While the idea of getting to spend time enjoying the local wildlife may sound like a dream to some homeowners, one Redditor says that his experience quickly turned into a nightmare after a new neighbor moved onto his street. It all started when the “Crazy Karen” (as dubbed by the poster) bought a house that was just outside of a wooded area. According to the Redditor, she immediately began feeding the local wildlife, putting food scraps out to lure them closer to her home.
But things quickly turned ugly for the neighborhood once the wild animals started getting a little bit more brazen, and they began tearing up the property in search of more food. Then, things took a turn for the worse when the animals made their way inside people’s homes, causing a whole lot of frustration.
Now, the unhappy homeowner is turning to Reddit to find out what they should do about their unwanted neighbor.
Here’s what Reddit had to say.
The New Neighbor’s Actions Have Real Consequences
Redditor no-flan9961 turned to a popular subreddit in search of advice about the neighbor they nicknamed “Crazy Karen.”
According to the post, the family lives around 200 yards from a large wooded area. And while plenty of wildlife call the area home, they must’ve kept mostly to themselves until the new neighbor moved in a year and a half ago.
“She thinks herself to be Mother Earth and throws food scraps in her bushes,” the Redditor wrote. “She has attracted raccoon families, deer families, squirrels and skunks to our homes.”
Unfortunately, when the OP and other neighbors approached her about the problem, she laughed at them. Now, the homeowner says he has groundhogs burrowing in his backyard, terrorizing his garden.
“I have contacted the police and they say there is nothing they can do,” his post continued. “The only thing they care about is the seven cats she keeps in seven cages in her garage. I believe they are feral, she says they can’t live in her house.” The OP wrapped up the post by revealing that he now has squirrels in his attic, and another neighbor has a family of raccoons living in hers.
Reddit Came Through With Some Solid Advice
Plenty of people posted ideas for the OP. “You could contact your state Fish and Wildlife department,” one person wrote. “In some places, it’s illegal to feed them certain times a year or altogether, just depends on your state laws.”
Others suggested calling animal control or local game wardens, and one person said the local Board of Health could also be an option.
While some of the advice was definitely better than others—a few people suggested getting dogs to chase away the wildlife—it’s worth noting that feeding wildlife is almost never a good idea. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), giving wildlife food can cause more harm than good.
Many animals have specialized diets, and giving them food (especially processed foods) can make them sick. Additionally, animals that get used to humans giving them food can become aggressive, which could be dangerous. Lastly, some animals can carry diseases like hantavirus and rabies, and bringing them into a neighborhood can expose humans to those illnesses.
Hopefully, the Redditor takes some of the advice they were given and finds a good way to put a stop to the “Crazy Karen” living next door.