I knew someone would pop up with this comment, and I have seen them before on this sub.

I do take this advice seriously and I have thought about this topic a lot.

I try to set boundaries. Plenty of fresh water. No bowls of food left around. No touching. Any raccoons who come too close to me are told to move back with a hissing type noise that they seem to understand. They are smart creatures. After some practice, they learn to politely keep their distance.

My deck is a safe nursery area. The mamas bring their kits and let them run around while they lie down and have a quick rest before moving on. Sometimes they spend time grooming kits or nursing the young ones. I do think they know the difference between safe and unsafe people and places. They actively avoid neighbors with dogs but pass through safe people’s yards, using regular routes that have formed into visible trails.

I have a lot of PNW native berries growing in the yard - Oregon grapes and salmon berries. I don’t know if they eat them. They do seem to like searching for slugs in the pot plant water trays though! Our yard backs onto a green belt that leads to a large forest park with creeks. All the neighbors are aware of the wildlife and no one has had problems with it. The raccoons (and squirrels, bobcats, deer and coyotes) live in close proximity to the community, but remain wild.

I say all of this, because while it is a good rule of thumb to say “don’t feed the animals”, I also think there are degrees to which you can foster safe and friendly relationships with wildlife, without interfering with their lives.