Any tips on keeping a raccoon away from the cat food?

I stepped outside this evening (when it was still light out) and saw a sizable raccoon loitering around while my cat was eating. I’m not sure if my cat knew the raccoon was there or not. I chased the raccoon off and Judah (my cat) followed and didn’t seem to be freaked out by the incident. Actually, he seemed pretty pleased with me (for the record, my cat actually is practically human).

I left and came home just now, and the raccoon was munching on Judah’s dinner. He left without putting up a fight, but I’m worried he’ll be back. He doesn’t seem to be as aggressive as some of the other raccoons I’ve encountered, but I’ve heard horror stories about cats being maimed by these things. I don’t want to hurt or kill it, but I don’t want it hanging around, either.

Should I be worried about my cat’s safety? Is there anything I can do?