I've been feeding and trying to befriend a stray cat lately, and part of the effort has involved buying a brand of dry cat food to tempt little Bluebell. So, I placed an order with Chewy.com including a nice selection of three different varieties. I didn't hear the delivery truck pull up so it wasn't until the next morning that I saw the Chewy box at the bottom of my driveway. But when I went to retrieve it, I saw it had been broken in to, and much of the dry cat food had been eaten! I suspected raccoons.
Fortunately, some of the cat food escaped the theft and I had enough left to feed Bluebell (and a family of skunks, but that's another story) for a while. But, inevitably, the time came to re-order.
This time, I heard the delivery truck pull up. I didn't feel like taking the box inside so I decided to leave it in the car overnight. As I walked away from the car I was vaguely aware the back windows were halfway open, but I didn't think it would be a problem. Well, I was wrong, wrong, wrong!
The next morning I went out to the car to bring the box in. As soon as I opened the car door I saw it had been broken into. This time, not only had someone enjoyed lots of cat food, but two bags of dog treats were torn, dirty, and empty. It didn't take long to discover muddy raccoon prints on the passenger door, the hood, and the windshield. I was dismayed that they hadn't even left a thank-you note!
But they did teach me a lesson. At least I hope I've learned it. In speaking with others who live in the area, my experience is apparently a common one. Chewy home deliveries must be among the best thing to happen to raccoons lately!