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Raccoon

Ring-tailed Raccoon, Racoon Family: Procyonidae

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Raccoon "Rufus" Procyon lotor Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   Here is a raccoon up past his bedtime! This younster couldn't keep still, climbed all over everybody and was constantly "checking things out"!

   Racoons are a pet that requires a lot of attention (to keep them out of trouble?), but if given the right environment are lots of fun to keep. They are extremely smart, active, and curious animals. Please read some of the reader comments to get an idea of what problems can be encountered before considering taking on a raccoon as a pet!

   Since wild raccoons have adapted to suburban and urban environments, they are considered a pest by many people. Most states have regulations concerning ownership of racoons so check to make sure you meet all the requirements before you seek one out.

For information about Small Animals and their care visit:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Small Animal

Background:
   Raccoons range throughout the United States, actually they range from southern Canada to the Panama. They are fond of areas near water in piney forests and broadleaf woodlands.

Description:
   The raccoon is a medium sized mammal about the size of a small to medium sized dog. They will grow to about 30 inches long including a bushy 10 inch long tail, and will reach 25-45 lbs. as adults. They have a long pointy snout, large eyes and ears, five digits on each foot and a ringed tail.
   The name 'Ring-tailed Raccoon' describes them by one of their very distinctive markings, a ringed tail. They are also recognized by their familiar black ‘mask’, giving this wily animal an almost comical look. Their course fur is a mixture of gray, brown, and black.

Environment:
   In the wild, the the raccoon will have a den built in a hollow tree. Usually an outdoor area at least 4'x4' with a source of running water is needed. If kept in the house they are readily box trained and are similar to keeping a cat or dog except you will probably have to put childproof latches on your cupboards and drawers!

Care and feeding:
   Provide lots of water (if not running water) every day as they have a curious habit of washing their food before they eat it. Raccoons are omnivorous. In nature they eat various small animals, fish, frogs. molluscs, and fruits.
   In captivity, most people feed them a ferret diet, cat food, and table scraps (they will eat just about anything). See about foods for ferrets here. Besides offering them their natural diet they will also eat vegetables, crayfish, crabs, insects, and they love eggs.

Social Behaviors:
   In their natural habitat they do not exhibit aggressive behavior, but males will defend territories. They are generally solitary animals except during breeding season. We have found no information on keeping several raccoons together so we assume that unless you are keeping a family, it is probably best to keep individuals separate in captivity.

Dr. Jungle says...."these guys are packed full of energy!"
Photo @ Animal-World Courtesy David Brough	"Rufus" and "Dufus"    These two young racoons, Rufus and Dufus, are both males and are 5 months old in these photos. They are about 15 lbs. now but will reach 25-45 lbs. as adults.    As babies they were bottle fed with a puppy feeding formula - Esbilac, and powdered goats' milk. Weaning began at 8 weeks and took 2 weeks to complete. Science diet cat food blended to a pudding-like consistency was also used.

Handling and Training:
   The cunning Raccoon is easily tamed, and makes a pleasant 'monkey-like' pet. It should be noted however, that though young raccoons make entertaining pets, many become surly, rough and even vicious as they approach sexual maturity.

Activities - Exercise and Play:
   Raccoons are nocturnal, but are sometimes active during the day. They are a mammal that is known for their inquisitiveness. Besides being very curious and active, they are expert climbers. They will thoroughly enjoy some excercise time where they can explore in areas that are both high and low.

   Make sure that your raccoon's designated play areas are properly "raccoon-proofed", not only to prevent damage to the area but to reduce the chances of him injuring himself during play.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Raccoons' breeding season is from late winter through early spring. Females give birth from April to June and have an average litter of three or four babies. The pups remain in their birth den until they are about seven weeks old, at which point the mother moves them to a series of alternate dens.
   In some parts of the country, young raccoons spend their first winter with their mothers, but it is just as common for them to leave the mother in the late fall of their first year.

Ailments/Treatments:
   As with all animals, raccoons can become ill or hurt. You can do your best to avoid this by taking good care of your pet. Make sure he gets proper nutrition, grooming, and exercise. This will keep your raccoon in the best of conditions and reduce the chances of him getting sick.
I   f your raccoon endures serious injuries such as back injuries, severe bleeding, broken bones, or poisoning, it should be taken to a veterinarian.

Availability:
   Most states have regulations concerning ownership of raccoons so check to make sure you meet all the requirements before you seek one out, your pet store can help you with this.
   Be sure to check your state and local restrictions before acquiring a raccoon.

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Latest Comments
Hi! My Dad had a half grown raccoon come into his garage and lie down on a towel and go to sleep. Having heard all the scare tactics of the conservationists, he assumed it was ill, most likely with rabies. I live next door and have an animal sanctuary. So, when Dad said he was going to have my son put the coon down, I went to see if I thought it was sick. It didn't look sick. No mucous, no runny eyes, just very very thin. I called the rehabbers closest, which is 400 miles away here and they said it probably had distemper. And distemper is ALWAYS fatal. I know better. As a kid the neighbors had a dog that had lived through it. I had a baby squirrel that had it, became totally paralyzed, diagnosed by the vet, that lived and became as healthy as any squirrel you will ever see. Twice as onery probably. So, I made my youngest son get the coon and put it in the carrier and take it to our barn. He and I are both immune to rabies. I had shots before he was born and he had shots after a dog bite before anyone informed us he was already immune. Anyway, the coon goes into the barn. Gets goats milk, eggs, antibiotics, etc. He did have a couple of pretty good seizures that I saw and some partial paralysis in his hind quarters. He has been here about 8 days and is now exploring the loft and looking out at the horses. He nuzzles the kittens, much to their annoyance. I truly feel this raccoon was someones pet who either got away or was released. He may have been showing signs of illness before he was released. The game warden could have been breathing down their neck, who knows? Anyway, my caution is, animals can recover from distemper with the proper care if caught soon enough and be very careful releasing wildlife as I am feeling this little guy suffered some consequences. It is possible that it is just young, sick and smart enough to know I am taking care of it during its illness. I am not very threatening. And fortunately for this poor baby, I don't believe everything I hear. I am sure he will leave on his own at some point, but he is welcome to stay as long as he likes. He has taken up residence in the feed box right now and definately begins looking when he hears me come into the barn. I noticed also that it appears as though the tip of his tail is gone. We have petted him a little but try not to touch him too much. He really doesn't seem to mind being touched lightly, but he has been ill so maybe being touched by stinky humans was just something else to endure. I cannot believe that anyone would hurt these totally cute little creatures. joyce 2009-06-20
Hypothetical, why do people want to kill the cutest creatures? I'm finding that after rescuing an orphan who fell from a ceiling 14 ft, and getting it passed the rough part, I honestly didn't think it would make it but it did. It has a limp in his back leg. His mother was still where he fell, but after leaving him in a box for a day and a half Mom didn't go back for him and there is a huge coyote around. I had no idea it was illegal in my area to help them and I truly feel bad for that. But if the lil guy goes to a rehabber they may put him down. This is so unfair. auntiewalks 2009-06-16
Hello I am a horse and dog rescuer and found myself with a 2 month old raccoon that now lives in the house with my 2 children, 2 dogs my husband and myself. He is very curious and it took some getting use to the sounds. I have him in a large dog kennel at night since he goes into our cupboards and takes things out to play with. I had him on homo milk which seemed to satisfy him plus started him on vitamins. He is now just starting to test out new foods. They are a handful and he comes everywhere with me since he needs to be fed every 5 hours or whenever he makes enough noise. He didn't like the dogs much at first, but small 2 min. introductions every couple hours and having the smell on us helped, he now runs around and plays with our collie. He follows us but like I said he is very curious and is somewhat a lot of trouble for a horse rescuer like myself. But we hope that we can release him once he is old enough or when he decides he is ready... victoria 2009-06-15
As a wildlife rehabilitator who has raised and released baby raccoons I must advise you on a few things. I don't know what state you are in but what you are doing is well intentioned but probably illegal as you need a license. I reccommend you contact a wildlife rehabiltator in your state immediately as nutrition is extremely important as well as raising them WILD! They stay with their mothers for up to a year sometimes so they are not a quick raise and release animal. Raising them incorrectly could mean them not being wild and not knowing how to survive on their own!!! The other concern is that raccoons carry many worms and zoonotic diseases (transmittable to people). Please please I sincerely urge you to leave it to the pros and love them enough to give them to a rehaber that knows what they are doing! Thank you on their behalf for caring! kailey 2009-05-25
Hello out there a couple of days ago my father in law was moving some hay for his horses and in the big bales of hay were 3, 5-10 day old raccoons. We left them alone for a day or so and still no mom. We (my husband and I)decided to bring them home to our house and take care of them. As of 3 days now they are doing GREAT!!! They are eating kitten replacement milk with a touch of syrup. They seem to eat this with syrup better than just milk. Some extra info on how to raise them would be great. We plan on releasing them back into the wild ASAP. We live on 4 wooded acres, and have adult raccoons eat on our back porch everynight. Laura 2009-05-17
Some of the coolest comments:
I have a real sweetheart. Coonie has been with us since a bottle fed baby two and a half years ago. I feel so blessed to have found a vet that gives him rabies/distemper shots, (& most importantly I think) nuetered him before he was six months old. He lives in a ferret nation cage (2 stories high), and comes out for regular playtimes. He is a real people person coon, so to speak. His cage is in the foyer, and he loves lady to open the cage and let friends pet him and shake paws. I can only humanize it that he figures if you're cool with mom and dad, you're cool with him. He has won the hearts of many. When he is let out for playtime he doesn't usually come over to snuggle. He has a different personality for playing with each of the different animals. One he is very chatty with, and they often have to be told to quiet down and calm down. Another dog he climbs on top of, they tossle about, and usually end up grooming each other for hours on end. Now that cat he just wishes he could get close to. His favorite "toys" would be ice cubes, the dogs water bowl and anything he can dunk in and out of the water. Like a 2 year old, you put it in, then you take it out, in and out, in and out. And now as his owner and mom, I'm a little beside myself. I found out today that he has cancer. The vet says that we can put him on prednisone to try and slow it down, but I am concerned about side affects,and possibly a change in his attitude. Right now it only seems to be in his glands on his neck. it started in one gland and within a month it was in the next. The good news is it hasn't gone to any other glands, AND his temperment has not changed, it doesn't seem to be causing any pain. I have noticed he has more frequent coughing fits though. I know this has been wordy, but thank you for letting me share. I have always felt that Coonie has a mission in life - to change peoples fears and melt their hearts. I hope he can continue to do so. "lady" 2008-11-11
Congradulation mr./mrs.colemen. Your little guy will love you forever. You saved him and that will make a big impact on your relationship with him. My name is Mary and I have posted here before, so I am sure you can tell how I feel about release. Everyone has an opinion, but what I wanted to say is your gonna see just how loveable these creatures are. Shoot, half the humans I've met are not as loving as theses guys. He will grab your finger and cry for you, it's awesome. I have a raccoon named rocky. Well I said someday I would tell the story on how we came upon each other. Well it was late january in wisco. Our home had just burned to the ground, lost my orphan raccoon in the fire. I don't want go into details because I will cry, it was an electrical fire in a 1813 farm house. The lights went out and I couldnt find him in the dark, the smoke, anyways. It was aweful, meeka was his name. Well, we had to stay at ma's until we had a roof over our head again. About 2 weeks after it happen I was sipping a cup of coffee looking out my ma's patio window and I saw a blop in the middle of the driveway. My ma lived on a 42 acre farm road a mile back in the woods. So it was cold but I went to go see what it was. It was a raccoon, no ears, no tail and I did not think it was possible to see ribs on a coon. It had more gray from age then brown or black. I put a blanket over him, then a sleeping bag, then a down blanket, then a cage and hay, then a heater. Well this went on for 2 days. I put food out but he wasn't eating. Finally I wrapped him up in some of this stuff and picked him up, he was so light, and brought him in. I think my ma was gonna kill me. My husband understood, tough guy cried as hard as I do when we think of meeka. Well I gave rocky some penicillin in the butt and wormed him with a syringe in the mouth. Not even a snarl, he knew we were trying to help. Gave him some ensure (vitamin drink), he guzzled it. He had no teeth, he couldn't eat anything hard, that was 3 years ago. Rocky is still here with us. He lets us know when he's gotta go potty, goes out and comes right back in, he hates the outside. Why, I can only image why, he has no tail or ears and all that he has seen in the wild. He is so old, gees I don't know an age. My point is they know when you save them. Meeka was an orphan, he was with us for 3 years before tha fire. He stuck by us like glue. Rocky is so sweet, kittens lie on his back, he sleeps next to the dog and half the time he's upside down with all four limbs in the air snoring. He's a "wild" raccoon, not bought. Now Nakoosa is a purchased raccoon. We built her an outside kennel plus the house. She just came home after running the countryside for 1 month, she's gonna learn the hard way. Rocky and meeka already knew the hard way and wanted nothing more to do with it. Each of them have their own personalities, and I hope if you have the patience, mr/mrs colemen, you are about to enjoy the best companion you will ever have. Mary Anonymous 2008-11-04
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
I found this Dr. Jungle site and see all the posts of raccoon lovers. I found a baby racoon at the park where I go for bike riding. When I saw her she counld't walk ,so I brought her home and looked at the webpages about raccoons. I tryed the bottle feeding and then a spoon fed diet. She was so lovable and I am very sad. I worried to much and brought her back to the park, I went back to the place I put her the following day and she was dead. I am heartbroken for my poor efforts in care now that I remember her and think what this meant for her. Thanks to all the post from the raccoon lovers and the encouragement, I know from here on. Paula 2007-04-28
Raccons r cool. u guys rock with all the animals that I love. Britt 2005-02-20
thanks alot, your website helped me alot!!!one day i was at my grandmas house and she dropped me of at my house. i ran up to my room and i heard a chirping noise. i looked down and my (other)grandpa was holding a ferret looking animal. "did we get a ferret?", i asked. "no we got a racoon!" "wow! how old is he?". "five weeks". cool! "his name is mafia". aidan blonk age 11 2004-08-09

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Author: David Brough. CFS.