Anyone with experience caring for orphaned baby coon?

[Miss M]

Yes, I know I'm nuts.

It seems that in the course of his public housing inspector job this morning, my beloved Shay ended up the custodian of a little baby raccoon. His coworkers have predictably named the little booger "Bandit". :roll:

He's been through a bit of an ordeal, but seems unharmed, and needs a place to recuperate. Dear me, I hope we can send him off to another home quickly, but meanwhile we have a baby ringtail to take care of. I'm quite sure Shay will be getting concerned questions regarding the coon's welfare.

Has anyone found themselves caring for a baby raccoon? Got any tips?

I hear the nearest Bass Pro's coon just recently died. I wonder if they've gotten a new one yet.

 

[ladysown]

http://www.arcforwildlife.com/raccoons.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/raisingraccoons.htm

 

[Dood]

I wouldn't recommend it, especially if you've got rabbits or any other small animals.

Also be cautious with its feces - they can carry a roundworm that can cause serious damage to humans

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/

 

[akane]

That attempt ended with putting the noisy things back in front of the tree they fell out of and letting nature take it's course. That course was one was grabbed in front of us late into sunset by a huge feral cat and hauled off into the dark screaming. One of those moments where you just kind of look at each other with no idea what to say. The other was gone by morning as either food or the mom came back. Possums were a whole lot easier to care for.

 

[BlueHaven]

In Indiana the law is, that you have to turn them over to a DNR certified wildlife rehab. They are pretty common and we found one for a squirrel that my poodle brought up to the house limp and naked in his mouth. I went to throw it over into the field and it moved. I warmed it up, gave it some pedialite and then we took it to them. IT was a really interesting place set way back in a woods. They had about every kind of animal and a building for each kind on about twenty acres. I never had any idea places like that were around here.

 

[akane]

It's against the law everywhere to possess wild animals including all the baby rabbits people bring in. Unless you try to keep it as an adult it's really rare for anyone to actually get in trouble. Most people though shouldn't attempt to hand raise random wildlife themselves. Especially all the rabbits and baby birds people show up online asking about.

 

[Celice]

I was going to point out that you'd have to check your laws to even see if you CAN possess wildlife but it looks like everyone has covered it. Each state is different in laws but most states that you can't have them and would risk getting fined a pretty penny. I'd call your local Fish and Game and ask if they have any rehabilitation facilities that are willing to take the coon.

 

[Miss M]

Yes, absolutely, we have him only until I can find a wildlife rehabilitator who will take him, and have already filled out the contact form for one. I apologize for not being clear. I didn't want him here, but he needed to go somewhere until he could be properly placed. They didn't want to call animal control, so... :shrug:

Our state law says that I have to contact Wildlife & Fisheries, and the rehab facility I've contacted is one of the ones listed on their page. I'll be calling down the list tomorrow until I find a place for him. I was only looking for any tips while he is here.

And I mentioned Bass Pro because they have a biologist who cares for their animals... I thought the biologist might be a rehabilitator, too.

At any rate, I estimate him at 4 weeks of age. He has a heated rice sock and a fleece blanket and is in a big Rubbermaid tub. He's had quite a bit of electrolytes. His first exposure to KMR a little bit ago was humorous... he lodged many complaints.

 

[MaggieJ]

I can't help you with your raccoon's diet, Miss M, but do try to enjoy the lil guy while he is with you. Baby raccoons are so charming . . . pity they grow up!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

What?!? No Pictures?!?

I can't help with the diet either, but I would add goat's milk to his KMR since straight KMR seems to give every critter the runs.

If you think he would be toddling about with his mom at this age, you might try giving him raw eggs. Raccoons love eggs and the extra protein would probably be great for him.

 

[Celice]

that's good! I don't want you to get into trouble! best of luck!!

also..Pictures??????

 

[wamplercathy]

Puppy replacement formula is best. 2 scoops to an 8oz bottle. By scoop I mean the cap that covers the nipple on the bottle. You can pick one up at the dollar tree for a dollar. Depending on the size of the little guy a heating pad maybe needed. A small plastic dog taxi work great as a temp home. Don't leave it alone in you bathroom. Well, unless you like a river running through it. :lol: :lol: Best of luck. Feel free to pm me. I've had a few dozen pass through my home. Plus there are parasites in their feces that once in any other animal will attack the brain, eating away at it. Use rubber gloves while cleaning after them and bleach or vinegar the spot where you clean out it's cage. Not all raccoons carry this but most do. The parasites does not harm the raccoon just everyone and thing it comes in contact with. Try not to get bit. If you do, they, will have to destroy the animal, due to rabies. Even if the animal doesn't have it the only way to tell is to exam it.

If it has teeth try dry cat or kitten food. And plenty of water. Raccoons don't really have saliva glands. That's why they "wash" their food. Have fun.

 

[Miss M]

Well, as of last night, he's with a rehabilitator! She was at her coon quota, but she took him anyway. She has several babies his age, so he's got a family again.

I can't help you with your raccoon's diet, Miss M, but do try to enjoy the lil guy while he is with you. Baby raccoons are so charming . . . pity they grow up!

You are so right... he was a little charmer! I think Velcro would have been a better name for him, my goodness. He ended up in my hair trying to cross my shoulders once! (Put my hair up after that!)

I can't help with the diet either, but I would add goat's milk to his KMR since straight KMR seems to give every critter the runs.

Puppy replacement formula is best.

KMR was what all the websites said, so that's what I had bought. :shrug: It didn't really matter, since he ended up getting way more of it on the outside of himself (and me) than on the inside. :? :lol: He did NOT want formula, but he was getting terribly hungry. Thankfully, one of the ladies was feeding him almost as soon as we got him there. Experienced hands!

I tried syringe with nipple, syringe only, straight from a bowl (which is how he had taken the electrolyte solution at Shay's work), and finally wicked with sock material. He didn't want it, didn't want it, didn't want it, would occasionally lick some voluntarily, or would open his mouth wide enough in protest that I could shoot a little in, if I was fast. Other than that, he was constantly climbing me and trying to explore, once he got his strength up. When it came to formula, he was just a furry ball of nope. :lol:

If it has teeth try dry cat or kitten food. And plenty of water. Raccoons don't really have saliva glands. That's why they "wash" their food. Have fun.

If you think he would be toddling about with his mom at this age, you might try giving him raw eggs. Raccoons love eggs and the extra protein would probably be great for him.

I estimated his age at 4 weeks. He had only his front corner incisors, so all the charts said KMR only, with electrolytes if needed.

Don't leave it alone in you bathroom. Well, unless you like a river running through it. :lol: :lol:

YIKES... and one website suggested letting him have a bathroom when he needed a little more room!

Best of luck. Feel free to pm me. I've had a few dozen pass through my home. Plus there are parasites in their feces that once in any other animal will attack the brain, eating away at it. Use rubber gloves while cleaning after them and bleach or vinegar the spot where you clean out it's cage. Not all raccoons carry this but most do. The parasites does not harm the raccoon just everyone and thing it comes in contact with.

THANK YOU... I was preparing to bleach everything anyway, but I will be doubly careful now. And gloves. Thank you for the permission to PM you, and I will definitely do so if I ever end up with another one! I know I was blessed to place the little rascal so quickly.

Try not to get bit. If you do, they, will have to destroy the animal, due to rabies. Even if the animal doesn't have it the only way to tell is to exam it.

Thankfully, no bites or even scratches! I did fill out a form at the rehab place, and it had a place for that info, which was no surprise.

What?!? No Pictures?!?

also..Pictures??????

You know, I didn't get but a couple, but here they are. I was so busy prying him off of my clothes, I kept forgetting to get someone to take pix.

Here he is looking all tiny (after all, he was only about a foot long, tail included) in the corner of his tub, snuggled in his blanket:



Closeup:



Thoroughly snuggling with his warm rice sock, of which he was very fond:

 

[ladysown]

yeah. You have him placed.

Good to know about the parasite thing...wow.. all the more reason to keep them out of my place.

 

[akane]

Yeah, that apparently inferior KMR stuff didn't get us anywhere either. We had 2 so they screamed and screamed and screamed for the rest of the night. Coons are also my akitas archenemy. Some we were relocating threatened me through the trap as well as killing chickens a few times and now she must destroy any she comes across. It's the only thing I have to physically haul her away from.

 

[Joey0246]

I love raccoons! I currently have two of them!