I first met Roscoe the Raccoon on a rainy day, May 15, 2020. He was very little and didn’t seem to have a mother around. Maybe his mom didn’t get to teach him that raccoons should walk around and search for food in the night, so I had always seen him in the day time. Just recently, he discovered that he would get to see other wild animals like opossums and other raccoons in the night, so he would come by in the night more often, and was falling asleep while he waited to see other wild animals. He was most interested in Scoffy, the feral cat. She was always mean to him but she didn’t seem to care when he was around. She sometimes left some food for him, and so did he.
The second time I saw Roscoe was on June 23, 2020. I was hoping to see him again, and he showed up. This time, I got to feed him some small pieces of a pear and peanuts (that I usually feed squirrels). He saw all the squirrels eating peanuts everyday, so peanut was his favorite food. He would chase some chipmunks away when they tried to steal his peanuts.
He also loved snacks (Cheerios and cinnamon toast crunch). Peanuts and snacks were his main food. And he had always been a slow eater. He was not like those other raccoons, so he would never get into trash, or ate everything. He was rather a super picky eater. He even picked the good ones from the pile of peanuts. Even though he had a few small pieces of a pear before, he didn’t like any fruits after all. He would eat some cooked chicken and pot roast beef, but he didn’t like cured or smoked meat.
He learned how to wash things on his own. I started with a small cup, sized it up to a 12 oz peanuts can, to the bottom half of the large plastic bottle of cranberry juice, and to a bucket from an orchard. I’m so proud of him learning things on his own. As I wasn’t a raccoon mom, I wasn’t able to teach him how to do things the way they usually do. I’m sorry if I was a bad teacher and mom, Roscoe.
He wasn’t able to climb a tree when I first met him, but he eventually learned that on his own too. He started with the shorter trees in front of my apartment, then he moved to a little taller tree on the side of the apartment, and he became used to climbing all the big and tall trees in the woods by my apartment.
He found a large bird nest that he could fit in one day, and he took over the nest for a while until the storm hit and destroyed the nest. Then he found some other places in the woods that he wouldn’t tell me where they were. Those new spots were secret. I guess it was fair, because I wouldn’t let him come in my place, so he wouldn’t show me his new place.
On 4th of July, I was worried that fireworks would scare him away. I saw him in the morning on the 4th, but not in the afternoon. A day after the 4th, I didn’t see him all day, so I decided to drive around the neighborhood to see if I could find him, but I didn’t. I was very disappointed and sad when I came home. A few minutes later, he showed up on my patio again! I was so glad to see him so I gave him lots of peanuts and snacks that day.
He found a new nap and sunbathing spot on my upstair neighbor’s balcony. Even though the neighbor didn’t like it much, at least he had some great naps up there many times. I loved seeing your sleeping face in the gap between the wooden pieces.
We took many pictures outside. My favorites are the ones he’s on the tree (I call these pictures his LinkedIn pictures), ones he’s smiling, and the Fall pictures that he picked the beautiful place surrounded by colorful leaves for. My camera roll on my phone is full of pictures and videos of him that I will never delete, and will always look back.
I thought it would be too cold for him to get through Michigan winter, so I got him the heated outdoor house, but he didn’t like it much. He would go in, but would come out in a minute. I guess you wouldn’t need that house anymore, Roscoe. You’d be in a warm and nice place by now. I’ll still keep the house for you in case you change your mind someday.
I was so glad that he asked me to pet him in the past few weeks and showed me some trust. He had fallen asleep while I was petting him too. But I hate to think that maybe he was asking me for help and I didn’t know. I also hate to think that he knew something was wrong with him and that was his way of saying goodbye. The thick gloves I got so that I can safely pet him have no use anymore. These are the hardest thing to let go of.
I actually hadn’t named him until mid-Summer. I kept telling friends and family that I didn’t want to get so attached, so I didn’t want to name him. But eventually, I named him and got so attached to him.
It’s so hard to believe that there will be no one opening my window screen. It’s so hard to believe there will be no Roscoe waiting for me right up against the window asking for peanuts and snacks anymore. The window screen will always remain shut in the morning. I miss your smiles. I miss your sleepy face on the balcony. I miss taking seasonal pictures with you. I miss feeding you from my hand.
I will never forget the day we met, 5/15/2020, and I will never forget the day I found your body under the deck, 11/2/2020.
I love you forever.
Rest In Power, Roscoe the Raccoon (5/15/2020-11/2/2020).