today is the day...

Y'all,

This morning Shadow found two baby raccoons being tormented by blowflies, dehydrated and upset, under a tree. I ran inside, googled "orphaned raccoons" and proceeded with what I think could be fairly described as admirable competence--- but I did not take a picture, and thus you can not understand how cute they were (don't freak out about the past tense, just wait).

The size of very small kittens, about 3 weeks old I think, eyes open but teeny-tiny.

On the advice of the internet, I dripped condensed milk onto a rag, which they-- eventually-- were big fans of, and I put them in a box with blankets. After a feed and a poo and a quick sponge-off, I put aforesaid box in the dark bathroom, and they fell asleep. I then called a wildlife rehabilitator, because it turns out that 1. it's illegal to raise wild animals and 2. there was one right in my town! She came by, very competent, and said that they were orphaned for sure; since we live in town, it's likely their mom was trapped by the animal controller or hit by a car. She then put them in a carrier, and will take them home; one had a small injury to a foot (which I hadn't even noticed, being so unfamiliar with baby raccoons), but she said they were dehydrated but in good shape and that they'd be released into the wild-- a more country wild-- by the end of the summer.

She also confirmed their sex: a boy and a girl.

So pray for the baby raccoons! I kind of miss them. They make the coolest noises, cooing and clucking and... just wonderful.