A raccoon is a rather unusual pet, but that's not the only reason it attracts attention. But don't rush into getting one. You need to familiarize yourself with a number of aspects of its care. If you devote enough attention to it, you can ensure its comfort even in an ordinary city apartment.
After all, it is practically no different from traditional domestic animals and can eat almost any food and easily adapts to urban conditions.
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Home care: all the subtleties and important points
So, you've decided to get a raccoon in your apartment. But it shouldn't be hasty or spontaneous. You should think it through carefully. Most people expect that The raccoon will become a tame and affectionate pet for them.However, this will only happen to you if you take it away from its parents when it's still a baby. It won't be a problem if you adopt a feral cub; it can easily adapt to humans. The key is to be patient and raise it properly.
The raccoon will be happy living in your apartment if you keep it in appropriate conditions. It is recommended to use spacious cages and enclosures as a habitat.Ideally, you'd dedicate an entire room to your pet, allowing it to roam freely. Here, you can provide your pet with:
small house for a bedroom;- toilet tray;
- feeder;
- a basin of water.
small house for a bedroom;Remember that raccoons are predators, so they require constant supervision. These animals have very tenacious paws, so they'll have no trouble getting into cabinets, drawers, and rooms with doors. To prevent accidental injury, remove dangerous objects beforehand or securely tape doors shut.
Overall, you'll have a lot of fun caring for a raccoon at home. The female will be especially challenging, as she can give birth to 4 to 7 little raccoons, who will bring you just as much joy.
Domestic raccoon behavior
The most problems an owner faces are during the first six months of a raccoon's life. It will take quite a while for your pet to become an adult, so you should be patient. At the age of one year, the raccoon reaches sexual maturityBut he'll remain a playful, mischievous animal for up to two years. Raccoons are full of energy and curiosity, so you'll need to keep a close eye on him, otherwise he'll cause you a lot of trouble, both pleasant and unpleasant. Besides sprinting around the apartment, he can also get into forbidden places.
And you shouldn't expect that this little animal will grow up obedient with you. It will take him a long time to learn your rules.The easiest way to do this is by using known methods.
- If he has done what you told him to do, then you should give him a reward - some kind of treat.
- A clicker can also help you, making your job of raising your baby much easier.
In general, a raccoon brings more joy than sorrow, which can be confirmed by numerous reviews from owners.
Is it possible to train a raccoon not to bite?
Be very careful around raccoons, as they can bite. But be aware that they don't do this because they're aggressive. It's simply how they communicate with people. And no matter what you do, you won't be able to break them of this bad habit. For better dialogue with the raccoon You should pronounce words with a low intonation, then this animal will understand you better.
But it happens that this method is also ineffective. In this case you will have to take care of his trainingAn empty plastic bottle can be helpful: it makes a very loud sound when it hits a surface, but the impact isn't very powerful. However, simply slamming it near the predator usually works.
But you need to do this when you say certain words, so that later he will listen to you when you say them to him again. You have to make him understand that you are the main person. In the house. Otherwise, this little animal will start to think of itself as the leader. During its first days in the house, a baby raccoon is not very active, so to carry it, you can pick it up by the scruff of the neck, just as its mother usually does. This way, it shows its helplessness and also that you are in charge.
What does a raccoon eat at home?
It's common knowledge that raccoons are carnivores, but they're very undemanding eaters, so they can be fed a variety of foods. You can feed them almost anything you have in your refrigerator. These include:
- meat;
- fish;
- cottage cheese;
- seafood;
- eggs;
- cookie;
- various cereals;
- nuts;
- vegetables and fruits.
However, this is not always the case, as some animals can be picky eaters, so you need to try giving him different foods to get to know his tastes.
Raccoons almost always happily consume natural food. But if they don't refuse, you can also feed them artificial food. Considering that raccoons are kept indoors, he will be deficient in certain vitamins and mineralsTherefore, it wouldn't be a mistake to feed him dog or cat food. This will help keep him healthy.
Keeping with other animals
Every owner who is planning to have a raccoon in their home should remember that conflicts may arise between this animal and other household inhabitants. If you keep a dog or a cat at home, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a raccoon living with them. However, it's still recommended to separate them into different rooms. It's highly undesirable to keep a raccoon in the same room as small rodents or birds. Otherwise, this predator will take advantage of the opportunity and eat the easy prey.
Among raccoons, there are some animals that will do everything to ensure that their owner pays attention only to them. And if you give them free rein, they'll subsequently become jealous of you and other pets, and not just you. If you have guests, they may also consider them competitors. Therefore, they may resort to the most unthinkable measures to drive them away.
Reviews
One day, I had the urge to get a raccoon. I didn't have to look long for one, since my friend already had one. It was already an adult animal with many skills. I had a cat in my apartment, and the raccoon had no problems with her. I kept them together. The raccoon acted like a cat, although he slept a lot. Overall, he's a pretty smart animal. The only thing that upset me was his smell. And I couldn't get rid of him. I was relieved when my friend agreed to take him back. I think it was because the children couldn't bear being separated for so long without their pet.
Until a certain point, I never even considered that raccoons could live in a typical city apartment. I thought of them as wild animals that would hardly adapt to city life. And my first impression of raccoons was that they were very difficult to keep. But despite all these drawbacks, they bring a lot of joy, as it's impossible to remain indifferent to this sweet and charming creature.I'm drawn to the raccoon because it's an exotic animal, rare in apartments. But after I'd had it for a couple of weeks, I was very upset by its strong odor. That was my biggest drawback. Overall, I really like this little animal; it's very trainable. With patience, you can even teach it to fetch your slippers.
From childhood, many people dream of having a pet in their home. However, when people become adults, they still want one. have an affectionate and tame petNot everyone is happy with a dog or cat. Some want something exotic. That's why many opt for a raccoon. This animal is very sweet and good-natured, and has a remarkable intelligence. And while many people think it would be difficult to keep one as a pet, this isn't the case.
Caring for him is no more difficult than caring for a cat. However, there are certain nuances that you need to be aware of. First of all, You must be prepared to put up with the persistent smell of this animal.However, with the right products, this drawback will be unnoticeable. Especially considering the joy a raccoon will bring you when you feed it or play with it.
