- Cabin: The cabin of a raccoon must be first and foremost spacious, the ideal would be to dedicate a room, but if that is not possible it is necessary to have it in a cage how much bigger better, because the place that we enable it will be your refuge and this will make you feel safe. In this space you have to have dry leaves, an old pillow, some blanket and toys, the type they sell for dogs. We will also provide you with a trough and a trough.
It is necessary that all the cabinets of our house, are locked as raccoons are climbers and curious natives and can cause problems if they are not closed, since it will be very interesting to take everything, break it and play.
Education: Raccoon training is a task that requires great patience.
He should never be punished with a scourge since he would consider it an attack and would not hesitate to attack. You have to learn the word "NO". If we have our raccoon loose in the house and it makes us a trick we must lock it in its cage or room and say "NO"
Raccoons can use a box with a cat bed to fulfill their needs, although in the mating season it will mark their territory through urine.
Hygiene: A raccoon should be bathed once or twice a year but no more because it could lose the layer of natural fats that cover your skin If you fill the bathtub without soap and put the raccoon toys it will play in water for a while, and then you can lather with neutral chanpu.
For brushing it is good to use a metal comb or a metal barbed scraper but remembering not to squeeze too much because we could hurt you. Change the hair once a year, so we must take special care in the change from winter to summer, as it will not stop plucking.
Nutrition: Raccoons are omnivorous. They like fresh routes, chicken and turkey meat and fish. Red meat is not good for them. You have to be careful with food because they could gain weight if they do not have a balanced diet according to the exercise you do. One of the causes of more mortality in the United States in raccoons living in family is cardiac arrest due to obesity. In addition, obesity can cause other health problems such as pancreatitis and hip dysplasia.
If our raccoon does not perform adequate physical exercise, it will have serious health problems.
Buy a raccoon: Yes, we bought a raccoon, this one with bright skin and eyes. It will also be necessary for the store or the breeder to give us the Cites.
Considerations for having a pet raccoon
The first thing you should be clear about is that a raccoon does not have the domestic character of a cat or dog. The raccoon is a wild animal, too active and somewhat complicated to tame.
Because, it is very important to be well informed about them.
Having a raccoon at home, just like another animal, It is an experience, but not all people are prepared to keep this little animal.
If you still decide that you want to have it as a pet, you should know that Your attitude may vary as your age increases.
As youngsters, raccoons are quite playful. There are many Instagram accounts that narrate, with images, the day-to-day life of certain families that have a raccoon as a pet. They are fun, close images, but reality can change over the years.
When raccoons reach adulthood, they usually float their natural instinct and become aggressive if they feel threatened. This may cause use teeth and claws to defend themselves if they notice they are in danger.
What are the raccoon care?
Raccoons require very specific care and cannot be accommodated in any home.
First, remember that the habitat of these animals is the forest, with which, you cannot have this pet in a small flat.
To have a pet raccoon it will be necessary to have a house with a garden, in addition to a specific area for him, such as a large cage or a complete stay.
The ‘domestic’ raccoons, during the day, they must enjoy freedom outdoors, climbing the trees in your garden. Yes, constantly watched by you.
Food is another matter to take care of. The raccoon Is omnivore So your diet should be quite complete. You will have to provide fruit and vegetables, in addition to chicken or turkey, but better avoid red meat.
To the raccoons they love to wet their food before eating it, so you also have to put a small water fountain near them so they can do it.
As for their hygiene, they do not require great care, since they should only take a few baths a year. However, raccoons, sometimes, they can give off a very strong smell by nature. And it is not quite pleasant!
And his behavior? You should be clear about one thing: Raccoons are sooo naughty animals and from the first minute they will want to "explore" your house.
This means that they are going to climb, bite, scratch, etc. Everything that catches your attention. You must be well prepared!
Our advice is that if you want to have a pet raccoon, you will receive him as a baby so that his education starts from an early age.
Further, It is preferable to have a professional of instilling good behavior.
Risks of having a pet raccoon
In addition to the possible aggressiveness that raccoons can show at certain times, there are certain complications that can occur in them.
First, raccoons should be rigorously vaccinated against rabies. Do not adopt any raccoon that does not have a certificate proving that it is vaccinated against this disease.
In addition, you must be knowledgeable and very careful with the parasite called ‘Baylisascaris procyonis’, Which is typical of these animals.
On the other hand, hip dysplasia and obesity They can happen in them. That is why it is important to take care of your food and go regularly to the veterinarian, just as you would do with your dog or cat.
You may think that it may be funny to have a pet raccoon, but you know that by its nature, they are not very common animals that adapt to the home.
If after this recommendation, you still want to have this pet, remember: Adopt responsibly!
Is it legal to have a raccoon in Spain?
The possession of exotic animals has a direct impact on the conservation of the species that inhabit our ecosystems. In fact, it is estimated that the introduction of exotic species has caused the extinction of 39% of native species, being also the second cause of loss of biodiversity worldwide.
For all these reasons, both at European and state level, attempts have been made to control and prevent the introduction of certain exotic species, such as the raccoon (Procyon lotor), as well as 14 other species.
The raccoon has been present in Spain since 2000, but it is not until seven years later when it begins to try to control its population. In fact, it is estimated that the possibility of eradicating its presence in the peninsula is less and less. We find it distributed in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia and Valencia.
At present It is not legal to have a raccoon in Spain, although the people who obtained it before the entry into force of Law 42/2007 may keep it if it is sterilized. In no case can it be released in the middle. The problems that a raccoon can cause in Spanish territory include damage to crops, hydraulic infrastructures and the possible transmission of zoonoses.
Raccoon Features
The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal with a size similar to that of a small or medium-sized dog. It measures between 50 and 70 cm in length. It is characteristic of the raccoon its tail with 5 or 7 dark rings and the "mask" it has on its face.
The raccoon is native to North America and Central America, but has been introduced in Germany and Russia.
He lives in deciduous and mixed forests, parks, near water.
The adult raccoon is a solitary animal, so it is not advisable to keep more than one raccoon at home.
Is the raccoon a pet or wild?
Unlike the most popular pets, such as dogs and cats, the raccoon is a wild animal that has not been tamed. Therefore, we must know that some of the typical behaviors of the species, such as displacement, dousing (food washing) or socialization, are incompatible with its possession in an urban environment, where the animal would be unable to carry out the behaviors of its species.
Likewise, keeping an animal in captivity without having knowledge about its needs can cause the appearance of health problems and behavioral problems, thus affecting its emotional well-being.
A raccoon as a pet, is it possible?
Yes, it is possible to have a raccoon as a pet. Although you won't find them in pet stores, you can adopt one through private breeders. It is difficult for a store to provide it to you, since the raccoon is not considered a pet, because their behavior tends to differ quite a lot from these.
Despite their tender appearance and some sympathetic gestures, the raccoons they are usually aggressive, moved and squeaky. Of course, this is a general rule, because not everyone has to be that way, and there are copies that break the rules.
If even knowing this you intend to take a risk and have a raccoon as a pet, you will need to know what care this animal requires.
Remember that regardless of the species you choose as a pet, this will be your responsibility, not only will you have to take care of it and supply all its basic needs, but also respond to any act of its origin that causes a disaster.
Choose a suitable place
Unlike dogs and cats, The raccoon is not suitable for living in small spaces like a flat. If you want to adopt a raccoon, you should make sure you have adequate space for it, such as a large terrace or a large garden.
First of all, we must understand that The raccoon is a wild animal and that, although we cannot plagiarize their natural habitat, we must provide a space that resembles this as much as possible.
Leave it loose
You may be afraid of escaping, especially the first few days, when you still don't know each other too much. It is best that you put high fences to prevent escape. Under no circumstances tie the animal or put it in a cage, you would only sour its character and it could become aggressive.
The raccoon needs some freedom to move, but calm, because if he sees that he has what he needs, he will not want to leave.
At this point you are likely to wonder, what does a raccoon eat? Well, the raccoon is an omnivorous animal, so its main foods will be white meat and fish, fruits and vegetables. Never give him red meat or blue fish, as his stomach is not prepared to digest them.
If this becomes very complicated for you, Wet cat food is suitable for a raccoon. This will provide all the necessary nutrients and you will also love it. Needless to say, fresh and clean water should never be lacking.
Your hygiene
Excessive bathing damages raccoon skin, so bathing it only a couple of times a year is enough. Raccoons do not smell bad as a rule and usually lick to groom themselves, as with cats. However, if you think your raccoon is catching a strong smell, and it still does not touch the bathroom, you can opt for dry cleaning.
What is important with regard to your hygiene is the care of your hair. You will need to be brushed daily, especially at the time of the year in which you change your hair.
Due to its innate character, it is necessary that you dedicate time to educate your raccoon since it is small. You must learn what the limits are and what you are the boss. Of course, as in the case of other animals, the punishments, shouts and blows are out of place. Positive reinforcement will be the most effective in educating your raccoon.
Accept that there will be certain behaviors that are part of their nature, which will be more repetitive, especially at the beginning. If you think it is necessary, you could go to a professional.
You see that the raccoon is an animal suitable as a pet, in fact, you will spend very funny moments with him. Just keep in mind the care you need and enjoy your new friend.
What should you know before having a raccoon?
A domesticated raccoon can play with its owner
Each time, exotic animals have more demand from the public. The raccoon is a good example. Imported from the United States, this animal is kept as NAC (new companion animal). However, the raccoon is not a pet like a dog or cat, since for an animal to be tamed we need many years of living together.
The problem with raccoons is that they require a lot of our attention, since they are very intelligent, cunning, mischievous and curious. However, the raccoon is very docile and playful especially when it is a baby. This animal reminds of a nice little monkey. Like primates, raccoons are good climbers. However, when they become adults, they can bite us and have destructive behaviors with the environment. In addition, during the breeding season, the raccoon may be in a bad mood and be aggressive. On the other hand, the raccoon can be a transmitter of a very dangerous parasite for humans.
In the United States, where raccoons have been kept as a pet for a long time, due to their controversial behavior, many of the raccoon owners get rid of them when they reach adulthood.In this same country, it is considered a pest, since In urban areas, the raccoon feeds on garbage.
Maintaining a raccoon is not an easy task and is a responsibility that can last for many years (a raccoon has a life expectancy of 15 years)
In the United States, the commercialization of the raccoon is regulated and before its acquisition it is analyzed if the owner meets all the requirements to be able to properly maintain this animal. On the other hand, its possession is not allowed in all US states or in Canada due to the danger of transmission of a parasite.
If we buy a raccoon, you must have bright eyes and no tears on your sides, a clean nose and no mucus, etc. It will also be necessary for the store or the breeder to give us CITES.
Are you thinking of adopting a raccoon?
In different online buying and selling pages you can find plenty of advertisements for raccoon breeders, but the reality is that you will not find them in animal stores in your neighborhood, for example. Why does this happen? The raccoon is not a companion animal nor does it show the same docile behaviors that cats or dogs do. The place where a raccoon should be is in the forests, in their natural habitat.
It is a playful and docile mammal in youth, but in its adult phase of life can be aggressive with the human being if his behavior is not respected and improper handling is carried out. If you still consider holding a raccoon as a pet, adoption should always be carried out when the animal is still small and in full socialization.
Where can I adopt a raccoon?
If you are definitely determined to bring a raccoon to your home, it will be essential that you spend time informing yourself about its origin and the care it requires. If you go to a specialized breeder remember to demand from the seller that has the correspondingCITES certificate (International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species). This certificate will ensure that your new pet cannot get rabies and other diseases. It is for this reason that we advise you distrust the ads of individuals that circulate through the network.
The best option if you want to have a raccoon as a pet is without a doubt go to an animal shelter. It happens that, on many occasions, people who were determined to adopt a raccoon have been overwhelmed by their character, behavior etc. Every year animals are abandoned around the world, join the solidarity option and do not encourage the trade of live animals.
Raccoon Behavior
Raccoons are very intelligent animals, with habits nocturnal and especially active. In the wild, raccoon populations maintain an important spatial organization. We can observe the approximate presence of one individual per km2. Males will maintain a distance of up to 3 km from each other, while females will move within the space of a single adult male.
During the night the raccoons perform the marking behavior in trees, mainly poplars, to consolidate their territory, while hiding in tree cavities. In urban environments they are usually installed in attics, chimneys, porches, sheds and abandoned buildings.
From twilight the raccoon leaves in search of food, hunting small birds, eggs, insects, fish, snakes, fruits or amphibians. Later he will wash them on the bank of a river or creek, a specially known behavior of this species.
The raccoon cannot live inside an apartment or flat. If we definitely want to have a raccoon as a pet we must have a house with a garden and an exclusive space for him: a large cage or even a room. It is very important to try to recreate the natural habitat of the raccoon.
You will need to spend long periods of the day loose in the garden where you would ideally have trees to climb and a pond or fountain where "wash" your food. They love water (in nature they usually wash fruits and crabs in the rivers before eating them).
In the feeding of the raccoon you can not miss the fruit, vegetables, chicken, turkey, clean fish and even with cat food. Never with red meat. Their metabolism allows them to eat very varied foods but that does not mean that we should give them any type of product.
Raccoons need a minimal hygiene It will consist of one or two bathrooms a year. We should not abuse the baths because raccoons could lose the properties of the fat that cover their skin. The bath will be long with a neutral shampoo, well rinsed.
The raccoon changes hair once a year, for that reason we advise that especially at that time of molting we take special care of brush him so that it is not stressed. We can use a metal barbed brush for this, always remembering that we must be careful not to harm it.
As for education, we must be clear that we will never repress him aggressively. These are intelligent and curious animals that are sure to try to bite, scratch and climb any furniture, surface and object, we must be prepared. We will use positive reinforcement to stimulate you to carry out positive behaviors, never punishment, quarrels, screams or aggressiveness.
In fact, they are very intelligent animals, capable of learning hygienic routines, tricks and even understanding various orders. We can educate them in the same way as a dog or cat, with the limitations presented by not being a pet.
It is advisable that all those people who want to have a raccoon as a pet go to a professional, preferably a veterinarian specialized in ethology or a biologist.
Common Raccoon Diseases
To finish we will review the basic aspects related to health. In the case of holding a raccoon as a pet we should know that regular visits to the vet They are required. We must follow a schedule of vaccination and deworming, which will be marked by the specialist who leads our case. The rabies vaccine, for example, is mandatory in these animals.
Likewise, the raccoon is susceptible to many other diseases, like any other animal, being vulnerable to suffer from obesity When you are in a domestic environment.
Finally we want to highlight once more that the raccoon It is not a pet. Although in some cases, when we talk about rescued raccoons, these animals can adapt to a domestic environment and create very positive ties with their tutors, from Animal Expert we do not advise your tenure in a home, because we believe that this species should live in freedom.
If you want to read more articles similar to The raccoon as a pet, we recommend that you enter our What you need to know section.
Raccoon Feeding
We must provide the raccoon with fresh water every day, since this animal has a habit of washing any food it will eat.
The raccoon is an omnivorous animal that feeds, in the wild, on frogs, insects, worms, baby birds and their eggs. In autumn, consume wild berries.
In captivity, we will feed the raccoon with ferret food, cat food. We will give you vegetables, insects and eggs, since he loves eggs, and fish.
Material needed for the raccoon
The raccoon cabin must be very spacious. The ideal would be to reserve a room for him alone, but if that is not possible it is necessary to have it in a cage the bigger the better.
We can design safe play areas for the raccoon and to prevent damage to our belongings while playing.
Nevertheless, the cage is not highly recommended.
We will have a feeder and a trough for the raccoon.
We will also provide the raccoon with dry leaves, an old pillow, some blanket and toys like the ones they sell for dogs.
We will reserve a box with cat sand for the raccoon to make its needs.
Management and training of the raccoon
Educating a raccoon is an occupation that requires great patience. We should be as long as possible with our little one if we do not want him to develop bad behavior in adulthood.
The raccoon can be trained to make the needs in a sandbox like cats and can learn some simple instructions.
We will never physically punish him, since the raccoon could consider it an attack. You better learn the word "no." If we have it loose by the house, and it makes us a "mischief", we must lock him in his cage or room and say "no".
It is recommended that all the closets of our house are locked, since the raccoons are climbers and very curious.
Raccoon Health
The raccoon can be parasitized with the round raccoon worm (Baylisascaris Procyonis). This parasite called ascarid can infect other pets and even humans and cause damage to the nervous system, nausea, liver enlargement, loss of muscle control, blindness, coma and, sometimes, death. So we must heal ourselves in health and take a good veterinarian specializing in exotic animals to our raccoon.
It is also necessary to vaccinate our raccoon against rabies. The raccoon is also sensitive to distemper virus.
One of the main causes of death of raccoons kept as pets in the United States is cardiac arrest due to obesity. In addition, obesity can cause other health problems such as pancreatitis. So we must keep an eye on it with food and prevent our raccoon from getting fat.
Washing our raccoon 1 or 2 times a year is enough. It is not advisable to wash it frequently or else you can lose the layer of natural fat that covers your skin.
For brushing, it is advisable to use a metal comb or a metal barbed brush but without squeezing too much because we could hurt you. The raccoon sheds hair once a year. During this time, we have to be vigilant with hair loss.
Raccoon Reproduction
The raccoon mating is between January and March. The gestation of the raccoon lasts 63 days and the female stops between 2 and 5 offspring. The young remain with the mother until 7 weeks of life.
In the mating season, the raccoon will mark its territory with urine.
More information on the raccoon and other exotic animals.
