Critter Care Wildlife Society


Wild animals move into our homes because continued urbanization has destroyed their homes. Please keep this in mind when dealing with any uninvited wildlife guest and treat them with patience and compassion. *Does the animal need to be rescued?* The general rule of thumb is that if the animal doesn't run away when you approach it, then something is wrong! Remember, it is far better for baby animals to be raised by their parents. Don't assume they've been abandoned until you have monitored the situation for some time - the animal's mother could just be out foraging for food.
	Raccoons most frequently seek out attics, garage rafters, crawl spaces or sundecks as isolated, safe places to have their young. By mid-June, when the young are old enough to climb the family will seek a den closer to a food source. When weaned the young will begin foraging. If you don't want them in your yard - remove any possible food sources. For example, don't put your garbage out until the pick-up time. Use Bungi cord restrainers on your garbage can lids.
	Coyotes can be seen hunting alone, in pairs, or in packs any time of the day or night. Being omnivorous, a typical coyote diet consists of rabbits and rodents, as well as grasses, fruits, and vegetables. Coyotes are monogamous and couples remain together for many years. In the spring, females give birth to litters of three to seven pups. Males hunt and bring back food for the babies. Pups are weaned by eight weeks, but their mothers still regurgitate food for them for up to a year. After that, the pups themselves are ready to find mates.
	Rabbits are usually seen between dusk and dawn, grazing on grasses, leaves, buds, and barks. Come spring -time, females make their nests in shallow depressions in the ground. They can have an astounding four to seven litters per season! While in the nest, baby rabbits (or kits) are extremely vulnerable to attacks by dogs and cats. If your pet happens to bring one home, place the baby carefully in a warm, dark, ventilated container and call Critter Care right away. Do not feed it or handle it a lot – rabbits are very easily stressed.
	Deer are typically active at dawn and dusk. They browse on a variety of foods, including leaves, stems, buds, grasses, barks, mosses, lichens, and seeds. Once spring arrives, females give birth to as many as three fawns, though one or two is more common. Within a few hours, fawns are able to stand on their own and take a few wobbly steps. Females leave their babies hidden, returning a few times a day to nurse and groom them. With their spotted coats for camouflage, lack of odour, and ability to lie motionless, fawns are less likely to be detected by predators. As they grow, they accompany their mothers more often, venturing out into open areas to forage. Fawns leave their mothers after a year, when she is ready to have her next litter.
	Skunks can be a great benefit to gardeners because they consume a wide variety of insects, grubs, and gypsy moth caterpillars. If they do take up residence under a porch or garden shed, wait until late June, then sprinkle a thin layer of flour around the hole and examine for tracks soon after dark. When you discover tracks leading out, but not back in, seal the hole with lumber, wire fencing or concrete. Skunks are diggers, so you will have to extend your barrier 12-18 inches below the surface. Remember, skunks are peaceful animals that will usually walk calmly away when disturbed - provided that you don't overreact. Spraying, is used only as a last resort when the animal feels seriously threatened.
	Squirrels sometimes seek out an attic as a safe location to have their young. But after about six weeks, when the young are able to leave the nest, the entire family will move to a summer nest in the trees. This is the time to repair attic openings to prevent a recurrence, since squirrels usually have two litters a year. Bloodmeal fertilizer mixed with topsoil should put an end to garden excavations, and baffles added to your birdfeeder will prevent pilfering.
	Opossums are the least troublesome mammals, but should they decide to den under a porch, they may make nocturnal raids on the compost heap or your domestic pet dishes. They are, however, very wary and can be scared off quite easily by opening the nearest door. Opossums are marsupials. They carry their young in a pouch until they are old enough to cling to their mothers back as she forages for food.