Cat Forum - raccoon at PetSafari IKANO Power Centre

15-02-2007, 07:05 PM

FelineChic FelineChic is offline

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raccoon at PetSafari IKANO Power Centre

hello people, i'd just like to highlight a raccoon at PetSafari at IKANO Power Centre, i've e-mailed the SPCA concerning this but i'd just like to get opinions/suggestions on this raccoon thing.

i'm not sure if it can be said as mistreatment but perhaps you guys can have a look and together we can get the raccoon better treatment. sorry to intrude on the cat forum!!

below's my email to the SPCA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello dear people,
first of all, would like to express my appreciation of your work. i think you're doing a fine job!

i'm e-mailing to report about PetSafari. i would like to comment that they have a raccoon in their store, but from what i've seen the poor critter has nothing inside it's room, not a tree, hay, fruits or anything. and it does not have a fellow raccoon to play with.

i'm not sure if this constitutes mistreatment, but the first time i came, the raccoon was pacing back and forth of its enclosure, not stopping the whole 20 minutes i was watching it.
at that time there was some hay in its room and a bowl of water.

the second time i came, the raccoon was sitting in one corner, but there were no toys or anything comfortable in its enclosure. only wooden flooring and everything else is bare.

would appreciate if you could look into it and I myself would like to know if this does constitute mistreating the animal. i just feel sorry for it. thanks.

16-02-2007, 10:20 AM

Kulstud2

Senior Member

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: KL-JB-Singapore

Posts: 1,815

Hi

I think most animals even dog is placed in cage or glass enclosure when it comes to pet shop.
Normally food is not free flowing because they will make a mess or they will eat non stop and spoil their health.

Racoon can be very playfull... hence they could make their place very messy.
As I know, those caretakers will play with him once in a while...
Racoons are not cat in the sense they have much antics to display (mischief I mean)

I am not sure if the category you states construe 'mistreatment'...
But I am not entirely ruling out mistreatment or from Pet Safari being able to cater a better place.

Lastly there are some other Pet Groups that you can complain too. One of which is Independent Pet Rescuers. They are also fomidable group and quite active.

I will see the Racoon tomorrow at pet Safari (I go there everyweek for my fish stuff). I will also inform if I find it a displeasure...

16-02-2007, 10:43 AM

rhazes79

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Location: Bandar Sri Permaisuri,Cheras KL

Posts: 509

i saw that raccoon late last year. for me to host something from the wild is already considered inhumane. that section of the pet safari doesnt just host raccoon but also the extinct star tortoise. part of exotic pet i guess.

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17-02-2007, 07:09 PM

bonzaimy

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Posts: 55

Good job dude....i hate pet shop who didnt take care of animal..

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18-02-2007, 01:11 AM

ronnz2b

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Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: live in seremban

Posts: 184

yaa I hate to see trading of other than normal pets like cat, dog & rabbit..

Oso dont like animals kept in pet shop for sale

hate to c birds in small cages, fish in small container, iguana etc

How i wish i could release all the birds to freedom...

28-02-2007, 03:36 PM

FelineChic FelineChic is offline

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twenty good reasons not to have a pet raccon

well, it states that raccoons are curious animals so it would be cruel to cage them without any playthings. i'd love to have him but i don't have a big backyard and... no $$$ eitherr........

http://www.isleauhaut.net/maskd/twentyreasons.htm

Quote:

Twenty good reasons
not to have a pet raccoon

Statement of purpose:

The purpose of this site is to provide factual information about the issues involved with having a pet raccoon.
Aside from the last two paragraphs on this page, all of the information on this site is established fact and is intended to help people make an informed decision when considering the raccoon as a pet.

RABIES
The occurrence of rabies in raccoons is far less frequent than the media would have us believe and the chances of a pet raccoon contracting the disease are extremely slim. Because of the fear of rabies, however, some states require that a pet raccoon who bites or scratches someone must be killed and the head sent to a lab for testing. The result of the test is almost always negative, but it's too late for the raccoon. A pet raccoon who has been vaccinated against rabies is not exempted from this requirement.

RACCOONS ARE NOT DOMESTICATED
People have been attempting to keep and domesticate raccoons for centuries, yet as a species, they are still not domesticated. Domestication is a process that takes hundreds of generations and after centuries of trying there is still no such thing as a domesticated raccoon. Even a raccoon who is raised in the company of humans is still by definition very much a wild animal.
Domestication occurs in several clearly defined stages beginning with "wild" and ending with "domesticated." The raccoon's position on the scale is "wild". The simple fact is that the characteristics of some species cause them to be more readily domesticable than others. Raccoons are not possessed of those characteristics. Detailed info on domestication

BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS
Baylisascaris procyonis, also known as roundworm or raccoon roundworm, is a parasite that is common in raccoons. When transferred to another animal, such as a dog or human being, it can cause blindness, central nervous system damage and even death. There are wormers available that will rid a raccoon of these parasites but they must be administered regularly and if the treatment is overlooked, everyone who comes in contact with the raccoon may be at risk. A captive raccoon who is free of the parasite may still contract it from contact with animals or objects that have been exposed to the parasite.

OBESITY
Captive raccoons are extremely susceptible to obesity due to their diet and lack of exercise. The raccoon's natural diet varies from one region to another but usually consists of fruits, grains, insects, nuts, berries, small birds and mammals, eggs, fish, frogs, and crayfish. It is difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate this diet and the failure to do so frequently causes serious health problems in the captive raccoon. In nature the average weight of a wild adult raccoon is from 12 to 18 pounds- larger in the northwest, smaller in the southeast. The average weight of a captive adult raccoon fed on commonly available pet foods is in excess of 30 pounds and is frequently closer to 40 or even 50 pounds. One of the more common causes of premature death in captive raccoons is heart failure brought on by obesity. Obesity may bring on other health problems such as fatty liver and hip displaysia.

REVERTING
There is no doubt that young raccoons are among the most adorable of wild babies. Unfortunately, raccoons grow up and as they get older they have been known to become aggressive and unmanageable. They sometimes become so aggressive toward their owners that they can no longer be kept in captivity. There is some debate as to whether this can be technically labeled "reverting", but whatever one wishes to call it, this phenomenon is very real and it is impossible to predict in which raccoons it will occur.

RELEASE
As an adjunct to the previous paragraph, the raccoon who has been kept in captivity is not a good candidate for release to the wild. Raccoons learn their wild survival skills from their mothers during the first 10 to 12 weeks of their lives and the captive raccoon is utterly without these skills. Releasing such an animal to the wild usually results in the premature death of the animal by starvation or, more likely, because of their lack of fear of humans.

DIFFICULTY IN FINDING A VET
Few veterinarians will treat a pet raccoon because of concerns about distemper and rabies. Distemper is common in raccoons and since it is an airborne virus, merely allowing an afflicted raccoon into the clinic can cause the death of every susceptible animal present. Rabies in raccoons is less common but has received quite a bit of publicity. Since a rabid raccoon may be asymptomatic at some stages of the disease, many vets will not even consider treating them.

THEY ARE DESTRUCTIVE
Raccoons are noted for their curiosity. They are compelled by their nature to touch everything they encounter, climb anything that can be climbed, open every door and investigate every nook and cranny. They do this with great interest and no regard for what may be dropped, spilled, shredded and broken.

THEY ARE MESSY
Give a raccoon a bowl of water and a dish of dry dog or cat food and he will create for you a mess of epic proportions. Raccoons are very clean animals when it comes to personal hygiene but otherwise they are experts at creating wet, sloppy messes.

THEY ARE UNPREDICTABLE
As stated above, raccoons are not domestic animals and even the most well-behaved of pet raccoons will occasionally administer a painful bite. Their unpredictability makes them unsuitable as pets in any household with small children or, for that matter, any household where the human occupants have little tolerance for pain and some occasional bleeding.

THEY REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION
Owning a raccoon is much more like having a second job than it is like having a pet. Meeting their dietary needs, continually providing them with sources of entertainment and cleaning up after them is a full-time occupation. It is also a long-term commitment since life expectancy in the captive raccoon is 14 years.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS
Raccoons cannot be kept in any but the largest of cages for any length of time. If a raccoon is to be kept in captivity, it must be given the run of the house. This being the case, the entire house must be made "raccoon-proof". All cabinets and closets where the raccoon is not allowed must be secured and even then, if the raccoon wants to get in badly enough, he may destroy the door in trying to gain entry.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF ESCAPE
Captive raccoons who manage to maintain some interest in the outdoors may be difficult to keep in captivity. If they determine that they want to go outside, they will probably find a way. When this happens, the consequences can be severe. Pet raccoons have little fear of humans. Humans, unfortunately, have little understanding of raccoons and an encounter between an escaped pet raccoon and a human usually results in the death of the raccoon.

MATING SEASON
Mating season brings a long period of aggressiveness in captive raccoons who are of breeding age. Their instinct tells them they should be mating but they can't so they become very frustrated and moody. Humans coming in contact with a raccoon during this period are at increased risk of being bitten. This period may last for 3 to 4 months and it occurs every year.

THE ODDS
The odds of successfully keeping a captive raccoon for an extended period of time are not good. Some estimates put the odds at 300 to 1 against. I have no doubt that this figure is grossly inflated, but there is still a chance that a raccoon who is kept in captivity will eventually become a very unhappy, aggressive animal.

A FINAL NOTE
I personally know a number of people who have pet raccoons. These people found an orphaned raccoon, nursed it back to health and raised it. They decided to keep the animal as a pet for various reasons, usually because they came to love the raccoon so much that they couldn't bear the thought of releasing it to the wild and an uncertain future. My hat is off to these folks. They have knowingly taken on a huge responsibility and made many personal sacrifices for the sake of an animal they care for deeply.
There is a very big difference between this and the person who consciously decides to obtain a wild animal and keep it in captivity. Wildlife should not be looked upon as a commodity which may be bought or sold.

28-02-2007, 03:40 PM

Kulstud2

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Location: KL-JB-Singapore

Posts: 1,815

[QUOTE=FelineChic]... no $$$ eitherr........QUOTE]

me 2

28-02-2007, 10:59 PM

Suzy

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Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: Ipoh

Posts: 5,300

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnz2b

Actually i have seen quite a number of people buying the birds in the pet shop and releasing them. Is more like a weekly routine, with good deeds wanting to set the birds free but what happens....the pet shops brings in more to make it a regular cycle.....

catch, cage, sell, release.......catch, cage......

yeah i hate to see pets in small cages in pet shops......there has been a exotic shorthair setting in this pet shop in ipoh for 3mnths.

Trust me in ipoh many not willing to pay such money for a cat....which they hardly know what breed it is to start with.

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01-03-2007, 01:51 PM

faisal

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Join Date: Nov 2006

Posts: 34

I saw the racoon at the Pet Safari as well... Not looking good. It was furiously pacing up and down in the glass cage. I think the way they handle their live animal is appalling. Saw a kitten there having loose motion and litterbox not clean at all. Spoke to the staff there about it but they were not bothered.

Don't they need licence to sell animals like racoon, sugar glider etc?

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01-03-2007, 02:11 PM

Jay

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Location: Kuala Lumpur

Posts: 2,960

Jay is an unknown quantity at this point

I went there last week and a week before, but I didnt see any Racoons.

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