Gates Wildlife discovered our first litter of baby raccoons on January 20th 2022 in Mississauga, Ontario. This discovery is a whole month earlier than we’ve ever seen in our 37 year history.
Typically mother raccoons mate in January and give birth to their babies in attics, chimneys and sheds in the months of March, April and May. We have never come across baby raccoons this early in the year.
This mother raccoon moved into a shed that was set up to house feral cats during the cold winter. The homeowner reported noticing that the feral cats that were living in the shed had moved out and into a much smaller container on the picnic table in her backyard, which she thought was odd. She suspected that another animal had moved into the shed, forcing the cats to move out.
Upon arrival, Gates Wildlife Technician Tyler discovered an insulated feral cat box inside the shed. As he slowly opened the box, he was surprised to discover 2 one week old baby raccoons snuggled inside.
With the outside temperatures being so cold we decided, with the homeowners blessing, that it would be best to leave the mother and her babies alone. Hopefully she will decide to move out on her own when the weather warms up.
