Yes, raccoons do sometimes kill domestic and feral cats. What I mean is that they sometimes kill small cat species which in this instance might mean an outside domestic cat. It doesn’t take long to realise this fact when doing research on the internet.
However, my research also indicates that raccoons can also mind their own business when in the vicinity of outside domestic and feral cats. It appears to depend upon the situation and circumstances.
If a domestic cat is interrupting a raccoon in a nesting area then perhaps a raccoon may attack the cat. There is a disturbing story on the internet in which a gang of raccoons marauded around a neighbourhood attacking cats. They killed 10 domestic cats in one area apparently.
Another story told a gruesome tale of the killing of a Siamese cat who defended his ground. He was attacked by two raccoons and dragged away. He has not been seen since. An attempt by the cat’s owner to scare the raccoons away failed.
Another report recounts the death of a 14-year-old cat whose name was Avro. The raccoons were hanging around and neighbours chased them away but they returned. The cat’s owners ran out to protect their cat but it was too late. Why did they let their cat outside at this time?
They say the attack was horrifying. A pack of raccoons simultaneously attacked their cat. The cat had no chance at all of surviving. They attacked him and ate him on the hoof. They backed away when the cat’s owners approached them with part of their cat in their mouths. A few tufts of fur were left behind and that’s about it.
Apparently, Avro had been attacked and injured. He tried to make it home but was unable to jump up onto the fence surrounding their backyard.
However, wildlife experts say that it is rare for raccoons to hunt down a large animal to eat. That said, raccoons can be considerably larger than domestic cats. They are, incidentally, omnivores.
During the breeding season there are many more raccoon nests which makes the animal more territorial than they would normally be at other times of the year. If a cat is outside and finds the nest he may be attacked.
Clearly, a potential attack on a cat by a raccoon, although rare on my understanding of these conflicts, is a good reason to keep a domestic cat indoors. It is one reason quite clearly why Americans will frequently keep their cats indoors full-time. There are no raccoon is in the UK and there are far fewer predators in the UK which might attack a domestic cat. In fact, at the moment, I cannot think of one except the human!
It would seem that suburban raccoons are becoming bolder in America which make them more of a hazard to the domestic cat. I would very much like to hear from cat owners as to whether they have had to deal with a potential attack by a raccoon on their cat.
P.S. It appears, though, that it is not all one-way traffic. Sometimes a domestic cat will kill a raccoon while defending himself. Raccoons can also attack people under certain rare circumstances. Coyotes are another real danger to outside cats.
My siamies cat was attacked I assume racoon because my roommates were wanting me toove so they kept leaving the door open so my frie no ds cat he just passed away in jan I huh a BB e been taking care of of her but a lot lady wants m to room and she he ad a ha me ster downstairs to go ey to look dr nothing about anyway th we door always look eft open by the it s women I cou kk dnt control we it so I seen ho we he appt the cat was by eing out there so I we NJ t along with it I cc out of dnt in as go in ew w he at was going to happen they he av we li be Ed here f it r many years t he e grass was grown taller to he lights in the back were off t he ey kept leaving blue berries everywhere on the p of rch and this is a big house in tacoma a pink big house salon Piccasso is the name well she was attacked I know she made it back home sering her so hurt just broke my heart these people are asian and don’t like the cat because this women’s hamster she said she wanted to killy cat so I called the police after I took the cat to the emergency I had to come up with 1200 dollers to help her I had to pay the office visit 130 the vet never said she was bitten she said she has arthritis? I don’t understand she gave her dog meds moloxydil and gamepenten and sent us home the vet wouldn’t even look at me when giving me the meds I was so glad she wasn’t dead I was the one who let her out I wouldn’t have never if I would have known this could happen I was trying to get her her shots one by one and seeing the vet they are so much money I can’t believe her now she’s so hurt so unhealthy so disturbed I could only blame the people who don’t like her for this happening in there country killing cats is good luck I had no idea where I have been living my poor kitty I wish she was okay again it was never stated a racoon hurt her I think these people hurt her and the vet is letting it be okay because there was no blood she had her leg ripped into but no blood her fur was like slashed and pike marks on her body and those 2 asian women are needle poking there yarn and going to casino I’m so hurt I don’t know what to do how to help my baby they would know all this will cost money to leave that door open I wanted her to be indoor and they wouldn’t stop till this day with the doors
It’s hard for me to believe a full grown cat, especially a feral cat, with all it’s hardware being killed in such fashion by anything but a dog,coyote coyote etc.. in a rural neighborhood. All the cat’s I have owned must have come from gladiatorial stock cause non of them put up with jack when it came to getting into it, raccoon, possum, other cats. I used to feed & occasionally, when she wished, let a feral cat stay in my apartment. One time I saw her get attacked by a dog & like a lioness she bit down down on the dogs rib cage & with her hind paws started digging out ward on the dogs belly. She had visible cuts & a puncture wound on her leg, but she ruined the day for an aggressive dog, who outweighed her by 30-40 lbs. easy. I realize that the outcome I witnessed is probably not in favor of the cat most times. I just can’t imagine an animal that is basically the same size, little bigger, doing the damage I’m reading about without being found dead or gravely injured not to far away. There are too many instances for them to be made up or greatly exaggerated though. Please, I meant no offense to anyone who shared their story of loss.
I find nothing cute about them,in fact I wish they were all eradicated from the planet,last summer a coon got into my outside cat colony enclosure by ripping the screen open and it disemboweled 3 of my 3 week old kittens,they were alive as that bastard tore their stomachs open,tore their limbs off their tiny bodies so the next night I sat in my car waiting for the coon and it didn’t disappoint me,I set a trap and caught it and took it out to the country and destroyed it and will do it again if another shows up this coming Spring.
Wow, that’s tough. Sorry to hear this. But thanks for sharing and adding to the page.