Tampa raccoons are wily creatures. They are little bandits that like to dig into garbage cans, climb into our homes, ransack our attics, and damage our property. They even have their own built-in masks. These little bandits are notorious mischief and mayhem makers. So, what about our pets? Are they safe with them?



Florida raccoons are most noted for their black masks and ringed tails. While they may be cute and fun to watch from a distance, they can be dangerous. Primarily, raccoons are most active at night, making them nocturnal. When they are more active, they get more adventurous. The reason they are busy is that they are always in search of food. Because they are searching for food, they often wind up on our streets, in our yards, and even on our back porches.

These little-masked menaces are always searching for food. They are drawn to places that make food access easy to them. This is often why they are found removing the lids on garbage cans and plundering through the trash.

That’s not the only thing that will draw them in, though. Tampa raccoons are drawn to animal food such as cat or dog. If your pet food is left out on your porch, raccoons will help themselves, and they might not stop there. They are a lot like that unwelcomed relative that just shows up to your house and walks in. If a window is left open and a raccoon can smell food, they will waltz right through that window and into your home. The can come in through a window or even through a pet door. They will turn your home into their own personal buffet.

Have fish in your fish tank? Not anymore! A Florida raccoon will lift the lid off the tank and use your tank as an all you can eat sushi bar. Do you have a bird? Yes, they will eat those too. In most cases, a raccoon won’t bother a cat because cats will leave them alone. However, the fact can’t remain the same with a dog. Because dogs are territorial, they will bark and show aggression. Sometimes they will even attack the raccoon. Sometimes the size of the animal may play a big part in the raccoon’s methods. If it’s a small dog, they aren’t as likely to become as frightened as they would if they were being barked at or threatened by a Rottweiler. It is rare that a raccoon will attack a domestic animal. However, if the raccoon is rabid, then that might be a different story.

To keep your pets safe, never leave them outside alone after dark. A rabid Tampa skunk could attack your beloved pet and make it sick. It could even become fatal.

Visit our Tampa wildlife trapping home page to learn more about us.