yesNo But the cats seldom go back in a second time.

If you get a pellet rifle get something like this.

Gamo

I could be wrong but that one might be noisy because the pellet speed - 1400 fps - breaks the sound barrier. Just did the math, that's 954 mph.

The gas-spring air rifle is supposed to have advantages over the steel spring guns. This site talks about a gun of that sort and staying below the speed of sound, which they say is 1100 fps at sea level:

It

you just need good cover. shoot them today or tomorrow, and light some fireworks at the same time. job done.
you will have to wait till the next firworks heavy holiday otherwise to perform the perfect racoon murder

^I like this idea.

Mothballs get rid of coons ......
 

Prolific quantities of mothballs works. I got rid of a family of raccoons back under our deck in downtown Toronto. Used a length of ABS drainpipe shoved into the den and poured about half a box of mothballs at a time into the den.

Did this several times over the course of a week and they moved out.

If you alternate with a hosepipe to flood the den as well it's pretty surefire.

We had a similar urban setting where even an air rifle would have brought the SWAT team out in force so traps and firearms or arrows were totally out of the question.

Caddy shack anyone? Treat em like the 1% - use a pitchfork! The thing about hunting them is time and opportunity, as they get scarcer this becomes more intensive. The trap never sleeps. Place it where you can see it from the house easily and you will notice when it needs cleaning. Or, just call ISIL to interrogate them as to their religious beliefs, but you will still need to bury the headless carcases :D

.22 SHORTS make only slightly more noise than a pellet gun. Have you ever fired any?

In the latter part of his life, my dad lived in a very quiet city neighborhood and had a squirrel problem that was severe at times. He popped a bunch of them with .22 shorts over the years without raising any suspicion at all.

Ive got the same problem, a family of coons in the adjoining property thats been abandoned for 5 years. They sleep in the attic of an out building coming and going throug the gable thats missing a few boards. I can tell you that my 410fps rated bb pistol gets their attention but is far from lethal. It looks like trapping them will be the best option. Need to do something soon. My greyhounds can hand themselves but the wife's new flock of chickens are in eminent peril

In the city, a buddy of mine would go Oswald on 'em (squirrels) with a BB or pellet rifle w/scope. The barrel of the rifle was the only exposed portion to be rested on the window sill. Squirrels are a huge nuisance. I'd like to liquidate some here.

I've trapped many a coon here. Most of 'em stink like a billy goat or worse. Matted hair, and poor dispositions. I hope the animal control that picks 'em up actually does liquidate them, instead of re-locating them. When they migrate to the city, they need to go.

If you want to liquidate them yourself, filling a trash can with water and dropping them in the water while in the trap would work. I'd be real careful handling the trap while lifting it into the water filled trash can. Raccoons are nasty creatures when cornered in a trap, and let you know it when you approach the cage. Killing nuisance animals yourself may be against the law where you live. That's always a consideration when you don't want any trouble with the authorities. Disposing of the carcass is another challenge to accomplishing within the law too.

This is one of the social aspects of our coons. They seem to understand that the chickens are off limits to them. I don't trust them for this but it is apparent that they could have killed many a chicken and didn't. Our guineas have alerted us to coons in the yard and gotten several coons killed as a result. The trap gets most of them.

I doubt if your neigbors would be alarmed by a single 22 shot from a bolt gun. If they are outside they would hear a subtle pop. Inside they wouldn't hear anything.

Shoot, shovel, shutup.

A local veterinarian told me that in a study from the U of I said that 70% of RCoons in road kills were rabid. That doesn't mean "yours" is but it isn't rare.

I was shocked to find that Raccoons will eat Cats. The one internet site said that Raccoons will be friendly and even eat at the Cats Food Bowel with the Cat or Cats and later Kill and eat them.

I looked that up because I a Raccoon occasionally shows up in My Yard and I still have 2 Cats that live outside.
I don't think the Raccoon lives here but comes buy to eat from the Neighbors Avocados.

When I first found the bit and clawed Avocados I thought the Cats were eating them because they are (fixed) Feral Cats. Even though I feed these 2 Feral Cats they still catch their own Food (I have seen them eat Mice, Gophers and Bugs).
One Cat is friendly and is laying on My Lap right now.

I threw a Can at the Raccoon and it had no reaction. The Coon paid no attention and just slipped under My House.