How to Keep Raccoons Out of Cat Food: 7 Vet-Verified Tips
If you have an outdoor feeding station for your cats, you might sometimes find that they seem to be eating more food than normal.
It's possible that it's not actually the cats eating all the food, but rather a raccoon! You might be wondering, "Do raccoons eat cat food?" The answer is yes, they do. You can't blame these little critters for taking advantage of the opportunity to nibble on your cat's food, but raccoons can carry diseases and become aggressive if they run into your cat.
Allowing raccoons to eat all your cat’s food will only encourage them to keep coming back and leave your cats feeling hungry. There’s also the expense of buying all that cat food only for the raccoons to eat it! So, how do you keep raccoons away from cat food?
We’ve rounded up our seven top tips for keeping raccoons out of your cat’s food.
The 7 Ways to Keep Raccoons Out of Cat Food
1. Only Leave Cat Food Out During the Day
Raccoons are most active at night, so by only putting cat food out during the day, you can reduce the chance of the raccoons eating it instead of the cats. Remove any bowls of leftover food before sunset, and place them out again the next day.
Your cats will soon get used to the new routine and only expect to find food there during the day. Using this system also reduces the likelihood that your cat will run into a raccoon if they try to eat food at night.
Bear in mind that raccoons can and do move around during the daytime if they feel like it, so this solution might not always be 100% effective.
2. Feed Your Cat Indoors
The simplest way to keep raccoons out of cat food is to feed them indoors. Completely removing any traces of cat food from outside can eventually persuade raccoons to go and scavenge for food somewhere else.
It may take your cat a week or so to get used to just eating inside, but they’ll soon adapt. If you’re worried about raccoons trying to gain entry to your home through a cat flap (it has been known to happen!), then installing a cat flap that reads your cat’s microchip or a tag on their collar to allow admittance can be a good solution.
3. Use a Raccoon-proof Feeder
Using an automatic feeder activated by your cat’s microchip or a tag on their collar can be a good solution if you want to leave food outside for your own cat. Make sure you choose a dry location where the feeder will be protected from the elements.
That said, raccoons are talented at opening (and breaking) items to get to the food inside. They’ve been known to chew through bungee cords securing grill lids, pry off coverings from compost heaps, and pull plastic trash cans to pieces in an attempt to get the food inside. So, if you have a particularly persistent raccoon, they may destroy your outdoor feeder.
4. Fence Your Property
A secure fence is going to be the first step in keeping raccoons out of your property. Mesh fences that continue below ground level for at least 5 inches are the best way to keep raccoons from burrowing under and gaining access to your backyard that way.
Keep in mind that racoons are excellent climbers so you can also use a fence that slopes outward to deter climbing. Some cat owners in areas with a heavy raccoon population use an electric fence that’s switched on at night when the raccoons are more active.
5. Remove Other Food Sources
Raccoons love scavenging and will soon smell if there are any other food sources worth exploring. To a raccoon, food includes trash bags and compost heaps! Using a plastic bin to store your trash bags is a good start, as is covering your compost heap with heavy items or using a plastic compost heap bin with a lid that can be secured.
6. Try Motion Detection Lights at Night
Motion detection lights or predator deterrent lights are an effective solution to ensure a raccoon-free property at night. This should be installed about every 25 feet of distance and at 10 to 15 inches in height, which is about the height of a raccoon's eyes from the ground. These systems work automatically by irradiating a bright light beam when detecting movement, so they can deter raccoons and other wild animals from your property.
7. Speak to a Professional
If you’ve tried all the above tips and still have raccoons regularly visiting your backyard, it might be time to call in the professionals. They’ll be able to survey your property and place traps to catch and remove raccoons if necessary.
Conclusion
There you have it! Hopefully, one or several of the above tips will help keep raccoons away from your cat's food. If none of the tips seem to help, speaking to a professional may be your best bet.
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Featured Image Credit: James R Poston, Shutterstock
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Emma is a freelance writer, specializing in writing about pets, outdoor pursuits, and the environment. Originally from the UK, she has lived in Costa Rica and New Zealand before moving to a smallholding in Spain with her husband, their 4-year-old daughter, and their dogs, cats, horses, and poultry. When she's not writing, Emma can be found taking her dogs for walks in the rolling fields around their home...and usually, at least some of the cats come along, too! Emma is passionate about rescuing animals and providing them with a new life after being abandoned or abused. As well as their own four rescue dogs, she also fosters dogs for re-homing, providing them with love and training while searching for their forever homes.
