Raccoons can seem cute and cuddly, but the truth is that they’re far from a good house pet. Though their clever nature might make you think they’d be a refreshing change of pace from a golden retriever or domestic cat, raccoons are anything but enjoyable in the house. Here, we present our list of 10 reasons why you should never keep a raccoon as a pet. Check out part one of our list below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Ten: They Can’t Be Tamed. Just like Miley Cyrus, raccoons are a poor choice of pet because it’s next to impossible to domesticate them. In case you weren’t completely aware, raccoons are 100 percent wild animals and have not been bred to be domesticated. They haven’t been bred at all, because they exist naturally in the wild. Where they belong.
Number Nine: It’s Illegal to Keep Them as Pets in Some States. It’s true! In some states, attempting to keep a raccoon as a pet is completely illegal. And even though that’s bad enough, that’s not even the worst reason raccoons make terrible pets. Just keep reading.
Number Eight: It’s More Challenging Than You’ll Ever Know. If you’ve ever come in contact with a raccoon, then you know just how destructive they can be. Well, imagine letting that thing in your house on your own volition. It’s not going to be pretty! Raccoons are incredibly curious and their hands are also incredibly small; this is a very dangerous combination that will lead to messes everywhere you can possibly imagine. And don’t even think about trying to keep them in a cage, because that defeats the entire person of having them as pets (not to mention it’s inhumane).
Number Seven: They’ll Treat Your Entire Home Like a Toilet. Raccoons are nearly impossible to house train. It could take months to train a raccoon to use a litter box, and who knows what’ll happen if you put it on a leash and take it outside.
Number Six: They Bite. Even if you familiarize yourself with your “pet” raccoon, they love to bite everything that gets in their way. So unless you’re a serious masochist and live alone, stick to cats. Stay tuned for part two of our list of 10 reasons you shouldn’t keep raccoons as pets, coming soon!