Baby Raccoon: HELP!

[Saintversa]

i have good news.. I SAVED ONE! but the other two babys are dead.. they ate insulation. =/ the father had just left them and i heard one of them crying this morning and went up there as fast as i could, i had to break some of roof to get to it though.. XP

but here she is!

my question is.. well were thinking about keeping her.. but the idea sounds a little iffy still.. does anyone know if its illegal to have one? im thinking about raising her but i dont know if thats a stupid idea.. ive been feeding her milk through a little bottle for kittens i just ran out and got for her. any tips would help! and if u guys can please help me with a name for her too haha i thought of Xiu

 

[foxmusk]

it's not illegal as far as i know...you need to look into exotic animal licensing in the area. they are treated as an exotic...but in certain places you don't have to have a permit to have them. good luck, whatever you do. worst case scenario you can take it to a wildlife refuge. you need to understand how to take care of them though, i hope you've read up on it. :v

 

[Saintversa]

im reading about it at the moment, ive been giving her milk but not alot, i dont want to force feed her, and now shes crashed in a little basket right next to me but hmm.. oh yeah when i went to get her a bottle i asked the person at the pet store about it and she told me dont call humane society cause theyl just put her to sleep, and to call the forestry if i want it gone but im going to try to take care of it untill it gets bigger then il do something with her. got any ideas for a name?

 

[Citrakayah]

No, it's not illegal. At least it wasn't when I lived in California. Just remember it's a wild animal and could very well trash your house or snap one day. My father used to have a pet raccoon, one day it snapped, attacked the dog, and ran off. Never saw it again.

 

[foxmusk]

im reading about it at the moment, ive been giving her milk but not alot, i dont want to force feed her, and now shes crashed in a little basket right next to me but hmm.. oh yeah when i went to get her a bottle i asked the person at the pet store about it and she told me dont call humane society cause theyl just put her to sleep, and to call the forestry if i want it gone but im going to try to take care of it untill it gets bigger then il do something with her. got any ideas for a name?

yea don't call the SPCA. i'd call a local wildlife refuge. that is if you absolutely cannot take care of her.

you could name her ******. since, you know...nevermind. just kidding.

 

[Tycho]

I'd just like to mention that a pet raccoon sounds cool and all but it's a bad idea unless you like having your house THOROUGHLY TRASHED. Bottle feed it until it's old enough to munch on dog/cat food and then call the forestry service, game warden, whoever (not animal control, they'd just off the thing) so they can release it into the wild elsewhere to (hopefully) live a long and productive life.

 

[Saintversa]

i know i know, and im also afraid my cat would eat her as a snack.. my cat is fat as fuck. XP but anywho i keep him away from my room. and yeah im just raising it till it gets a little older now, if it stays good then il keep it longer but if it starts going ape shit on my stuff and my pets then il let her go, it sucks cause shes the only one who survived. =/ i couldnt let her die in my attic like that, i wish i went up their earlier so i could have saved her brothers (the other ones were both boys) but still im happy i at least got to save her, thats what matters right?

 

[dinosaurdammit]

Keep noises down when around it, also give it a safe place... somewhere dark- isolated- and quiet. Somewhere she can escape you. Even dogs and cats need this.
As far as food get puppy formula or whole goats milk. When she gets a bit older get some ground beef that has a higher fat content like 75/25- mash that up and mix it with milk and start the transition. You can also use canned dog food as long as the contents are high in meat- not by products as that is no good for dogs or raccoons. You can use kibble later on- I would recommend Purina healthy choice for small breeds. Keep water around at all times and for treats I would recommend sardines in water not oil or tuna in water not oil. Raccoons when raised well can turn out like cats to an extent.

 

[CynicalCirno]

I doubt cats will eat raccoons, even if they're babies. It depends on size and the cat's diet. My cat does not instantly eat any small animal that comes across, but he plays with it a little before he swallows it. I guess it's the same for most domnestic cats that will eventually capture their victim. Fat cats will have trouble disgesting complicated meals such as a full head on raccoon, I persume. If not, they will lack energy and will have a slow time doing anything.



Also remember that it's still a wild animal and some diseases can run through genes.

 

[Cam]

Yea I probably wouldnt keep it. The chances of you even getting a tame raccoon is slim, let alone the paperwork to keep it. I would call a local wildlife center ASAP just to see what they think. I think they or some other place would carry alot more help than a furry website could

 

[KazukiFerret]

If it's that young you can probably keep it, check local laws ect first I've heard of folks keeping them as pets but they are a fairly destructive critter to have around. I'd get it to a vet as soon as possible though, get it a check up to make sure it's healthy.

 

[Saintversa]

Keep noises down when around it, also give it a safe place... somewhere dark- isolated- and quiet. Somewhere she can escape you. Even dogs and cats need this.
As far as food get puppy formula or whole goats milk. When she gets a bit older get some ground beef that has a higher fat content like 75/25- mash that up and mix it with milk and start the transition. You can also use canned dog food as long as the contents are high in meat- not by products as that is no good for dogs or raccoons. You can use kibble later on- I would recommend Purina healthy choice for small breeds. Keep water around at all times and for treats I would recommend sardines in water not oil or tuna in water not oil. Raccoons when raised well can turn out like cats to an extent.

thank you il be keeping all that in mind, shes under little blankets right now cause its pretty cold =P and as far as food, the only thing ive been feeding her is milk

 

[Monster.]

Yeah, you need to take her to someone that actually knows how to take care of her. Not to mention she could be crawling with disease. DON'T FEED HER MILK. It could seriously back up her little system and make her really sick. Just take her to the nearest refuge ASAP.

EDIT: Also, don't use puppy formula. Raccoons need a special mixture of nutrients and vitamins.

 

[dinosaurdammit]

Post a "help ad" on craigs list. Or what ever it is called... might find someone there that can help you.

 

[Thou Dog]

Best thing to do is call your local animal-control authority and they'll tell you how to deal with it. They can also notify you of any laws in your area that might prohibit or regulate your keeping a wild animal in your home.

 

[Tewin Follow]

I'm not trying to stop you having a cool pet, and WELL DONE for what you've done, but I do think the best thing is to take her to a wildlife rescue. She's a wild animal that may grow up tame, but could bite your face and be unhappy as a pet. There's nothing there in a raccoon's mind telling it that it should be obedient to a human, because that kind of took ten thousand years with dogs.

 

[Kitsune_Morric]

Best thing to do is call your local animal-control authority and they'll tell you how to deal with it. They can also notify you of any laws in your area that might prohibit or regulate your keeping a wild animal in your home.

THIS


but if the laws allow you to keep it, name it Sir Gerwizzpuh

 

[RogueSareth]

http://www.orphanedwildlifecare.com/raccooncare.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/raccoons/a/raccoons.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/raisingraccoons.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2314834_care-pet-raccoon.html

A few websites that seemed to have a good bit of info on caring for baby raccoons and how to keep them as pets.

 

[Roose Hurro]

You could call her Sarah.

 

[Kit H. Ruppell]

Don't try to raise her as a pet. Care for her only as long as you need to, then give her to trained professionals in wildlife care.

 

[Trpdwarf]

You really need to sit down and do a ton of research on baby raccoon handling. Also research all of your local laws. If you intend to keep this animal long term you are going to have a bit of a expense there as they will need certain vaccines and stuff just like other pets do. The best thing you can do though is try to get a hold of someone who can raise the animal so that it can be released. Raccoons are better off in the wild, not as pets. But if you can't find someone taking care of it but doing all your research so you can raise it correctly is the next best thing.

Also check in with any local zoos. They might have contacts for you to get a hold of someone who directly handles wild-life and does raise and release programs.

 

[Fay V]

I would say don't try to keep her as a pet, you aren't trained to care for wild animals, but that's just my opinion
you absolutely should look up the laws though. I know in my state it is illegal to have common wild animals as pets like foxes or raccoons due to possible rabies and such.

 

[Kihari]

http://www.orphanedwildlifecare.com/raccooncare.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/raccoons/a/raccoons.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/raisingraccoons.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2314834_care-pet-raccoon.html

Absolutely ^these sites right here. There are many important steps in caring for a baby animal, and you'll need the proper information at your disposal. The first link seems especially helpful, and I've used the site before, but don't hesitate to peruse others as well.

Be absolutely sure to read the part about an appropriate diet and stimulating her into urinating after each feeding, otherwise she will not survive (kittens and many other small animals are the same way).

 

[mystery_penguin]

Name it Woo.
Then teach it to talk a human language (preferably German or English).

 

[Term_the_Schmuck]

This is probably your best bet.