i found a cool raccon, can i keep as a pet??

Question

my only concern is when it bit me on the finger. how to tame??

Answer 1

Many people in rural areas keep raccoons as pets. However - and I can not stress this strongly enough - it is ILLEGAL to capture a wild raccoon and keep it as a pet.

Raccoons are one of the major carriers of rabies, especially if you live on the east coast, anywhere from Virginia through New England.

"Raccoons act as a reservoir for rabies in the United States. In fact, the majority of rabies cases in the U.S. are in wildlife, with raccoon cases predominating. In the U.S., 90% of all rabies cases occur in wildlife. During 2000, raccoon rabies made up 41% of wildlife cases diagnosed with skunks, bats and foxes making up the balance. To limit the exposure of humans and domestic animals to rabies, it is important for veterinarians to know the current geographic distribution of rabies, the procedure if a human or animal is bitten by a wild animal, and be familiar with rabies diagnostic testing.

Geographic distribution: Raccoon rabies was much less prevalent in the U.S. prior to 1950. From 1950-1970, the incidence of raccoon rabies began to rise, especially in Florida and Georgia. In 1977, a variant of raccoon rabies distinct from the southern variant was detected in Virginia and West Virginia. This variant has since spread north along the eastern seaboard to Ontario, Canada, and was reported in northwest Ohio in 1996. Eventually this rabies variant converged with the southern variant in North Carolina."
http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2003/Summer/rabies.shtml

If it bit you, you must contact your local (county or state) health department and have the raccoon tested for rabies. Yes, this means the raccoon must be destroyed. If you do not want it destroyed, you must submit to treatment for rabies - a series of rather painful injections. Do not wait to see if you develop any symptoms - once a human shows symptoms, it is fatal.

" What is the treatment for rabies?

A series of vaccinations after exposure can prevent the disease. Once symptoms appear, there is no treatment."

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/rabies.html

Answer 2

Depending on where you live it can be illegal to take an animal from the wild and keep it as a pet. And of course theres the risk of getting rabies or some other disease from that bite. Just put the raccoon back where it belongs, it'd be better for both of you. I'd also go a see a doctor about that bite.

By the way, the only logical reason to have a pet raccoon would be if it was sick and needed someone to care for it. The wisest thing is to not keep them as pets, just because other people have them doesn't mean the raccoon itself if happy. I'd put the animal's happiness before your own in this case.

Answer 3

They can make pretty good pets, but they're a fair bit of work. First, hope that it doesn't have rabies - they can only test for it in animals by disecting the brain. Next, it'll need some sort of outdoor home, since that's where they belong - and prefer to be. It'll need a chicken wire enclosure with a large beanch for climbing, a dry place out of the wind for sleeping, PLENTY of water, and the floor of the enclosure (preferably just below the dirt) needs to be made of chicken wire, just like the sides and top - they climb and dig very well. They like coming inside, but usually prefer to sleep outside. They are also pretty destructive, so don't expect your furniture to last very long if its inside the house.

Raccoons are not 'particularly' dangerous - just a little worse than an angry house cat - but they are still a wild animal, so be careful. Even a cat can rip you up if is wants to. They love being treated like a cat - stroking, belly rubs, etc and will often nip your hands or ankles gently when playing, but not enough to hurt. And bewarned - they are VERY energetic. If you don't have the time and energy to deal with one, then I would suggest that you give this one a pass.

Answer 4

If it's a baby, it's possible to keep them as pets. A few people around where I used to live had raccoons as pets. Someone in the area actually bred them and sold them as pets, but they had to be raised as a pet from a very young age (so young, that the people had to bottle feed them), otherwise they would become wild. But I have no personal experience with them, so I don't know what to tell you about taming them.

You might want to get that bite checked out. And you might need a special license for keeping one as a pet.

Answer 5

listen to what these people are telling you raccoons do not make good house pets if it's a adult 'coon that bit you.

You must go to the doctors right away, the only way that this raccoon has bitten you is that he/she came up to you for you see racoon's are timid creatures if you approach them they will run from you unless it is a pup or one that is carrying rabies.

That's right a pup will come up to you for they are curious a rabid raccoon will come up to you and they will bite no matter what, if you still have the 'coon take it to your local animal hospital and have it checked for rabiess and if it does show symptoms of being rabid. Then get yourself to the hospital right away and get a series of rabie shots.

THIS IS NO JOKE YOU HAVE 48 HOURS TO DO SO OR OTHER WISE YOU WILL DIE the disease attacks the brain

Answer 6

Probably not, most states have laws against the keeping of wild animals as pets for very good reasons.

It bit you??? Racoons have a high level of being vectors for rabies. Contact animal control NOW. It will have to be tested in order to avoid you having to take shots. Maybe it doesn't have rabies, maybe it does. If you got your hands on it, it was not behaving normally so it must be considered that it was sick.

It is unfortunate that to test it, it will have to be killed. Rabies is FATAL to you if you don't take the shots.

No one should try to touch wild animals. People being idiots about this has caused many unnecessary deaths, but since it has bitten you, this must be done. Other wise you run the risk of dying in agony.

Please people, leave wild animals alone. If they are injured, call for help, leave it to wildlife rehabilitators. You risk them as well as yourselves when you try to intervene.

Answer 7

A lot of city people are answering you.
Raccoons are easily tamed, and can be fed cat food. If it's grown, probably can't keep as a pet, but as a baby, you can raise it easily.
They're smarter than dogs, and can climb better than a cat. A full grown raccoon will hold it's own against other domestic animals too.

Answer 8

You need to call animal control. You have to go through a round of rabies vaccines. Skunks and raccoons are both common carriers of the virus.

Answer 9

I lived in florida and they had baby raccoons at a pet store but the worker told me not to get it because she said it would only bond to one person,attack others and turn on you if it didnt get enough attention. also you have to have a class 6 permit which is expensive-so if you need a permit I think its safe to say once someone reported you -you'd get fined like crazy

Answer 10

Racoons carry rabies, so I suggest you see a doctor asap. Racoons are wild animals and cannot truly be tamed. I would suggest you return the racoon back to where you originally found it.