Can A Raccoon Kill A Cat? How To Prevent Your Pets From Raccoons

This is a thought provoking question that many cat loving homeowners have pondered. But the reality is this; raccoons are not known to be aggressive towards home cats. But cats can respond aggressively when they discover the presence of raccoons, and they do that for many reasons.

The fights are always because of territory and sometimes food. One thing you should know is that any clash between raccoons and cats can pose a potential threat to the cat. This is because raccoons carry infectious diseases that can be transferred to the cat during the fight.

Can A Raccoon Kill A Cat?

It is unlikely that a raccoon will kill a cat, but a wild raccoon can kill a cat if a fight arises between them. The most aggressive behavior between a raccoon and a cat is always because of food and territory. A raccoon will eat a cat if it has an opportunity.

It should be noted that an attack or a bite from raccoons on cats are life shortening events because of the diseases that a raccoon can spread. This means that a cat can die without getting old, as a result of an attack from a raccoon. The cat may not die immediately and that is why it is best to safeguard your cats.

Are Raccoons A Danger To Cats?

The simple answer to this is that they may be threats to cats. Raccoons can hurt cats in direct form by scratching and biting them and indirectly by transmitting the disease to them. Since we also know that raccoons are not aggressive, they won’t hunt down your cats for attacks. 

It is important to remember that raccoons can also be aggressive if they believe their food source is in danger. Suppose a mother raccoon is attempting to defend her young ones; they can be aggressive too. These are the two reasons why there can be occasional fights between cats and raccoons.

Occasionally, hungry raccoons can turn kittens and small cats into their prey. They also do this to other small animals when other food sources are unavailable.

This is a rare occurrence because food sources are always available for raccoons, who can eat almost anything. So because raccoons can attack kittens and small cats, they are prone to danger in the presence of raccoons.

Will A Raccoon Eat A Cat?

This has been controversial among many, but Raccoons can eat cats, small dogs, and other small animals. Kittens will always be in serious trouble whenever raccoons are close to them. Raccoons will surely find a way to attack kittens and even eat them if it has close contact with cats or kittens.

If a cat is big, it is challenging for Raccoons to eat such animals, and raccoons can bite them. If, at any instance, the kittens get bitten by raccoons, they may contract serious diseases. Also, they can be lethally injured, and their lifespan can be shortened. If raccoons do not eat the cat, it is still prone to an adverse outcome from the attack.

What Happens If A Raccoon Bites A Cat?

You must take care of your cat immediately if a raccoon bites them because this can be harmful. Encounters between cats and raccoons always lead to the transfer of rabies to the cat.

The virus will find its way into the cat through the saliva of the raccoons after being bitten. The virus will find a way to replicate itself in the muscle cells and find its way into the neutral pathway to the brain.

It may take longer for you to start noticing any symptoms from your cat, depending on the gravity of the wound and bite. When you start seeing signs and symptoms, know that the disease progresses rapidly and is always fatal. In a nutshell, it is always a calamity if a raccoon bites a cat.

What To Do When A Raccoon Attacks Your Cat

A fight can happen between a cat and a raccoon if they meet. Avoid attempting to treat the cat’s wounds yourself at all costs if it had an encounter with a raccoon. Due to the cat’s injuries, you can also contract rabies.

A vet will take precautions to prevent the cat from spreading rabies because cats can be particularly aggressive when receiving medical attention for wounds or diseases.

To try and eradicate the disease, a veterinarian can also provide immunizations. Even though the prognosis is typically bleak, at least the cat can be saved in theory. It is crucial to seek medical assistance immediately if your cat has been bitten or scratched by a raccoon to rule out the chance of contracting rabies.

Most bites and scratches can be treated, and the cat will eventually heal. Prompt action is required to prevent similar tragedies due to the severity of rabies and the high possibility that raccoons may transmit the disease. It is possible the raccoon is not a rabies carrier.

How To Prevent Disputes Between Cats And Raccoons

When thinking about preventing disputes between cats and raccoons, this is not like you will separate them from fighting. What you can do is to ensure you block every means of raccoon invasion; in that wise, you will be saving your cats from attacks.

Below are some of the ways to prevent fight among cats and raccoons:

• Always keep your cats indoors: Do this, especially at night, because raccoons are mostly active. So when you keep them indoors, you can keep your cats from attacks, which may later lead to their death or short lifespan.
• Check out what can attract them: Check out what attracts raccoons, like trash cans, holes, and other smelly foods. Pet foods can attract raccoons, so they must be removed from outdoors to reduce the attraction.
• Check out for holes and channels: Raccoons will always find their way into different holes and can find their way into your house through these holes.

You can fight raccoon invasion and save your pets through these highlighted ways.

Do Raccoons Eat Cat Food?

Raccoons are known to eat almost anything they find. It has been concluded by some people that raccoons have tagged both dog and cat food as delicacies. In other words, if you always feed your cats outside or you always store the food somewhere outside the house, there is a probability you will be inviting raccoons. 

The smell is a great tool that can invite as many as possible to feed on the feed meant for cats or dogs. You should store this food in a locked, airtight bin, preferably indoors. You can limit the presence of raccoons in your house and property by ensuring these feeds are kept safely. By doing this, you are saving your pets from attack as well.

How Can You Keep Raccoons Away From The Cat’s Food?

You will agree with me that, and as we have said above, you can keep your pets (cats) away from raccoons by keeping the feeds away.

As we already established, raccoons have seen dog and cat food as something they can feed on. As you know, raccoons are intelligent, so you have to do some intelligent planning to keep your cat from them.

It is always essential to keep your cat food indoors; by keeping those outside, you invite more raccoons. Also, always remove the feeding bowls once your cat is done with food.

If you will be putting it inside, one of the intelligent ways to keep them off is to ensure you block all holes. Aside from holes, check for any entry they can have to your house and the cats’ house.

In addition, always clean your cat’s yard, and don’t leave any full trashcans outside because they attract hungry and curious animals like Raccoons. You can also opt for a better fencing system. These measures will save both you and your cats from any raccoon invasion.

Do Cats And Raccoons Get Along?

Cats and raccoons do not get along because they are indifferent to each other. Most times if their paths happen to cross, each animal goes their separate ways, without any interaction.

The small size of the cats does not in any way makes the raccoons feel threatened by them. This has made most of the interactions between the two animals peaceful. As much as they can share peaceful moments, cats can later become food for raccoons.

Conclusion

Do not forget that any raccoon attack on your cats can harm their health. You never can tell the raccoon that it has rabies, and don’t try to treat your cat yourself; take it to a vet doctor for proper treatment.

Also, you can always prevent raccoon invasion on your cats by taking to heart the measures we have discussed in this informative and educational piece.