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Owning a pet raccoon questions

Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:24 pm
Posted by Yeahbuddy35
Swagtown USA
Member since Nov 2021
153 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:24 pm
This may sound insane to some of you country boys but some people have racoons as pets. I've wondered if anyone has any experience with this? Are they good pets? Will they get along with other animals like cats or dogs? Will they actually use a cat litter box to use the bathroom?
Posted by SuperSaint
Sorting Out OT BS Since '2007'
Member since Sep 2007
140462 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:25 pm to
More than likely against the law Baw
Posted by adamau
Member since Oct 2020
3524 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:25 pm to
Posted by Jenious
Member since Apr 2020
411 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:27 pm to
I know someone who rehabs orphan raccoons. They are a total pain in the arse to deal with. If you get one, I recommend don't put it in your home unless you want it destroyed.
Posted by EvrybodysAllAmerican
Member since Apr 2013
11193 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:31 pm to
When I was in elementary school, a kid in my class had a pet raccoon. I think they found it as a baby and raised it. He brought it to school one day. I remember teacher asking if it had any shots and then telling everyone not to touch it when he said no.

Hope that helps.
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 12:34 pm
Posted by Inadvertent Whistle
Atlanta, GA
Member since Nov 2015
4394 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:34 pm to
Cute when they are little. Assholes that bite when the grow up. I'd avoid.
Posted by faraway
Member since Nov 2022
2113 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:34 pm to
illegal in most states but not all
Posted by Gris Gris
OTIS!NO RULES FOR SAUCES ON STEAK!!
Member since Feb 2008
47447 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:34 pm to
You might want to read the article below.

LINK

They are extremely destructive animals. I had one get on the roof of my porch and tear into the house to get into the attic. Took a while to get him out, all the while I was petrified it would come down through the air vents. My contractor set up cameras and a trap in the attic with catfood in it. At first, the coon just stuck his paw through the trap and scooped up all the food. Finally, got rid of him.
Posted by Bigfishchoupique
Member since Jul 2017
8452 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:34 pm to
quote:

This may sound insane to some of you country boys but some people have racoons as pets. I've wondered if anyone has any experience with this? Are they good pets? Will they get along with other animals like cats or dogs? Will they actually use a cat litter box to use the bathroom?



Yes I had one. As my friend had his brother. Identical twins. Leroy and Tyrone.

Great pets until they matured and it became breeding season. Then we released them.
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 12:41 pm
Posted by SaltyMcKracker
Member since Sep 2011
2774 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:35 pm to
quote:

Are they good pets?


Not at all.

A friend had one, it was cool as shite to play with, but they'll bite the shite out of you. They'll also shite where they want and mark territory. They will also steal shiny valuables and rip holes in the drywall to make nests. It's basically like have a tiny cute squatter living with you.
Posted by TTU97NI
Celina, TX
Member since Mar 2017
1116 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:35 pm to
2 friends have had them, once they hit puberty (whenever that is) get rid of 'em.

very curious and fun but will get mean and aggressive.

So probably just dont do it
Posted by WB Davis
Member since May 2018
2086 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:37 pm to
It's easy to train a racoon by spraying water or throwing household objects at it when it misbehaves.

Keep us posted.

ETA:

Seriously, there are millions of dogs and cats in shelters who long to live with a human.

And millions of raccoons who will fight to the death to avoid that fate.
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 1:05 pm
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
34813 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:39 pm to
Just feed them outside if you want to bad enough but no frickin way I would ever let them in the house

My grandpa used to do that and they all knew him and would come out when we fed them
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
38905 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:40 pm to
raccoons are very smart, have incredible senses (sight, smell, touch) AND have opposable thumbs. imagine if the smartest dog you know could pick things up with his paws and could run while carrying them...

that said i know several people who have raised them as pets. when i bartended in lakeview there was a lady that came in all the time with hers. he sat on the bar and ate peanuts while she got sloshed
Posted by HenryParsons
Member since Aug 2018
1547 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:43 pm to
My ol coonass (no pun intended) uncle's neighbor had one. When I was a kid we would love going over there to play with it. He had a pen behind his house where he kept it.

As others mentioned, when it got older it got really mean., One day it bit one of that man's grandkids, he shot it out in the backyard later that day.

Good times...
Posted by High C
viewing the fall....
Member since Nov 2012
53930 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:45 pm to
I’ll just ask a question instead of answering any of yours.

Why?
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
54742 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:46 pm to
The good thing about a raccoon is they are very smart.

The bad thing about a raccoon is they are very smart.
Posted by TigerCoon
Member since Nov 2005
18889 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:50 pm to
We managed to trap a juvenile raccoon when I was a kid, and my Dad thought we could tame it.

He tried handling it with welding gloves for a few days to try to get it to calm down and not try to rip our faces off. Did not work.

After day 3, we all just told him leave his cage door open so the little bastard can roam free. It didn't take him long to split.

Get a dog.
Posted by TejasHorn
High Plains Driftin'
Member since Mar 2007
10981 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:51 pm to
Had a friend who kept them (outside) when I was really young and we lived in the country. They’re cute and fun to watch and super smart.

But others are correct in that they’ll tear up everything. Inside a house would be easy pickins… they’re basically gremlins.
Posted by caro81
Member since Jul 2017
4946 posts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:58 pm to
keep in mind they are illegal to keep as pets and in general, no non-domesticated animal makes a good pet.

That being said my parents owned one when they were in college. They pulled a litter of them out of the walls of my aunts house and kept one. It sounded liked they loved the little bastard but they said he was a real pain in the arse. They are pretty smart, and dexterous, which translates into getting into a lot of shite.

Said he would just knock shite over for fun and broke a TV once. They came home from a night out once and found him laying in the bathtub belly up. said once he saw them he just started chattering because he knew he fricked up. He got into and ate a whole bottle of chocolate flavored ex-lax tablets.

Ultimately they had to find a home for him because they were living in college married couple housing with rules. one of which was you know, no racoons as pets! An AC repair guy went into their unit by mistake. Apparently the little bastard lunged out form under the bed and grabbed the guy by the ankles. Freaked him out and he told the supervisors.

So, if you ever find yourself adopting one for whatever reason. know you are getting a mischievous toddler with the ability to climb and equipped with sharp teeth and claws. Some have good dispositions. Ive known others who have had them and they can be a little unpleasant in the demeanor (they will bite and claw the shite out of you).
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 1:01 pm
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