Does anyone own a racoon for a pet? If so, do they make a good pet? Are they har

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   Born Again 05posted 15 years ago

   Does anyone own a racoon for a pet? If so, do they make a good pet? Are they hard to care for?

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2. 70

   Silver Poetposted 15 years ago

   I would never own a raccoon.
   
   I looked out the window and watched in the soft light of an overhead lantern while the humongous coon sat and ate all my cat's food.  He looked right at me through the window, but he would not scare off.
   
   Scarcely could I even scare him while banging on a large metal bucket with a hand trowel.  The loud noise made him move away, but only moving slowly as a wild animal that has become accustomed to an urban lifestyle.
   
   When I was a kid in the country, I put some little baby chicks into a rabbit cage in the barn.  Should be safe, right?  The holes in rabbit cages are deliberately small to keep snakes from getting in and eating baby bunnies.
   
   When I got up in the morning and went out to feed them I smelled the stench of carrion.  When I looked into the cage I found a single leg of one of the baby chickens.  The coon had reached into the cage and had eaten it alive, bite by bite, as it pulled it through, leaving only the leg that wouldn't fit.
   
   The reason I know it was a raccoon and not an opossum (they are horrible predators as well) is because I later caught it in a live trap.  I released it miles away and hoped it wouldn't come back.  Either it came back, or it had several relatives.  I ended up getting a nice aggressive farm dog to chase them off.

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   EliseQTposted 15 years ago

   I owned a racoon they are not hard to take care of i liked them alot and cryed when i let them go, but i only had them for a bit and they were babys. I've heard storys about them being the best pets in the world and storys about them being very harmful! So it could go either way sorry for not having a one way answer!!

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   spiderspunposted 15 years ago

   In Ontario Canada it is against the law to own a raccon, Raccoons can pass on a roundworm condion called Baylisascaris. People get infected by getting the eggs on their hands or nails that come from raccoon droppings. The raccoon gets the worms from mucking around in its environment or by eating rodenty critters that have Baylisascaris. Kids can get the paracite by playing in dirt where a raccoon frequents or even water where kids play and the raccoon defacates in or tracks through. Even that cuddley orphan raccoon you find can be infected.
   
   Raccoons can carry rabies, and may not show right away signs of it, Being friends with raccoons by tempting them with food is an easy way of picking up this paracite or getting bitten and ending up on a rabbies treatment.
   
   I was at a pet expo here in ontario, and a guy had pet raccoons that were approved. The raccoons he had were exotic coat colours like albino and blond with white. I don't know how intensely vet studied these raccoons are, but I know they have to have specific permits to have in Ontario. Your best bet is to find an approved breeder and proper vet inspection.
   
   As a pet, I have heard they are something like a ferret, and litter tain. They need to roam, so be prepared to assign a bedroom for the creature
   
   by Lynda from spiderspun

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      Pierre Duguayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The possible health issues you have listed can also effect dogs, and especially outdoor cats. Nothing a vaccine and deworming pills can't solve
      If you are going to try to deter people from owning a raccoon as a pet, list their destructive behaviour.

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   Born Again 05posted 15 years ago

   EliseQT, Silver Poet and spider spun...thank you for responding to my question! I appreciate all the input. I know these critters are awfully cute in pictures and I became intriqued with the idea of owning one.  If I do attempt this, I would certainly purchase one as a baby from a breeder.  I do know that I'm required to have a permit to keep one in Pa. I would never get one from the wild. Scary to think of it eating a live chick! How awful! I thought they were vegetarian in nature.  See? I have alot to learn! I'm not so sure that I'm willing to give it it's own bedroom either! LOL!

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   ddsurfscaposted 14 years ago

   I had a raccoon for a pet when my kids were teens, and while it was little it was cute and not too bad to take care of, rather like a very mischievous cat that has thumbs.  But once it got to be six to eight months old it took on some behaviours  that almost forced me to get rid of it.  For one it figured out how to get into the refridg. and even when I put a lock on it, when I had to open it to make dinner, he would manage to get in.  Once in he would pick out whatever food he was after and climb onto the back shelf and I would not be able to remove him until he wanted to be or I would get a good bite out of it.  He also began getting into any and all drawers and cupboards and made quite the mess. I caged him for a while but felt it was unfair to him so I turned him over to the wildlife authorities to be reintroduced.

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   bee99posted 14 years ago

   hi,
   i have not got a racoon but my friend has.
   she explained that a racoon is not that easy.
   they're very cute but are very naughty,
   they will steal any thing that's shiny even if its a necklas
   around your neck but they love to follow your fingers
   and chase around like a small dog

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   bluesradioposted 8 years ago

   I had a pet raccoon as a kid....Like most living creatures, it just wanted to be fed.....can't remember how much petting we did of it as we kept it as an outside pet...but I do remember that in the Spring time, the Raccoon got the call of the wild and disappeared into the wilderness to find a mate....We did some of my mom's jewelry outside later...

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   Kramarposted 8 years ago

   i raised 2 after their mother was killed, but as much fun as thry were when they were kits, they soon turned into destructive banshees they are wild and will remain so.

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    Karen W23posted 6 years ago

    I have a pet raccoon and her name is Daisy. She is absolutley one of the coolest and sweetest pets i have ever had.
    

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       wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       LOL  I would suspect that the original poster either gave the idea up or got a raccoon shortly after making the post... 8 years ago.
       
       Gotta watch the dates here - some of these threads are really old!

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          Randy Godwinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          Ha Dan, had a friend with a "pet" raccoon in a cage. He also had lots of cats hanging around the place. None of the cats had all four legs. The newest cat would naturally go to inspect the cage and its inhabitant wherefore said inhabitant would reach out and seize a cat leg--not really particular fore or aft--and pull it inside the cage. A coon can chew through cowhide so you can imagine what happened next.
          
          You'd think the other 3 legged cats would warn the new cat right?  But noooooo....   

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    Cre8torposted 6 years ago

    My mother had a pet raccoon but once it reached full growth had to return it to the wild because it became quite aggressive so perhaps if you found one and want to nurse it to health you may be fine but I wouldn't get too attached or you may end up with some 3 legged cats too.

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