Can you have a raccoon as a pet?

If you find a raccoon that has been domesticated or rehabilitated, they can be a loving and playful pet. It's only legal in 16 states to own pet raccoons. You'll need to find out if your state allows them before bringing one into your home. Domesticated raccoons can be housetrained and become affectionate.

What states can you keep a raccoon as a pet?

It's legal to own a pet raccoon in the following states: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

How much is a raccoon to have as a pet?

On a monthly basis, your main essential cost for a raccoon will be its healthy, varied diet. You also might need to spend money on new toys for mental and physical enrichment. Plan to spend between $30 and $50 per month on average, also budgeting for at least an annual veterinary checkup and any emergency medical care.

Do raccoons eat cats?

Do raccoons eat cats? Even though this has been the subject of some pretty serious controversy, raccoons can indeed eat cats, small dogs, and other tiny animals. Kittens are in fatal danger if a raccoon is near them. The wild creature will most definitely try to attack and eat the kittens.

Are raccoons friendly to cats?

In almost all cases, raccoons and cats get along fine. They not only tolerate each other, they sometimes eat out of the same dishes, which is why animal control offices around the country condemn feeding cats outside. Outdoor feeding is even illegal in some cities.

Watch This Before You Get A Pet Raccoon

Are raccoons smart?

According to a variety of studies, raccoons are very intelligent. Vanderbilt University researchers found that raccoons have an average of 438 million neurons in a relatively small brain, which places them on the higher end of the mammal intelligence scale.

Can you have a possum as a pet?

Question: Can I keep an opossum as a pet? Answer: No. All wild animals belong in the wild. Give the opossum the chance to live the life nature intended…in the wild.

How do you raise a pet raccoon?

Caring for a pet raccoon

Raccoons love water, and in nature they wash fruits and crabs in the rivers before eating them. The raccoon is an omnivorous animal, so it can be fed fruit, vegetables, chicken, turkey, clean fish and even cat food. Never feed it red meat.

Do raccoons like to cuddle?

Domesticated raccoons can be housetrained and become affectionate. But pet racoons like to play as much as they like to cuddle. Tame raccoons can be unpredictable and mischievous.

How long do raccoons live as pets?

In captivity, raccoons are known to have a life expectancy between 10-15 years old. They do require some veterinary care, and it can be difficult to find a doctor willing to see a raccoon since they aren't common pets. You will typically have to look for an exotic or wild animal vet.

Can you have a skunk as a pet?

It is currently legal to own domesticated skunks in only 17 states: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Can you have a squirrel as a pet?

Squirrels eat nearly anything, which is partly why they are illegal to keep as pets in California. Given the prevalence of wild squirrels in California, it may surprise you to learn that keeping one as a pet is illegal.

Are ferrets good pets?

Ferrets make excellent pets for people who have the time for them, and who bond well with animals. Ferrets are naturally quiet, friendly, inquisitive, intelligent, and companionable. At certain points in the day, they are also exceedingly active and capable of getting themselves into trouble unless they are supervised.

Do racoons have feelings?

It's easy for people to forget that wild animals, like raccoons, have feelings and families just like our pets.

Do raccoons cry?

Known to be extremely vocal creatures, raccoons interact by using more than 200 different sounds, which include purring, chittering, growling, snarling, hissing, whimpering, and even screeching like owls. Baby raccoon sounds include mewing, crying, and whining.

What is a raccoon favorite food?

The preferred raccoon diet contains food found in or near water, such as crayfish, frogs, fish, snails and clams. They also enjoy insects, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and even dead animals. Raccoons are not experts at hunting prey, but they do manage to occasionally catch a young mouse, rat or squirrel.

Can you have a fox as a pet?

The reality is they don't make great pets, and in some states it is illegal to own one. Foxes are wild animals, meaning they have not been domesticated. Unlike other species like dogs and cats, which have been bred to live easily with people, foxes don't do well as indoor animals.

Can chipmunks be pets?

Can I keep chipmunks as pets? Chipmunks have only been kept as pets for a relatively short time and experts are still learning about how best to care for them. If you currently own a chipmunk as a pet, it's legal to keep your chipmunk until the end of their natural life, but you're now unable to buy another.

Where is it legal to own a possum?

You may be able to own a pet opossum in Colorado, Maine, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, and North Dakota with a permit. In Missouri, you can keep an opossum as a pet, but the Virginia Opossum is considered a large carnivore, so large carnivore permitting is needed.

What is the best exotic pet?

How much is a pet fox?

The cost of a fox varies greatly. It can be as little as $500 or as much as $6,000. It's also important to keep in mind that this price is only for the animal itself.

Are otters pets?

The Asian small-clawed otter has become a popular pet in Southeast Asia. People in Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and elsewhere can pay thousands of dollars to own one.

Why do raccoons only live 2 3 years?

As is true for any wildlife, a raccoon living in the wild has to fight every day to find a suitable meal, escape predators and avoid other dangers. These are all life-threatening endeavors. The combination of these factors limits the average raccoon lifespan in the wild to 2–3 years.

Can raccoons be potty trained?

Raccoons are nearly impossible to house train. It could take months to train a raccoon to use a litter box.