Why You Should Never Have a Raccoon as a Pet

Raccoons don’t normally come to mind when I think of animals people keep as pets, but apparently a number of people out there think that having a raccoon for a pet would be fun. Let me stop you right where you are, and tell you that is a very bad idea, so just forget about it immediately. There are numerous reasons why no one should have a wild animal, let alone a raccoon, as a pet. Raccoons are definitely wild animals, and even if they are “tamed” they still retain many of those wild instincts, and require very high maintenance and an experienced, knowledgeable guardian. This is not like your average house cat by any stretch of the imagination.

You cannot cage a wild animal, as that is just inhumane, but on the other side, letting a pet raccoon just roam around your house is a very bad idea. They are very destructive and unpredictable around humans as well as other pets. They are also extremely hard to house train, so you would most likely end up with one just doing their smelly business all around your home. They are also notorious for biting, which means you’ve got a serious medical and insurance liability on your hands at all times. Aside from all of this, where are you going to take them to the vet or when you want to go away on vacation? Not many vets are trained to treat raccoons, and you are going to have a very hard time finding a raccoon babysitter. These little bandits need constant attention and care, and will play their own little tricks on you like repotting all of your houseplants, stripping your bed sheets, or removing all of the buttons from the jacket you foolishly left lying around. Are you starting to get the picture? Don’t try to have a raccoon as a pet. It just doesn’t work out no matter how you look at it.

Have you ever considered or has a friend considered having a wild animal as a pet? How did that work out?