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Corona California Raccoon Control Situation: Do raccoons make good pets?
Raccoons most certainly do not make good pets. You may think they look cute but they are wild animals, very clever though very mischievous as well. In fact, since raccoons are wild animals, the law may prohibit you from keeping them as pets anyway, you should verify this before you even think about keeping one as a pet. Here are some of the reasons why raccoons would not make good pets:
1. They are unpredictable. As mentioned before, raccoons are very clever but they love to bite. They are not afraid to attack or bite humans or other animals such as pets. A bite from a raccoon can also cause you to contract a disease.
2. Disease carriers. Raccoons carry many diseases and one of the deadliest is rabies. You would have to ensure that you have the raccoon given a rabies shot as often as is prescribed. They are also carriers of zoonotic parasites and its droppings can contain roundworms. Roundworms are harmful to humans and even the egg spores from raccoon droppings are easily airborne and can be spread to humans and pets. Egg spores can live for many years and are especially dangerous to children.
3. Destructive. Raccoons are impossible to house train and they can easily cause damage to your property. They have dexterous paws that can hold on to things and they are smart enough to know how to turn door knobs. They can easily punch holes in your wooden walls, ceilings, roof and flooring. They can even tear apart your insulation and can climb almost anything. You would have to keep it in a cage which is very inhumane since raccoons are wild animals by nature.
4. Messy. Raccoons, like humans, wash their food before eating. But they also like to massage it as well which can create more mess than you would have bargained for. Raccoons are also termed "masked bandits" because they are extraordinarily clever thieves. If you have other pets around, there is a significant risk that the raccoons would steal their meals as well. Their paws are similar to human hands and they know how to use them to get what they want. They are also very fast animals and can run as fast as 15 miles per hour.
5. No doctors. Since raccoons are not normally kept as pets, if they were to become ill, you may have a difficult time finding a veterinarian who has experience in curing or caring for them. And even if you do, treatment may be very expensive. They have a life span of 10 to 15 years so if you are considering keeping one as a pet, then be prepared to have it around for a very long time.
6. Reproduction. Female raccoons mate at age 1 and have a litter anywhere from 1 kit to 7 kits per year. They wean for 2 months but care for the young for 8 to 9 months. You would have to ensure that they do not mate with other raccoons around otherwise you would have a permanent problem on your hands. As house pets, they would not be able to teach their young ones to survive in the wild.
If you wish to learn more, click on the How to Get Rid of Raccoons in the Attic home page. For wildlife control, animal trapping services, and raccoon control in Riverside County, California, call us at 951-666-2555, and ask to talk about raccoons in the attic in Corona, CA.