<Raccoons

Raccoons are not “washing” their food in the sense of cleaning it, and will happily chew away on dry dog or cat food if it’s available. My tamer animals have been cheated out of dinner more than once by raiding raccoons.

Don’t know that a raccoons “washing” rises to the level of an awareness of a need for sanitation. The things often live in sewers. I suppose, though, that washing might be especially necessary for a sewer dweller, but then they “wash” the food in the sewer.

They are amazingly dexterous little critters, though, often doing a purposeful search without looking at what they’re doing, just feeling around with their paws. And, the little guys can come down a tree head first, which is a trick for something that big.

“Most of the food the Raccoon eats, such as crawfish, frogs, etc., is usually clean and does not need washing, which does away with the theory that the Raccoon is washing his food. Of the Raccoon's five senses, its sense of touch is by far the most highly developed. That sense is heightened when its fingers are wet, which probably explains the reason the Raccoon 'fingers' its food in the water. It will, however, eat food readily that has not been washed or put in the water.”