The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a highly resourceful mammal frequently encountered in urban and suburban environments. Their ability to thrive near human habitation often leads them to seek easily accessible food sources, including discarded human fare. While raccoons readily consume bread, the practice is detrimental to their health, making this an important topic for homeowners to understand.
Raccoons as Opportunistic Eaters
Raccoons are classified as generalist omnivores, meaning their natural diet is extremely varied and includes both plant and animal matter. In the wild, they consume a balanced mix of insects, grubs, nuts, fruits, small vertebrates, and eggs. This natural range demonstrates a digestive system adapted to diverse and unprocessed foods.
Their success stems from opportunistic feeding behavior, prioritizing accessible calories and easy meals over nutritional completeness. Bread and other human food scraps are appealing because they offer a high-calorie reward with minimal foraging effort. The consumption of these foods is a behavioral adaptation to the urban landscape rather than a sign of a healthy diet.
Nutritional Harm of Processed Foods
Raccoons readily eat bread and other processed human food, but these items provide negligible nutritional value for a wild animal. Bread is composed primarily of carbohydrates, which offer energy but lack the essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals raccoons require for survival. Filling up on these “empty calories” means the animal is not consuming the nutrient-dense foods necessary for maintaining a healthy coat, strong bones, and a functioning immune system.
The high carbohydrate content in processed foods can quickly lead to weight gain and obesity, hindering a raccoon’s natural ability to forage and evade predators. Furthermore, soft, sticky items like bread and pastries are unnatural for their teeth and can promote significant dental decay. Tooth loss or severe decay is a major problem for a wild animal, as it can severely compromise its ability to hunt, tear, and chew.
This reliance on human food also creates habituation, causing raccoons to lose their natural fear of people and become dependent on artificial food sources. Raccoons accustomed to finding food near homes are more likely to set up dens in attics or under decks, increasing conflict with humans. Feeding them processed scraps ultimately disrupts their natural foraging instincts and can lead to population density issues in urban areas.
Preventing Access to Human Food Sources
To ensure raccoon welfare and prevent conflicts, remove all potential human food sources from the outdoor environment. Securely storing household waste is the single most important step, which involves using trash cans with tightly locking lids or securing them with bungee cords or weights.
Pet food bowls should always be brought indoors at night, as dry kibble is a major attractant for nocturnal foragers. Homeowners should also manage natural food sources by promptly picking up fallen fruit and removing bird feeders, or bringing them in after dusk. Eliminating easy access to high-calorie human foods encourages raccoons to return to their natural, healthier diet.