What’s the best way to wake up? Maybe with a partner or family member bringing you breakfast and coffee in bed? Or perhaps just the usual routine and social media check. Either way, nothing can compare to this little girl, who woke up to a raccoon sleeping in her bed!
A Surprising Raccoon
Everything began on what seemed like an ordinary night in Richardson, Texas. That’s when the parents of 10-year-old Mattie Gelman put her to sleep, as they always do. For most of the night, little Mattie slept soundly. However, in the middle of the night, someone quite cute and furry suddenly woke her up. Believe it or not, it was a “gentle, giant” raccoon! Incredibly, the creature did not seem phased by what happened that night. Instead, it remained calm, even letting the young child pet it. “It’s weird because the first thing I said to it was, ‘Hey buddy.’ So, it was really calm. It didn’t hiss at me, bite me, scratch me or do anything like that,” Mattie commented.
The animal truly seemed to want a cuddle, as it did not scurry away when Mattie’s parents entered the room. “My jaw dropped to the ground. The very first words out of my mouth were, ‘Oh my God, it’s a raccoon!’ And then, ‘Where in the world did this come from? How did a raccoon get in here? Is a door open? Is there a hole in the wall? Where are the dogs? Is everyone okay?’ And it was just sitting on her pillow looking at me like, ‘what?’” said Sibyl Gelman, Mattie’s mother.
The Happy Ending
Most bizarre of all, Sybil could not believe that their four large dogs did not care in the slightest about the raccoon. “A leaf could blow by, and they’re gonna bark. They hear people talking two houses down and bark. But a raccoon comes through the house, and they don’t smell it or notice it, so they can be dog shamed for that,” the mother said.
After a few cuddles and photos, Sibyl and Mattie both agreed that it was time to let the raccoon back out into the wilderness. However, as they tried to lure him out of the house with candy and snacks, the creature would not budge! In the end, the mother and daughter needed to push him into a box and let him out in the yard. Thankfully, Sibyl said that the raccoon did not fight, protest, or even try and nip at them. Now it’s leaving a free life in the woods!
So, what should you do if you spot a raccoon inside your home? Try and gently push it out with a broom or the like, the Humane Society. However, if it becomes aggressive or hisses, call animal control. In the wild, as always, its best to stay away from raccoons and all other wild animals.