Over a billion people own a pet around the world. Most people prefer a cat or Dog as pets whereas some people have different interests. Seeing cute raccoons around yourself and your house might attract you to get a raccoon pet. You might have got this question can raccoons be a good pet?
Is It Legal To Have A Pet Raccoon?
If you want to have a raccoon as a pet first check your country’s laws about raccoons. This might seem a little funny and surprising to you because you might have never thought about adopting a pet there’s a law in your state. Raccoons are popular animals that most countries have allowed for them.
states that allow Raccoons:
Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are the states that allow you to adopt a raccoon as a pet.
states that prohibit Raccoons:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington are the states that don’t allow you to keep raccoons as pet.
Can raccoons be a good pet?
Raccoons are amazing wild animals, known as animals that have cute faces, have an amazing mixture of colors in their shape, and have sharp teeth. Though they may look dirty, they are super clean animals, and it is even known that they wash their food regularly in the river. In addition, they can be found mostly in North and Central America, Europe, and Japan. Raccoons are so active and that’s why they live in a large space.
Although some people like to keep raccoons as pets. all raccoons are somehow friendly in case they are kept in an environment when they are young. They are also known to be playful with their owners. Raccoons are not counted as a big trouble unless they are not carrying rabies. Raccoons can be good pets if you are friends with them, have a large space to keep them and know how to interact with them.
A step-by-step guide on how to be friends with raccoons?
However, raccoons are known to be wild animals and they are still hazardous for people while keeping them as pets, but if you are curious, interested in these strange animals, or even if you take a look at them as safe animals, you can apply the below steps to be friends with them despite the challenges.
- Create a caring environment for them. As we, humans have our life needs about, food, and water…. The other creations are also so strict about these things. You might need to provide them enough food, water, and shelter, and even to make their birdbath.
- Food security, if you are interested in feeding raccoons you need to know that you must not leave food out cause raccoons might be interested in having them but that will create undeniable problems for you including the breakage of windows and other easily damageable stuff. In addition, try to find their favorite foods.
- Keep their usual and natural distance. They are so sensitive in terms of their temporary distance from people or even their admirable. If you want to always allow them to be themselves, not to make them harsh, you might need to choose a far place where they are not any more threatened by you that you could take care of them over there. In addition, avoid touching them or handling them at any time, because they could be threatened, and that will not only hurt you but also them. So, to have a better relationship with them you need to respect their wild habitants.
- Teach yourself, by pointing out more details about them you can know more about their habits, behavior, and their needs. Notice each small action that is being done by them and try to find the ideas behind them.
Are male or female raccoons batter pets?
Male and female raccoons can both be kept as home pets. Male raccoons which are mostly called boars, are larger and almost more aggressive than females. Female raccoons are known as sows. While they are both raccoons again they could have many differences in terms of being better home pets. First of all, female raccoons are less aggressive than their male is, and even more playful, and friendly to their owners. Then, we humans care about our child the same way other creations do, perhaps even if it is a raccoon, especially the female one. Female raccoons raise their babies on their own. The kits are almost kept by their mothers, and even this kind of animal will raise their kids alone if needed.
The Problems With Pet Raccoons
The beauty of raccoons might convince you to adopt one as a pet they are short-tempered animals. These wild animals might attack even their well-known surroundings. As well as raccoons mostly don’t get human friendly because they have always lived in wildlife and jungles. Raccoons in your house can be destructive and might hurt you or objects around you in rage. Besides the beautiful and fluffy fur, it has sharp and pointy teeth that might hurt. As mentioned, they are undomesticated animals and as a result, most experts do not recommend people to keep raccoons as pets. Raccoons are super intelligent and troublesome, and there are some hazards you might face due to sensitivity to their health care.
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On the other hand, Raccoons can sometimes be assertive and can bite anyone they are angry at. For example, family, people, strangers, other pets, and other animals. Raccoons are mostly banned as pets and many people don’t recommend adopting one because they contain and transmit various types of diseases such as Rabies, bacterial diseases like Salmonella or E. Coil, fungus, and parasites.
FAQ Section:
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Are raccoons dangerous animals?
They are not mostly aggressive towards humans. They are in their natural mood or when they are not feeling in danger when they are with one. Although they are a part of wild animals, they can be safe when you maintain some distance from them. Do not touch them, or try to handle them. In addition, they can handle rabies sometimes and if you are going to break their distance, this can easily spread their disease while you are touching them, so for you to be safe it is better to take care of them from a safe distance.
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How long can raccoons live?
As it is predicted, it is related to the environment they feed in. If they live in a wild environment, they can live only for 1 and 2 years, because of some health problems, disease, and their strict environment like, other wild animals attacking them. On the other hand, they might live longer than 2 years when humans keep them in a safe environment.
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What are some specific habits of raccoons?
Raccoons are not so socialized with other creators. They are mostly sleeping during the day. While in winter, they tend to sleep even more. Another fact is that they lose 50 percent of their weight in the winter while sleeping.
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How smart are raccoons?
Raccoons are interestingly intelligent they are even more intelligent than other usual pets like, cats and dogs. They have amazing skills in decision-making, problem-solving, being creative, and so on… If you pay close attention to raccoons, they even have their strategies for opening some containers of their food. In addition, their active memory and self-awareness will probably make them unique in terms of finding things like, special locations to go, their food place…
Conclusion:
To conclude, this unique creation has excellent intelligence. However, raccoons are wild animals, and their next step is unpredictable. They can be good pets when you are providing safe space, food, water, and shelter. And when you are going to respect their distance at that time it will cease creating problems in their natural manner. This world would even be a better place to live when people respect any creation whether domesticated or undomesticated. However, they have come with some problems too. If you want them get a permission letter from your state wildlife shelter and make space for it.