Did you know that raccoons are about the size of a big, fat, house cat? I knew that but I still didn't do anything about our pet door. The same pet door we had installed for our Norwegian Elkhound, Tana, and she was a lot bigger than a big, fat, house cat. I always knew a raccoon could fit through there easily but I didn't think one would ever try with all the human smells around the house. I thought they'd be too afraid to come inside. Yesterday as I sat knitting in my favourite chair with Angel in my lap I could hear the dryer balls thumping and bumping in the dryer. All of a sudden Angel's head whipped up and she growled. I gave her a pet and told her, "Don't be silly. It's just the dryer." A minute later it happened again and again I calmed and soothed her. The third time it happened I thought I should go take a look as her senses are much more heightened then mine. So I walked over to the stairs and as I looked up a furry little paw pushed open the flap on the pet door. Assuming it was a neighbour's cat I bounded up the stairs screaming like a banshee. I flung open the door but there was no cat in sight. I ran across the deck, down the stairs to the back yard and dashed over to the neighbour's fence. Peering over the fence I see a big, fat, house cat size raccoon standing on it's hind legs staring back at me. Not cute and cuddly like these:

but more like this:

I screamed at it again (don't know what the neighbours must think) and it took off out of sight. Assuming it was after the cat food in the kitchen, I have scrubbed the pet door flap with the chemical cleaner Fantastic to mask the delicious aroma?? of Angel's food. I hate raccoons....nasty, vicious little beasts.