Trap meant for feral cat catches 30-pound raccoon so obese he had to squeeze himself inside

A trap meant for a feral cat ended up holding a very different guest: a well-fed raccoon that the Reddit poster estimated weighed around 30 pounds.

The raccoon appeared offended by the body-shaming from his captor, but overall, his predicament ended better than most of his cousins who find their way into traps: "He was given stuff to rehydrate and released." 

In a Reddit post that drew 5,400 upvotes, the original poster shared a photo of a live trap containing an unusually large raccoon that had apparently been helping itself to bait left out on the property.

The poster said the trap had been set for a feral cat, not the raccoon, and added that the animal was handled humanely before being released.

"In all my years of trapping I've never had an animal go back into the trap while I was holding the door open to get the food he dropped."

The raccoon's greed got him caught in a precarious predicament, but this situation does shed light on a growing issue. Human activity can push wildlife into unhealthy habits. 

Raccoons are highly adaptable, and when high-calorie food is easy to find, from trash cans, pet bowls, bird feeders, bait, and other outdoor food sources, they can gain excessive weight and grow more reliant on people.

Wildlife in poor health may face greater risks from disease, traffic, and injury, while neighborhoods may have to contend with overturned trash and property damage. 

Experts have long warned that when wild animals become accustomed to human food, their behavior can shift in ways that put everyone at risk.

One user joked: "His greed sickens me." Another said, "He might be my spirit animal."

Animals generally do not reach this size in the wild without regular access to easy, human-linked food sources. You can help by securing garbage, bringing pet food indoors, and using nonlethal deterrents.

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