Raccoons can't jump
I set up a camera and here are the results. My cats taught me the obvious: that any surface with food can be reached by jumping. Raccoons, on the other hand, can't jump, as they carry all their fat in their rear end. They can climb any surface where they can get a hand hold. Knowing these two facts, I built the feeder pictured.
All you need to do is provide a feeding platform that they raccoons can't climb up onto, and a jumping level for the cats.
The food was set up on top of the snuggle box, which made it so easy for the raccoons to climb up and eat, and eat.....
Needless to say, we had the fattest raccoons around!
I used recycled wood from my shop and built an elevated cat feeder. It is just like an elevated bird feeder except it is bigger. The huge skirt of aluminum keeps the raccoons from climbing up the 4x4 post and getting into the feeder.
The handles make it easy to attach the feeder to the post.
I bought this 4x4 green mounting bracket from Lowe's and that was the trick in building a stable, balanced feeder. I attached the skirting after it was mounted and used a staple gun to attach it to the platform.
The 4x4x8 is pressure treated and set 3' into the ground. I suppose you could make one free standing as long as it was balanced and sturdy for the cats.
The little house is used for the cats to launch from as they jump up and into the feeder.
This distance is about 2' from the base of the 4x4.
You will need to adapt your feeder to the type of cats you have and the location of the elevated feeder.
Notice the foot prints on the aluminum skirt. After we saw these shots, we moved the house closer to the feeder. The distance is seen in the daylight photo above tot he right.
The ONLY problem we did not solve is how to provide for cats that can not jump due to physical reasons.
They say a photo is worth a thousand words...
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Raccoons can't jump.
So that is my story on how I build the first totally raccoon proof feeder. The trick is to build a feeder that the raccoons can not climb up onto. I once worked in a bird store and we sold raccoon proof bird feeders. All it was was a tube of aluminum that hung over a 5 foot metal fence stake. The raccoons could not climb it nor get their little arms around it. One other thing I did was to clear/trim any overhanging branched that they might use to drop down onto the feeder.
Hope this inspires the rest out there who love nature but are going broke feeding the local wildlife.
I am a Master Wildlife Rehabilitator and work with raccoons, and I teach people how to "Live in Harmony with the Wild Ones"...feral cats included.
Using an elevated feeder allows feral cat colonies and wildlife to co-exist and to forage for food meant for them.
All photographs and related content are ŠT.W.O.and will not be reproduced, copied or transmitted without express written permission.
Feel free to write me for more info.
If you have copied, used, modified my design, I would love to showcase it here on the website to inspire others who are feeding way too many critters!
If you come across a site that is charging you for the plans to my feeder...let me know. .it is FREE, and not for sale!!!
Thank you!
R/ Katelin
Created January 30, 2005
Latest updated December 2009