Do Not Make a Wild Raccoon Pup Your Pet

There are so many reasons why wild raccoons do not make good pets for adults and children alike. A wild animal is a wild animal cannot be domesticated easily. Only trained wildlife professionals and rescue enthusiasts like zookeepers, are the only people that should ever domesticate wild raccoon or any other animal. There are some reasons why raccoons are not good pets even though many people have turned raccoon pets into a trend. This is unfair for wild raccoons because they are meant to be free and in the wild. If you happen to run across the wild raccoon pup, a baby raccoon, you should never touch it or come close to it. There are several reasons for this as well.

Raccoons, or any other wild, can be carriers of dangerous contagious diseases. Rabies is always the first disease that people think about when it comes to wild animal diseases. This is accurate because rabies is a very common disease found in raccoons and other wild animals. On top of rabies, there are other infectious diseases, such as:

• Canine Distemper
• Leptospirosis
• Parvo
• Canine Hepatitis
• And Other Viral in Bacterial Diseases

It doesn’t stop here. There are other reasons why you should never touch or take in a stranded baby raccoon. First of all, the baby raccoon may seem like it is stranded; however, the mother raccoon may be in search of it. Also, there may be a reason my baby raccoon is all by itself. This means it may have been left behind purposely because it’s sick or dying.

Another reason why pet raccoons are problematic is the lack of domestication over the past 20 centuries. Dogs and cats have been domesticated for thousands of years which is why they make great pets. It is ingrained in their natural instincts to be trained to obey and assist their masters. While raccoons on the other hand, will never cease their natural instincts to do what wild animals do. This means they are likely to tear apart pillows and couch cushions to nest and, as well as, use your property as toilet. All of this behavior is likely to be out of your control as well. Raccoon domestication is not recommended by wildlife rescue professionals, as well as, wildlife control specialist. If you ever find a stranded raccoon, the baby or not, contact a professional raccoon removal service immediately. They retain the proper equipment, training, knowledge, and tools to safely inhumanely remove the raccoon and relocated to a safer habitat.

Call Raccoon Removal Louisville at 502-553-7622 for more information about raccoon control services in Kentucky. We are highly trained and DNR licensed to facilitate several raccoon control services; such as raccoon removal, prevention, animal proofing, raccoon cleanup, property inspections, and much more. Contact Raccoon Removal Louisville 502-553-7622 today if you have raccoons in the attic or on your property in Louisville, Kentucky and its surrounding counties.

Can I Domesticate a Wild Raccoon?

It is highly advised to never attempt the domestication of a wild raccoon, or any other animal, even if it is only a pup. Raccoons, just like any wild animal, are not programmed to be tamed and trained. The only people who are qualified to train, adopt, and care for wild raccoons are professional animal rescue associations, such as Zoos and other wildlife sanctuaries. For everyone else, owning a pet raccoon can very risky. Continue reading to learn why.

Instinctual Raccoon Behavior

Raccoons are very cute and highly intelligent, making them desirable to exotic pet owners. Unfortunately, raccoons natural instincts and behavior are not domestic-friendly. For example, raccoons are very independent; it can be almost impossible to litter box train them, as many raccoon pet owners admit to trying. Cleaning up after a pet raccoon is a constant, never-ending chore. It is not just droppings, food, and urine that needs cleaning; it is also all the destruction they are capable of as well. They are excellent climbers, and would not hesitate to climb up banisters, rooftops, walls, and more. Their claws are long and sharp; creating holes, rips, and scratches everywhere. This is the lighter side to domesticated pet raccoons. It gets much uglier.

Raccoons can simply not be told what to do, unless they are trained by an expert animal tamer from the time they are born. Other than this rare circumstance, raccoon domestication is not typically successful or safe. They have thousands of years of urges to hunt, feed, nest, breed, and roam freely instilled in their species. This is not something that can be easily overcome. If raised from a pup, a raccoon will eventually turn on its owners once it reaches adolescents, due to these instilled urges and instincts.

Animal Ownership Legalities

Another very important reason to not domesticate a wild raccoons regards the law. In most cities, exotic animal ownership is not tolerated or it has very strict limitations. If it is a tolerated practice, most likely licensed and permits will be mandatory. Owning a pet raccoon is not like having a cat or dog, it is a lifestyle and huge commitment. In states like Indiana, a raccoon is classified as a Class 2 exotic animal, and requires a license and a permit to own one. These can be hard to come by, involving background checks, investigations, inspections, paperwork, and more. If a person does not abide by the local exotic animal ownership laws, they can be subjected to huge fines, evictions, and potential jail time.

For more information about wild raccoons, call Louisville Raccoon Removal in Kentucky. We are highly trained and qualified raccoon control specialists with over 20 years of service in Louisville. We are BBB members and a fully insured company. We are happy to answer any questions about why wild raccoons are dangerous. Call us at 502-553-7622 for details about our raccoon control services in Louisville, KY, or visit our website at http://raccoonremovallouisvilleky.com any time.