’s an undeniable fact. But allowing your cat or dog to roam freely outside is tantamount to exposing him/her to wildlife such as raccoons. Try to avoid areas that are known to be frequented by the wildlife animals. When you do allow your pet outside try using a leash to keep your pet’s roaming in your control. Also, consider keeping your pet indoors at night as this is when raccoons are most active.
Convert Your Property into a Wildlife Free Zone
In addition to the measures above, you can protect your pet from raccoon encounters by reducing the likelihood of wildlife animals entering your space. This can be done by using exclusion strategies, which are essentially the things you to bar animals from entering the property. This includes repairing cracks and holes that could provide access.
Store your pet food and water inside. This is especially important for cat food if you feed your cat outdoors. You should also remove all traces of cat food after your kitty has eaten. The same goes for your kitty’s water bowl. Raccoons will come for a taste of the water or to use it to wash their food before eating.
For raccoons, in particular, you should definitely consider changing your garbage disposal habits to ensure that you don’t attract them to your property. You can do this by installing raccoon proof bins or better yet finding measures of garbage disposal that don’t include garbage standing outside the home, especially at night (Consider storing your garbage in raccoon-proof bins inside your raccoon-proof garage or shed until collection day).
Let the Experts Help
To be 100% confident that your pets are kept away from wildlife animal like raccoon you should invest in expert wildlife control solutions. Look into services such as those provided by Skedaddle for raccoon removal for your Milwaukee property. Skedaddle also offers effective and humane exclusion services that will help in your bid to keep raccoons away from your home.
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