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Trash Pandas!

They can be pets!

By Maranda CarenePublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Two of my four raccoons. Munch and Teemo (Kooper and Koda not pictured)

With raccoons, the first thing that comes to mind is a fat animal that knocks your trash over at night. Cute but also wild.

No way can they be pets.

That, however, is an incorrect statement. These animals (if acquired correctly) can be the most rewarding pets. What goes into raising them? A lot of time and devotion.

Raccoons are cute and all, BUT they are a HUGE responsibility.

People fail to realize that raccoons, even when kept as pets and bred for pets, are wild animals; there is no such thing as a 100 percent domesticated raccoon, yet. That doesn't mean they don't make great pets. They do... but only for certain types of people. Raccoons are not like dogs, and they are not like cats. They are loving but unpredictable. They can be walked on a leash and brought around the public ONLY if you alert everyone that they CANNOT be pet and if you keep full control of the animal. Raccoons can get rabies shots but the vets will not give you proof. So, basically what that means is you are protected but the raccoon isn't. They DO bite, hard and often. They scratch and they get moody. You have to be able to read their moods to know what type of attention is appropriate. Obviously, if your pet raccoon nips you and draws blood, you aren't going to call up the wildlife police and report it, but someone else will. That is why you cannot let anyone pet them. If your pet raccoon does nip someone and they report it, the authorities can come and remove the animal from your possession and, for lack of better words, cut their head off and do testing on their brain for rabies. You cannot show them off; raccoons become territorial and do not like strangers. Don't plan on going on vacation anytime soon. You do not own the raccoon. The raccoon owns you. Once they hit breeding age, they become aggressive. Again, you have to be able to read their moods. They are destructive, like dig a hole in the wall destructive. They are loud. You cannot give them bowls of water unless you are ready for it to be spilt and splashed everywhere. They are disgusting; they will play with their waste and enjoy it. Yes, they're cute but they are not pets for everyone. If you get one and decide you can't handle it anymore, you can't let them go... That's a death sentence for them. They are a lifelong commitment.

Let’s get on to the more fun topics.

Raccoons are the weirdest animals I've ever owned or witnessed in person. They are so cute and they use all four feet like we use our hands. They love to be pet, sometimes held, and LOVE TREATS. It's hard to say but I think their favorite human food is a tie between popcorn and marshmallows. They are talkative and love to watch you. They find a lot of enjoyment in tearing things up. I love being cute and giving my animals their own little personal stuffed animals and everyone of my animals still has theirs... except the coons. They tore theirs up the same day and used the stuffing as a toy. People think I have a baby because whenever I go to thrift stores I look through the baby toys because raccoons LOVE anything that lights up or makes noise. Or, when I got to grocery store, I am always buying baby food because they love it.

I grew up terrified of raccoons and had nightmares about them often. In my teens, I started learning more about them, to face my fears. I ended up loving them, but never did I truly believe I would have raccoons of my very own. I especially didn't believe I would have owned five before I was 22-years-old. Our first baby died shortly after we adopted her. Rest in peace, Princess. I am now blessed with four beautiful, healthy trash pandas.

Here are some funny short stories about our coons:

"So we get home from the party, and as we open our trunk, we see one of our raccoons escaped from its cage on the way home, neatly folded it in a pile, and was having the time of his life. When we looked at him, the expression on his face was, "Hey guys, how ya doin? Wanna go get some food?" We've never laughed so hard in our life."

"I step outside for five minutes only to return to one of the raccoons running around the living room. He either finally figured out how to open his cage or SOMEONE forgot to close it all the way."

AND FINALLY

"Life with raccoons... They:

Shit on your leg

Pee on your jacket

Scream until you want to pull your hair out

Mess up your whole house

Throw shit on the walls... No, literally shit all over

Baths almost daily

Bite toes

Bite your nose

Bite everything

Scratching, scratching everywhere

Try to ride the dogs back

Bite the dog

Chase the dog

Pull curtains down

Pull your hair

Putt litter all over your head

Being cute and giving kisses

Mood change — now I’m biting your face

Mood swings

Throwing food all over

Eating all your marshmallows"

I gotta end this post early because they just broke something.

Our Princess. Rest in peace, baby girl. <3

exotic pets
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About the Creator

Maranda Carene

I have too many animals, anxiety and depression. Life is good.

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