Question
Thank you! Just one more question. My dog is always asleep when the raccoons wander through so I am not worried about a confrontation. However, I read they carry diseases such as rabies and other harmful diseases. Is my dog at risk just by them being in the yard or on the deck? I haven't witnessed any droppings and she is always leashed. I don't leave her bowls outside but I can tell she knows they've been there by her sniffing. The neighbors dog runs loose. Is it true that if the raccons bit that dog that animal control would capture and kill any raccoons found?
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Followup To

Question -
You maybe the wrong person to ask as I am not trying to get rid of the raccoons, just understand them. Anyhow, I have several raccoons that wander through at night. I can recognize the different ones and their different personalities. I tried to read up on them and found that they do not really stick with their partners. I have one who comes with his girlfriend and like to get into my fountain. Then they cuddle up on my deck and nap. Last night they were see having sex in my kiddie pool and afterwards ripped it apart. Isn't it too late for them to mate and they really do seem to be a couple. Also, the stray-declawed cat likes to scare the raccoons off and they seem to be leary of him even though they could tear him apart. He's never been hurt but I worry that he'll run into the wrong one. The raccons normaly hide if I must go outside when they're there. The other night one ran towards me-should I be worried? Thanks!

Answer -
Raccoon mating depends on the female entering estrous. Normally, mating occurs in February. But if the female loses her young, she may enter estrous again.
A raccoon may have run towards you because he saw you as a food source. Maybe someone in your area is feeding them  (a really stupid idea). As for your cat, you should be concerned. Free-ranging cats are a potential disease vector as owners don't know what they have encountered in the wild and then welcome the feline back home with open arms.
Raccoons also don't couple. AFter mating, the male leaves. Males that find young will eat the young. It is critical that you don't romanticize raccoons. Are they beautiful? Absolutely. But never mistake beauty with safety.
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Answer
Whenever pets are outside, they are always at risk. Raccoons, like all wildlife, can harbor ticks which can also bite you or your dog.  Is the risk high? Probably not, but is the risk Zero? No. Where on the scale it could be is anyone's guess. But as the saying goes, knowledge brings fear.
As for your animal control, I would doubt they would go through that much work if a raccoon bit your dog. But some communities have very active animal control organizations. I would question the value of such an activity though.

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