Random Lesser-Known Facts About Raccoons (12 items)

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  (#9) Raccoons Can Not Be Domesticated

  Taking a raccoon out of the wild and making it your personal pet is not only illegal in some states, it's also incredibly ill-advised. While raccoons can be taught tricks, they are not social creatures and can not be domesticated, even through multiple generations of breeding. Keeping a raccoon as a pet can end up in a vicious attack if the animal feels stressed, which can leave the owner severely messed up.

  They're also just general nuisances. If they don't mess up their owner's face, they most definitely will mess up their house. Raccoons are known to be destructive animals, and will rip apart furniture, bedding, and even walls. 
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  (#1) Raccoons Are One Of The Primary Carriers Of Rabies

  Raccoons are one of the primary - if not the largest - carriers of rabies in the United States. They are also the most frequently reported rabid animal, according to the Center for Disease Control, accounting for 28.6% of all animal rabies reports in 2017.

  While these reports are found heavily on the east coast, it's typically in your best interest to avoid a raccoon no matter where you see it. How do you tell if a raccoon is rabid? Usually if any animal has rabies, they begin acting erratic, have wet and matted hair around their face, and seem oblivious to sounds. And if you get bit by a rabid raccoon - or any rabid animal - you're going to have a bad time. Rabies cause muscle weakness, fever, hallucinations, and sometimes death. 
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  (#7) Baby Raccoons Usually Have An Aggressive Mother Nearby

  Seeing a baby raccoon in the wild can be in incredibly cute experience, but it's best to stay away from it if you think a mother raccoon is anywhere nearby. Mother raccoons are very protective of their young, as they have the duty of protecting them all by themselves.

  While the babies are in the nest, the mother raccoon will frequently be on patrol around the area looking for potential predators. If she sees you as a predator, she's going to become very aggressive and treat you like one, which could leave you in a nasty situation.
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  (#8) Raccoons Terrorize Small Livestock

  Wild raccoons will terrorize small livestock, especially chickens or hens, that have been left out in a coop. Raccoons are not attacking these animals to eat them, instead they're trying to steal their eggs or any food left for them in their coops. 

  If they get in, they'll tear chickens to shreds just to eat their eggs. While they typically won't eat the chickens, they'll leave them as a bloody mess and occasionally eat at the breast and entrails before nabbing their eggs. What's even scarier is raccoons will typically carry out these chicken assaults in the night while the chickens are asleep. 
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  (#10) Raccoons Eat Car Wires And Destroy Interiors

  Raccoons will sometimes use the insides of cars as nesting sites. That's because cars are often dry and warm, and when it's off and left alone it's a perfect invite to any animal looking for a new place to settle down. If a raccoon decides to make a car into a den, it can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage by chewing up the car's internal wiring and destroying whatever else it decides to rummage around with on the inside.
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  (#2) They Will Seriously Mess Up Your Pets Over Food

  If you're not careful about where you leave your cat or dog's food, raccoons might just smell it out and eat it themselves. And when a raccoon comes looking for food, the presence of another dog or cat won't deter it. Even though it's uncommon for cats and raccoons to end up scrapping, dogs will typically be more curious and go sniffing it out. If the raccoon ends up cornered and they do happen to end up getting into a fight, it's very easy for a raccoon to seriously mess up a pet or, even worse, kill it.

  Raccoons will first go for the dog's eyes, blinding it before it starts jabbing at the chest. This causes a dog's lungs to collapse. Raccoon nails are sharp, and have been known to penetrate a dog's abdomen and into their organs. 

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