Raccoons in my Basement - Cat Door Installation

You don't want this staring back at you when you go down to the basement to get another Miller Lite.

Surprise, surprise. Mother nature challenges me again. This time on my home turf. Guess what MN, that’s a big no-no. I will protect this house!

Technically I don’t know if “Raccoons” breaking into my basement classify as an affront by Mother Nature but whatever, she is going to get the lion's share of the blame here.

Two Raccoons and Microphone

That’s right, two raccoons busted into the basement via my ultra-secure cat door. Okay, so security was not tops on the list when I installed the door. It’s basically just a “push open the flap” type of operation. A gust of wind could break in if it wanted to.

The door has been there more than a year and the only suckers to come in were quickly caught and eaten by the cats. Mice, moles, and the occasional cute little baby bunny. Technically, I think the bunnies were caught outside and brought in, because usually their heads were nowhere to be found. What? Too much? It's nature guys, this is real-life in the basement wild.

Raccoons... Waaaaay bigger than you think

Needless to say, I was surprised that raccoons could squeeze in through such a small door. Those suckers are BIG! The cats will not fight them. Vis-a-vis, they are scardy cats. They both bolted out the same door as soon as the raccoons were clear of the exit.

The little beastie’s didn’t really do a lot of damage. They were after the cat food. They jumped up on the table, ripped open the bag, ate what they wanted and then left. Fortunately, I always have the door to the house from the basement shut, otherwise who knows – they could have waddled upstairs and started taking stuff!

Basement Cat Door = Security Breach

Now, what to do about this. The cats love the cat door, they have to have their outside time, otherwise they crap all over the basement floor in protest. I could install a cat door with a lock that only opens when the cats with special collar activate it. I could try to capture themself. If I did capture them, what do you do with captured raccoons?

I have a few questions if someone out there has experience with tannery:

1. Is it legal to kill a raccoon or 2 raccoons? I would trap them first and then kill them using the most human methods that I can think of. Ideas here?

2. Are there companies where someone would take my dead raccoons and turn them into pelts or a pillow case or whatever? A tannery? Is that right? Do these people still exist?

3. What would be the recommended approach for getting this approved by my wife?

beg and plead
wait until the cat gets hurt, then suggest operation raccoon pillow
stealth style attack

I've seen each of these creature either in or near my basement.

Basement Cat Doors

Before you cut a big hole in your exterior basement door, so you can install a cat door, be sure you won't have a critter issue. I bought what I thought was a really small cat door, but it wasn't small enough.

More to come on this “issue”. For now I have to block the cat door each night to ensure the perimeter is secure.

I am a little worried, apparently raccoons are leaders of the animal world and easily gain friends – including skunks – this type of mass animal coalition is the last thing I need during my basement finishing project.

What's the weirdest creature you've ever found in your house? Let us know in a comment below.