can you have a raccoon as a pet?

Question

Is there any laws against it? and do they make okay pets.. i'm sure they're probably a lot like ferrets. obviously after rabies and distempter shots.
does anyone have any experience with keeping a raccoon as a pet?

i'm obviously not going to just grab one out of a tree and hope it works out. had planned on finding someone who raises them. i've had a ferret before, and rats and rabbits, mice, goats and havent had a problem with keeping 'vermin'.

Answer 1

If you want rabies, no problem.

Actually there are laws against it. Unless you keep is uber quiet and don't show it off.

Answer 2

The raccoon is a very deceptive animal, actually a member of the Bear family. They appear cute and you would think they would make a fine pet. I would sooner have a king cobra as a pet.

A raccoon is extremely intelligent and very cunning. They are also vicious and savage fighters.

I do not kill anything if I can avoid it, and I have trapped raccoons and relocate them to a game preserve where they will be ok.
On one occassion, I had trapped a female. I could tell because the males always want to fight me. I was standing fairly close to the cage, and I felt something on my pant leg, the raccoon was tugging on my pant leg, and looking so pitiful that I was tempted to turn it loose.

This past spring, I did turn one loose. I had trapped a female and she just kept looking off toward the woods. I knew immediately what was going on. She had babies and was trying to let me know, I turned her loose, because her babies would have died without her.

Raccoons are not to be kept as pets, as they are unpredictable and as another person mentioned in this forum, they can slice you up like a tomatoe.

I caught one in my yard and it was getting ready to attack one of my outside cats. I have a high power air rifle with a 1,200 fps trajectory, and I had no choice but to shoot it or loose a cat. I aimed for the hind quarter so I would not kill it, but the second shot would have been between the eyes if it were necessary.

Darryl S.

Answer 3

It is against the law in most municipalities. They are wild animals, although I did know someone many years ago that had a raccoon, on a leash even. They have very sharp teeth and they bite. I think raccoons are really cool, the bandit thing and all, and they are quite smart. Which is probably another reason they won't particularly cotton to being a "pet."

But, I guess it all depends on where you live. Maybe in the Louisiana swamplands that would be okay. Certainly not in any major city that I know of, where it is definitely against the law and you could be fined.

Answer 4

As a child my husband had a pet raccoon that his family found abandoned. He doesn't remember a whole lot about it but his mom said it was a little like having a cat. They would let it come and go as it pleased and it slept in a tree in the backyard. It really liked to play with a washcloth in the bathtub. Sometimes it would bristle up if it got scared and she'd have to shoo it out the door. Eventually it got old enough that it just went it's own way. Personally I would not want to have one because it may have rabies or some other animal disease. They were lucky, in my opinion, it didn't bite. But it is kind of neat to think about and a good story to tell kids.

Answer 5

Many people may not think of raccoons as pets. Those who so live with them find they make fascinating and funny companions, although prone to a little, or maybe lots, of mischief.
Before even considering a raccoon though, be aware that they are illegal in many areas. Check with local and state/provincial regulatory bodies before pursuing the idea of having a raccoon as a pet. If raccoons are legal where you are, then the search is on. It is best to obtain them from a breeder, although one may be difficult to find. Some have raised orphan raccoons as pets. In any case, it is best if the raccoons are very used to being handled, a lot and from an early age. This will help make them more sociable and less prone to bite. Raccoons are prone to biting, especially if they feel threatened, so be prepared that this may happen.

Answer 6

We had a client that bought a raccoon as a pet from a breeder. It's not illegal, but he needed a permit I believe. It was very cute as a baby, but when it matured it became extremely moody and he suffered some nasty attacks from it. He had it spayed and took very good care of her. He had to build it a huge outdoor enclosure to keep it safe, and eventually it was no longer tame. He told us he was sorry he ever got her. Tame ones cannot be released into the wild. You will have a potentially dangerous animal for 10 years or more. Wild raccoon babies can be born carrying rabies and balysascaris, a very dangerous intestinal parasite. Only professional rehabbers who have been vaccinated against rabies, and who have extensive experience, should handle them.

Answer 7

They say raccoons make some of the worst pets ever. Even if they are fed from a bottle from the time they are born. They are wild and vicious animals. In most state you also need a special permit to own wild animals. I saw a show on Animal Planet concerning raccoons that were rescued as babies and raised on a bottle. They were talking about how wild and vivious they are. If you have one, let it go. They do not make good pets.

Answer 8

In some states it is perfectly legal to keep a raccoon for a wild animal. I would first suggest if you are interested in keeping one that you contact your local Fish & Game (or similiar) Department to check on your laws and then do your research. Talk to people who have them as pets...lots of people.

They *can* make okay pets. And I say just okay. I work primarily with raccoons (in a rehabilitation setting where they are orphaned and I raise them to release them back into the wild). However, there are many people that I know that do have them for pets. In some states, they are even bred in captivity.

From the information I have received they are loving creatures, but there are also many issues with having them. They are curious and will get into EVERYTHING. If they can stick a finger in it, they will investigate. One owner had over $5000 in damage to her walls when her pet raccoon decided to rip apart the sheet rock.

Another issue with them is that even if you purchase one from a breeder, it is still *technicially* considered a wild animal. You could bring it to the vet and have it's rabies and distemper shots done but if it bit someone...legally...you would have to euthanize your animal to have it tested for rabies--even with proof of vaccination.

To me that would discourage me because any pet can bite, and I wouldn't want to risk my pets life on it.

If you want to get involved with raccoons, might I suggest you look into becoming a wildlife rehabilitator (contact your Game Dept for more information). You get to care for them, and then put them back out in the wild where they belong.

And just for whomever said Raccoons were in the same family as Bears...they are not. Bear are in the Ursidae family. Raccoons are in the Procyonidae family.

Answer 9

Depends on where you live; a lot of areas have laws against keeping wild animals as pets.
Raccoons don't really make good pets, especialy if you want an indoor pet. They are destructive and hard to train (way worse than ferrets) because they have not been bred to have "people friendly traits" like domestic animals.

Answer 10

My Mom has a raccoon friend "from a distance"... if you are fortunate maybe you can too.

She has two cute raccoons that she would see outside her kitchen window, usually after dinner. She would go out there and put some food out for them and go back into the house. Sure enough they would come back and eat it and she would enjoy watching them.

After a while the raccoons knew they were welcome and could come by every evening for their snack.

When my mother sold her home she told the owners that they better not harm her two cute little raccoons, who were friendly!

I don't think they'd make good pets inside the home, however... just nice to view/admire from a kitchen window!

Answer 11

I have had several racoons as long term pets.
Sows are the best for an "inside " pet.
Boars are good for outside.
I've had both inside.
THey will litterbox train easily ...like a cat.
You will need to install baby locks on your cabinets & refrigerator.
You will also need a nesting box .
After a little time, you will be able to break their nocturnl habits.
When you get their rabies vaccination, you need to get a "killed-virus rabies shot".
Any Vet can get them.
THey DO play a little rough at times & a male will attempt to breed a female cat if he can't get to a female racoon.
Just so you know.......