# Keep '***** out of cat food



## timander (Jul 25, 2012)

Does anyone have a good method for leaving cat food our for farm cats, but not let raccoons eat it all every night? We have an old chicken coop that I cut a small hole in about the size of a post-it note. The cats can get in and out, but apparently raccoons can fit too! I've trapped a few ***** in a live trap, and that keeps them away for a while, but there are always more. We had a raccoon terrorize our cats and kill a few kittens. I don't think they would bother coming around if it wasn't for the cat food. Any ideas?


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## Thomas (Nov 1, 2006)

Thats a tough answer.
***** are just about unstopable when it comes to food like black bear,and even if the ***** were remove another type of wildlife will show up..skunks,weasels etc.

Since **** can't jump like a cat maybe place food couple feet or so above ground on piece of metal..meatal so **** can;t get a grip w/claws.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I think feeding anything outside is a bit risky. I have two cats and three dogs and even though the dogs are out all day and the cats all night, they all get fed in the house. It helps with their social skills. 
You have to be careful about how much you leave out for your cats as well. Ours keeps the mouse population down and when they do eat cat food, it's very little. A couple we know have barn cats up the wazzoo and never feed them. They live in the barn and fend for themselves. Not that I recommend that sort of thing, but leaving cat food outside is bound to attract critters. You don't want mice, squirrels and racoons invading your attic. 
One other thing, Do you leave the food out at all times? Perhaps feed the cats in the morning or during the day, but put it away in the evening.


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## timander (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions. We do try to leave food out at all times, but the cats still help themselves to rabbits, birds, and mice (I wish they would focus on the mice. We are only at our acreage on the weekends, we primarily live in town. The original post-it note sized hole worked for a while, but it was 3/8" plywood and the ***** chewed at it to make it bigger. I replaced the plywood with 2x6 boards and they can't chew through it but I suspect the smaller ones are squeezing through.
I looked into a locking cat door that would only let a cat in if it had the right chip on its collar, but reviewers said that raccoons simply lift the door instead of push it open (smart creatures).
I have thought about getting an automatic feeder that dispenses food in the mornings (raccoons usually are only active at night). If I did this, I was thinking that I would have to modify it by building a plywood box to protect it with a PVC tube to carry food to a dish (raccoons would just destroy it without reinforcing). Before I shelled out the $ for buying and the time for modifying, I wanted to ask others for a simpler solution. Thoughts?


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## Cublover (Feb 20, 2011)

Make a hole in a piece of tin and nail it around the hole the cats use. Then the ***** can't get in. Also put the food on a shelf above the peskey critters reach like already posted.


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## timander (Jul 25, 2012)

Putting the cat food on a surface in the middle of the garage has avoided the raccoons so far, for a couple of weeks anyway. There is a lean-to attached to the back of the garage and the cat climbs the shelves in the lean-to and climbs through the garage ceiling. The post-it note sized hole I mentioned in my original post is in the lean-to at ground level (the lean-to is the old chicken coop). The elevated surface is an old art desk that is adjustable. I set it at 42" (deck rail height) and haven't had any problems with raccoons recently.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Glad to hear that you are moving forward on this, and that you have found something that might just work!


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