Has anyone ever adopted a raccoon?

PJFAN_seattle

There is this really young raccoon that comes to our deck sometimes, we're thinking of adopting him? He's very chilled out and has never been violent, he seems to be starving to death.
Thoughts/comments?

PJPixie

I think you need to talk to CORY.

pickupyourwill

I think you should name him Rocky Racoon and then sing this song to him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgLBf0eTIe8

or this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_WjvzDT4A4
lol!--"smeaking of gin"--listen for the gunshot too

or this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTf0eq3frks

there are so may animated ones! lol! check em' out. too cute.

ZiggyStar

PJPixie wrote:

I think you need to talk to CORY.

hahaha I was just about to write that!!

TravisTheSky

Don't risk it. Raccoons are illegal pets in most states. If the authorities found out you were keeping him, they would probably seize him. A domestic raccoon would have no interest living in the wild again, so he would be euthanised.

When I was a child, my neighbours kept a young raccoon. I don't know what happened to it when it grew up. Some years later, a family had their beloved pet raccoon seized and killed by Animal Control because they automatically presumed that all raccoons had rabies. (This one did not.) The family was tormented by the act, and heartbroken afterward.

JaneNY

Maybe you could just leave cat food out for him without 'taming' him. We put food out for a couple feral cats, and we do see a raccoon eating occasionally. At least then you'll know you're helping him survive without putting him at risk.

The Juggler

yeah, this sounds like a great idea. i don't foresee any problems with adopting a raccoon. none.

good luck with everything.

supersonicyears

JaneNY wrote:

Maybe you could just leave cat food out for him without 'taming' him. We put food out for a couple feral cats, and we do see a raccoon eating occasionally. At least then you'll know you're helping him survive without putting him at risk.

what JaneNY wrote is your best bet. I know someone that found and raised a baby racoon. He had it a while but one day out of no where the racoon attacked. It bit his hand up. They had to get rid of it. No matter how cute they are, they are still wild animals and it's probably best to leave them to roam free.

Indian Summer

Get rid of that thing. Wild animals have no business being pets.

Hammerdonkey

Raccoons can't be domesticated. Get that shit out of your head. Look, it's a wild animal. Don't worry about the food situation. It'll find some. It's what they do. I think you're failing to see the overall picture. Raccoons can cause some real problems to your home if they infest it. They also have a temper similar to a wife that just discovered her husband was cheating on her with a girl who was half her age.

That's all I'll say on this. You're an adult and you're gonna do what you think is right. You've been warned.

And let's just say I've had an experience or 2 with raccoons myself. Put all food away and don't leave your garbage out until pick up days and the raccoon will move on.

PJPixie

ZiggyStar wrote:

PJPixie wrote:

I think you need to talk to CORY.

hahaha I was just about to write that!!

ahhh............nobody gets it Ziggystar...........or, never saw that thread........THE BEST THREAD EVER!
Did it get moved to this new board?

sourdough09

Raccoons (though cute) are high risk of rabies and other not so fun germs/parasites/diseases. Not a good idea.

LikeAnOcean

My parents have a raccoon that tries to get inside every night. He's chased my mom and sister a few times. My dad walked outside to see what the commotion was about and the thing ran up to him and then just gently put its paw on my dads shoe. It's not scared of people and just wants to play. It's really odd. It's pretty young. We think someone in the neighborhood has been hand feeding it.

Every night it tries to open the door handle with its paws.

Kind of sad though. It may be too friendly to survive in the wild.

LikeAnOcean

Hammerdonkey wrote:

Raccoons can't be domesticated. Get that shit out of your head. Look, it's a wild animal. Don't worry about the food situation. It'll find some. It's what they do. I think you're failing to see the overall picture. Raccoons can cause some real problems to your home if they infest it. They also have a temper similar to a wife that just discovered her husband was cheating on her with a girl who was half her age.

That's all I'll say on this. You're an adult and you're gonna do what you think is right. You've been warned.

And let's just say I've had an experience or 2 with raccoons myself. Put all food away and don't leave your garbage out until pick up days and the raccoon will move on.

I'm not saying one should try to domesticate one, but you do realize pet dogs, domesticated over hundreds of years, were once wolves, right?

PJFAN_seattle

thanks for the replies everyone. Im not sure what the law is in washington state in regards to taking care of exotic pets.
My friend just told me about them adopting a raccoon that they trained to act like a cat. seems like it could work.
However, i get what some of you are saying. Maybe we will just give him food so hes not starving anymore as JaneNY suggested. He was back here this morning just sitting on our hottub cover looking through the window but we didn't feed him yet.
Thanks again guys

pandora

how old is this raccoon? I know people who have taken in squirrels that were babies- even a skunk
I think age might reflect how much luck you would have

Wobbie

give it a shot. if it doesn't work out...

pandora

imalive wrote:

give it a shot. if it doesn't work out...

had to make the family noise to that

ooofff!

the wolf

PJPixie wrote:

ZiggyStar wrote:

PJPixie wrote:

I think you need to talk to CORY.

hahaha I was just about to write that!!

ahhh............nobody gets it Ziggystar...........or, never saw that thread........THE BEST THREAD EVER!
Did it get moved to this new board?

I get it, I was going to find the thread and post the link. that was the best thread ever @!!!

theoceansmademe

My elementary school adopted 3 of them for the school mascot.

I can still remember seeing the in the courtyard as we walked through the hall.

But that was 1970's, I don't think the school would try that today.

Wobbie

the wolf wrote:

I was going to find the thread and post the link.

you've got your work cut out for you!

I don't remember the thread but most anything with Cory involved was....er....interesting. :shock:

PJFAN_seattle

pandora wrote:

how old is this raccoon? I know people who have taken in squirrels that were babies- even a skunk
I think age might reflect how much luck you would have

he looks really young he's pretty small cant be more than a year

PJFAN_seattle

imalive wrote:

give it a shot. if it doesn't work out...

hahahah noooo!

The Juggler

imalive wrote:

the wolf wrote:

I was going to find the thread and post the link.

you've got your work cut out for you!

I don't remember the thread but most anything with Cory involved was....er....interesting. :shock:

so this thread is...interesting....?

:shh:

PJaddicted

DO NOT do it! It is illegal in most states to possess wildlife without the proper license. I have my Class 1 Wildlife Rehabilitators license in NYS. I do not have my RVS(Rabies Vector Species) license and I'm not sure I even want to get one, to get it we are required to take a 8 hour course that is offered only once a year, pass a test 80% or better,then get a series of three Rabies Vaccinations that cost $200+ each, and then have the DEC come out and inspect the caging we would be using to house the Raccoons, they must be kept away from all human contact other then the Rehabber, to protect people from disease. They carry Rabies, Distemper(which dogs can catch from them) and also Raccoon Round Worm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites ... scaris.htm Which itself scares me more then Rabies! Raccoon Roundworm can be brought to your yard by encouraging the little guy to hang around, the eggs live more then a year in the dirt. They can be picked up by your pets.

Wild animals belong in the wild, they are never happy living in captivity. I know you feel for the little guy, but he must learn to find his own food, it is part of the process of growing up for all wild animals. If you are really concerned about him call a RVS Rehabber in your area and get some advice from them. If you need help finding one, PM me, I will see if I can.

I spent this past weekend at the NYS Wildlife Rehabbers conference and met so many wonderful people that rehab. It was amazing the work they all do just to release one animal back to it's rightful place back out in nature. I have a rehab turtle right now....I think that's what I will be sticking too, taking proper care of mammals seems so hard to do.

pandora

PJ_kidd_9-21-22 wrote:

pandora wrote:

how old is this raccoon? I know people who have taken in squirrels that were babies- even a skunk
I think age might reflect how much luck you would have

he looks really young he's pretty small cant be more than a year

in raccoon life not sure that sounds like a teenager
I just googled raccoon as a pet looks like there's some info for you and people have done it
I wonder if they are rowdy- hope you have enough room for him- is it a him?

blackredyellow

The Jeagler wrote:

yeah, this sounds like a great idea. i don't foresee any problems with adopting a raccoon. none.

good luck with everything.

lol...


Yeah, an insane idea... those things are a nightmare to have around.

PJFAN_seattle

You just gave me a great new idea.
I'm going to adopt him, train him, and then purposefully give him rabies so that he can attack my enemies for me and keep me and my family safe!

PJaddicted wrote:

DO NOT do it! It is illegal in most states to possess wildlife without the proper license. I have my Class 1 Wildlife Rehabilitators license in NYS. I do not have my RVS(Rabies Vector Species) license and I'm not sure I even want to get one, to get it we are required to take a 8 hour course that is offered only once a year, pass a test 80% or better,then get a series of three Rabies Vaccinations that cost $200+ each, and then have the DEC come out and inspect the caging we would be using to house the Raccoons, they must be kept away from all human contact other then the Rehabber, to protect people from disease. They carry Rabies, Distemper(which dogs can catch from them) and also Raccoon Round Worm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites ... scaris.htm Which itself scares me more then Rabies! Raccoon Roundworm can be brought to your yard by encouraging the little guy to hang around, the eggs live more then a year in the dirt. They can be picked up by your pets.

Wild animals belong in the wild, they are never happy living in captivity. I know you feel for the little guy, but he must learn to find his own food, it is part of the process of growing up for all wild animals. If you are really concerned about him call a RVS Rehabber in your area and get some advice from them. If you need help finding one, PM me, I will see if I can.

I spent this past weekend at the NYS Wildlife Rehabbers conference and met so many wonderful people that rehab. It was amazing the work they all do just to release one animal back to it's rightful place back out in nature. I have a rehab turtle right now....I think that's what I will be sticking too, taking proper care of mammals seems so hard to do.

PJFAN_seattle

I actually have no idea whether its male or female, i've just been automatically calling it a him.
I have heard a couples peoples stories of adopting a raccoon, but I do have a 2 year old brother so maybe it wouldn't be safe around him. I think i'll just give it some food since it looks like its starving and i wont let it in just leave food on the deck.

pandora wrote:

PJ_kidd_9-21-22 wrote:

pandora wrote:

how old is this raccoon? I know people who have taken in squirrels that were babies- even a skunk
I think age might reflect how much luck you would have

he looks really young he's pretty small cant be more than a year

in raccoon life not sure that sounds like a teenager
I just googled raccoon as a pet looks like there's some info for you and people have done it
I wonder if they are rowdy- hope you have enough room for him- is it a him?

pandora

sounds like a good idea- he'll get stronger then and hopefully go on his way
I betcha he's real cute though

Who Princess

the wolf wrote:

I get it, I was going to find the thread and post the link. that was the best thread ever @!!!

It was truly hilarious. It was like tuning in for your daily installment of Cory vs. the raccoon.