Equal Opportunity Feeding Center

We all have stories about animals we have cared for. Our son, Doug, has a new story that will be hard to beat. I’ll give you a little background before telling the new story.

Doug lives in Texas on a three-acre property that has oak trees in the back. The oak trees drop acorns that attract deer. Not long after moving in, Doug noticed on his Ring cameras that three or four deer were showing up every night and looking for food. To help out, he went to the feed store and bought a bag of specially mixed deer food and began putting it out every night.

Next, a couple of feral cats began showing up on the patio every night in search of food. Doug began feeding them. One of the cats liked the idea of having a home, so he moved in with Doug and Penny. The food on the patio has attracted other animals. Soon, a fox showed up and then, after a while, there were two foxes. Next, a big raccoon showed up. These other animals were showing up at different times, so there was no conflict.

Here’s the new story:

Doug’s cat was eating on the patio, and a fox showed up. A little later, a big, male raccoon came. Doug didn’t know if the raccoon intended to eat the cat or the fox. It made no aggressive moves, though, and began eating. Now, we’ve got the cat, the fox, and the raccoon. Next, they are joined by a skunk who lifted his tail but didn’t emit and offensive discharge. Doug grabs his phone and starts taking pictures. It’s dark out, but he gets a couple of shots. They are hard to identify, but they are all there. The foursome- cat, fox, raccoon, and skunk enjoying a meal at the Equal Opportunity Feeding Center.

Dave Thomas

6/11/2026