Extremely tame raccoon.

[craftyjellyfish]

-Edited with a little more detail-

So my boyfriend's mother has chickens and is extremely over protective of them. The coop is in a large coop to protect them when they can't be let out into the yard.

Tonight, before I posted this, a raccoon had made its way into our backyard and the back door where it stayed and interacted with us through the glass. Interacted as in, calmly tried to open the door, scratching lightly at the seems, and sniffed at the glass as it was looking at us.

But strange enough, and extremely odd, when it would leave towards the chicken coop (also where our compose pile is), we'd open the door, yell/call at it, close the door, and it would turn back around and come back to the door.

It was not afraid of us. Clearly it wanted food, but it was too strange that when we finally tried to chase it away it was reluctant to leave, even after being shot with a non-lethal co2 powered air soft pistol. Only when my boyfriend went outside did it leave, but slowly.

I would like to know if this is normal behavior or if this is signs of a sick animal?

The raccoon it self was not aggressive at all nor had the physical signs of rabies. It actually was clean and healthy looking. Very big, very fluffy!

Thank you.

Here's a little picture of the big guy take through the door:

 

[BrickWall Honey]

Sounds like the coon has been fed by other humans in the area. People think it is cute to have them come up on the porch and beg. Not good if your keeping poultry.

 

[Judy]

Very strange, and very possibly a rabid animal. Of course it's possible it is someone's escaped pet, too. Even non rabid coons are a threat to people; read up on raccoon worms.

 

[centrarchid]

I have seen similar with healthy raccoons. A couple were known to be outright pets. What we learned with such raccoons when we could actually observe them during their attempted breakins is that you can construct coops and henhouse doors to block their progress and some roosting locations were effectively out of the raccoons reach. We also learned they difficult to train to stop at least trying to go after birds and from going through catdoors.

 

[zazouse]

Sounds like someone has made a pet of it, i have a distant neighbor that thinks coons need rehabbing 2 of them have made it to another neighbor close to them and tries to get into his house and fights with his dog threw the glass door, he had no idea why this coon was acting like this till i told him what was going on.

 

[zazouse]

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree - it sounds like it's someone's pet that either escaped or was turned loose after the people who tamed it realized what a pain tame raccoons can be. It does not sound like a rabid animal to me.

 

[BillM2]

Don't pet it. When wild animals lose their natural instinct to flee from humans, it's a sign of illness. It could be a "pet" but why risk it? As a kid, friends of ours had one since a baby and it was allowed to live in the house. Once it reached adulthood, life with a raccoon in the house became intolerable. It would randomly attack, biting and scratching. He had to be evicted from the home, a difficult thing, to say the least. So maybe this one has been evicted as well -- for good reason. Discourage it. Rabies is nothing to trifle with.

 

[craftyjellyfish]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I really appreciate it!

 

[Trefoil]

It sure sounds like a pet. Maybe ask around, your neighbors might know who it owns. If you find out explain to them that they must keep it home. I hope that you have predator proof pens because even a pet coon will go after chickens.