For months, a couple heard scratching behind the walls of a rental home before finally deciding to investigate, and what they found quickly went viral on TikTok, with over 24 million views.
Maddie Neale told Newsweek via email that she and her fiancé, Nemo, kept hearing scratching sounds that grew from a nuisance into a daily disruption, spreading through multiple rooms. They originally thought of it as an “if it doesn’t bother me, then we’ll ignore it” situation. But the noises began to irritate them and Nemo’s roommates.
Initial guesses missed the mark. “We had a theory that it was a bird or squirrel at first because of the scratching and the way we would hear it walk, but we were obviously wrong,” she said.
The first encounter with the culprit was when Nemo’s roommate on the first floor opened his closet to find a raccoon inside, staring at a light panel, Neale said. Nemo sent pictures from the hole in the closet to show the landlord, who then sent someone toset up a catch-and-release trap. But the issue persisted.
Neale’s recent TikTok video, posted to her account @maddienealee, which she originally filmed in October, showed the couple sliding a phone into a hole in the wall created from an old repair. She moved the camera around with a light to find where the tiny critter was hiding. Soon enough, two eyes and a snout jutted out, staring up at her. They had caught the wrong raccoon.
“We were obviously both shocked and had to show his other two roommates,” she said. “It was funny for a little bit, but obviously more funny to me because I don’t live there.”
The couple and the roommates have grown “frustrated” as the issue has not been fixed.
The raccoon crawled into Nemo’s closet and ate his stocking stuffers, including Butterfingers, cough drops and pistachios, while he was away for winter break. Nemo has duct-taped the holes in the closet, but otherwise, the tenants have since decided to let it go, after continuing to inform the landlord of the situation. Plus, Nemo will be moving out come May following graduation.
TikTok Reacts
Within a few days, the TikTok video had reached over 24 million views, 2.4 million likes and nearly 5,000 comments with users cracking up over the raccoon’s surprised look about being discovered.
“The raccoon was like, ‘Did you find it?'” wrote a viewer, while another added: “He was wondering what the noise was too.”
A third person said: “He was coming to help you look.”
Raccoons Seek Homes For Shelter
Raccoons often thrive living near people, not just as trash pickers. These adaptable animals have increasingly sought shelters inside homes, as neighborhoods expand into their natural habitats, an article from Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control states.
Raccoons typically create dens in natural or undeveloped areas, such as hollow trees, fallen logs or abandoned burrows made by other animals. But when living near people, they’ll choose homes; attics, chimneys, crawl spaces and garages offer protection from weather and predators without the need to build. It is also quiet and warm for them in colder months.
As excellent climbers and strong hands, these animals will find their way inside through damaged rooflines, loose vents or unprotected chimneys. They will likely continue to return unless the opening is properly sealed. Contact wildlife professionals or animal control to remove a raccoon from your home.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.Â