We already brought you part one of our list of 10 reasons raccoons aren’t pet material, and now we’re back with part two! Check out five more thoughtful and interesting reasons why you should never, under any circumstances, take in raccoons as pets. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Five: They Can’t Be Properly Taken Care Of. If you acquire a pet raccoon and notice that something might be “off,” good luck finding a veterinarian who’s willing to take care of it without reporting you or returning the raccoon to the wild. Most vets have no experience treating raccoons, so it’ll probably be a waste of money, anyway.
Number Four: You Can’t Put Them Up in Kennels. If you decide to take a trip, you probably won’t be able to find a place to keep your raccoon while you’re gone. And good luck finding a friend who’s brave enough to check up on your little friend while you’re gone.
Number Three: They Will Steal Everything You Own. It’s no secret that raccoons are excellent thieves and can get away with taking just about anything. Though you might think you’re safe within the confines of your own home, if your raccoon manages to escape, you can expect it’ll take some of your belongings with it.
Number Two: They Require a Lot of Attention. Though having a pet raccoon might seem like a completely novel experience, the truth is that you’ll be taking on a lot of responsibility you’re probably not prepared for. A raccoon can live for up to 15 years, so if you do decide to be irresponsible enough to try and keep one as a pet, you better be in it for the long haul. Especially because once you take one in as a pet, it’s extremely difficult to return it back to the wild.
Number One: They Will Mess With Your Head. We already mentioned that raccoons are incredible thieves, but they’re also clever and have a sick sense of humor. If your raccoon becomes angry with you, it could play tricks on you, such as stealing buttons from your favorite items of clothing and moving your things around so you can’t find them. We hope you enjoyed our list of 10 reasons raccoons aren’t pet material!