dearbrew

Dear Brew

We found a baby raccoon and want to keep it as a pet. What do you think of this idea.

Joe 

Dear Joe

We think this is a very bad idea, while your baby raccoon may be cute and cuddly now, it will soon change in to adult and turn destructive. Wild animals are meant to be wild.. that’s why they call them wild animals 

We strongly opposes keeping any wild animals as pets. Whether caught in the wild or bred in captivity. We feel that wild animals are meant to watched and photographed from a safe distance and in Brew’s opinion, if it’s a rabbit to be chased for a couple of seconds. 

We also want to discourge everyone from picking up wild babies. A lot of times people will find a baby animal and when they don’t see the mother around they will assume it’s been orphaned and will pick it up and take it home,  unless you actully see the mother dead, do not pick up the baby!! In reality the mom is hidden and watching you from a safe distance and she is waiting for you to go away, so she can care for here little one.

Wild animals babies have a very low survival rate in captivity, but at least they do stand a chance when turn over to wild life animal rescue organizations. If you do find a true orphaned baby animal you will need to contact your local wildlife rescue and turn it over to them, these organizations have the knowlege in the care and treatment of wild animals and will always try to raise them so that they can be released back into the wild.     

 We know that baby animals can be irresistibly adorable—until the cuddly baby becomes bigger and stronger than the owner ever imagined. The instinctive behavior of the adult animal replaces the dependent behavior of the juvenile, resulting in biting, scratching, or displaying destructive behaviors without provocation or warning. Such animals typically become too difficult to manage and are confined to small cages, passed from owner to owner, or disposed of in other ways. 

 Wild animals also pose a danger to human health and safety through disease and parasites.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discourages direct contact with wild animals for a simple reason: They can carry diseases that are dangerous to people, such as rabies, herpes B virus, and Salmenella. The herpes B virus commonly found among monkeys can be fatal to humans. Thousands of people get Salmonella infections each year from contact with reptiles or amphibians.  

Wild animals are not domesticated simply by being captive born or hand-raised. It’s a different story with dogs and cats, who have been domesticated by selective breeding for desired traits over thousands of years. These special animal companions depend on humans for food, shelter, veterinary care, and affection. Wild animals, by nature, are self-sufficient and fare best without our interference. The instinctive behavior of these animals makes them unsuitable as pets. Having any animal as a pet means being responsible for providing appropriate and humane care. Where wild animals are concerned, meeting this responsibility is usually impossible.  

We hope that with information we provide, that you will make the right decision and call your local wildlife rehabilitator right now.

Have a question for Dear Brew, then visit our link section so you can email us your question.

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