I feed mine a good quality dog food as the bulk diet then fresh fruit and veg daily along with a variety of nuts and occasionally boiled chicken/fish or beef. But main diet should be dog food
Raccoons as pets ??
- Thread starter Becky&herRaccoon
- Start date
They are cute and somewhat cuddly when small but as they mature become difficult to handle and somewhat destructive of property.
I had one 30 years ago, found as a baby and mother dead and fed her quality dog food, fruits and Oreo cookies as occasional treats. Access to clean water required daily frequent water changes since they do use the water for eating, playing and defecating. A wooden nest box at the top of her enclosure was used for sleeping and she often laid on top just lounging.
They do like to climb and mine would definitely trash items in the garage, knocking stuff off shelves and lounge in high places. They also definitely do not take no for an answer. I needed to wear heavy leather gloves to return her to her enclosure when she wasn't willing and the cookies were an incentive to get back to her enclosure.
Raccoons are noted for getting roundworms so be sure to keep up with vet appointments and possibly also treat your dogs.
I eventually had to transition her back to the wild because she became problematic when she matured and came into heat. She could not be handled at all and became too aggressive. I'm happy to say she did well in the wild and did return to her enclosure sometimes for supplemental feeding and even had some babies with her a couple times!!
It was definitely a good experience keeping one but I wouldn't do it again plus we aren't supposed to keep wildlife without a permit. A quick internet search did show that they are not native to Ireland and are considered invasive so I'm guessing raccoons are popular in the pet trade and some have either escaped their owners or been released when they've gotten too big or a problem.
I will add that they can be mean biters and even their claws can do a lot of damage, as their playing can be extremely rough.
Good luck with your raccoon!!
I had one 30 years ago, found as a baby and mother dead and fed her quality dog food, fruits and Oreo cookies as occasional treats. Access to clean water required daily frequent water changes since they do use the water for eating, playing and defecating. A wooden nest box at the top of her enclosure was used for sleeping and she often laid on top just lounging.
They do like to climb and mine would definitely trash items in the garage, knocking stuff off shelves and lounge in high places. They also definitely do not take no for an answer. I needed to wear heavy leather gloves to return her to her enclosure when she wasn't willing and the cookies were an incentive to get back to her enclosure.
Raccoons are noted for getting roundworms so be sure to keep up with vet appointments and possibly also treat your dogs.
I eventually had to transition her back to the wild because she became problematic when she matured and came into heat. She could not be handled at all and became too aggressive. I'm happy to say she did well in the wild and did return to her enclosure sometimes for supplemental feeding and even had some babies with her a couple times!!
It was definitely a good experience keeping one but I wouldn't do it again plus we aren't supposed to keep wildlife without a permit. A quick internet search did show that they are not native to Ireland and are considered invasive so I'm guessing raccoons are popular in the pet trade and some have either escaped their owners or been released when they've gotten too big or a problem.
I will add that they can be mean biters and even their claws can do a lot of damage, as their playing can be extremely rough.
Good luck with your raccoon!!
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Check out this website that might be helpful to you http://sybilsden.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=91&sid=286d7b2e3a442b91c5784b0fdb7408b3
There are probably more out there, I just did a quick pet raccoon care guide search.
There are probably more out there, I just did a quick pet raccoon care guide search.
Thank you so so much for such an informative comment. Yes they are not native here and I am only one in 10 people throughout Ireland to have one. This one was born in captivity and bottle fed by humans. As part of Irelands wild life and regulations I do have to get her spayed as soon as she's 6 months. I am clicker training her at the minute so fingers crossed she wI'll respond well so in the future it won't be too difficult when she's going back in her cage. She does live in the house and as something similar to a puppy crate except larger but that is only for her to sleep in other wise she runs and plays around the house with the dogs
damn, that sucks....I'm always cautious when I hear that "chitter-chatter" at night and i'm walking around, even in my yard - just a few days ago one of my dogs scared one through the fence and my neighbor and I are sitting on his back porch drinking beers and we hear it come running towards us and he's like "What the hell was that?" and I said, "Oh, probably my dog just getting sprayed by a Skunk again", but when I walked back over to my house, I didn't smell the musk on him, so I assumed either Opposum, or raccoon but it definitely was the sound you hear from a coon looking back. I didn't know you guys had raccoons in Hawaii....
They do that because they don't have any salivary glands......they wash all their food before they eat it so it doesn't taste dry and it makes it easier for them to swallow.
Imagine if we didn't have salivary glands.....i'd be pissed 24/7 - feeling like I just ate the Sahara
No wonder they get ornery
I have had a lot of goldfish get eaten by raccoons and one time they ate 3 koi I had in an outdoor pond. I don't like raccoons. That is actually my username on a koi forum.
damn, that sucks....I'm always cautious when I hear that "chitter-chatter" at night and i'm walking around, even in my yard - just a few days ago one of my dogs scared one through the fence and my neighbor and I are sitting on his back porch drinking beers and we hear it come running towards us and he's like "What the hell was that?" and I said, "Oh, probably my dog just getting sprayed by a Skunk again", but when I walked back over to my house, I didn't smell the musk on him, so I assumed either Opposum, or raccoon but it definitely was the sound you hear from a coon looking back. I didn't know you guys had raccoons in Hawaii....
They do that because they don't have any salivary glands......they wash all their food before they eat it so it doesn't taste dry and it makes it easier for them to swallow.
Imagine if we didn't have salivary glands.....i'd be pissed 24/7 - feeling like I just ate the Sahara
They thought when first observed that this was the case but in fact now study results indicate that the behavior enhances the tactile experience involved with eating. They do apparently have salivary glands I initially thought the same before getting one but when I got one I put more research in and discovered this
hmmm, interesting, ya learn something new everyday
Still hard to really know what is actually true not a whole lot of study has gone into Raccoons and information is contradicting itself all the time so hard to know what to believe lol
