[Treeny]

Lol if any thing we are fatting him up and the cyote will have a bigger meal.
Chill out all you leave the Wild animals alone people, we are letting it get big enough to fend for himself and as said in the original post will either let him go or give him to the near by wild animal rescue.

[danielnoahsmommy]

The laws of nature should apply here. Survival of the fittest

[Fr_Chuck]

Going to sound really man hearted, but they are a little greasy, but do make a fairly good BBQ when served with greens.

[linnealand]

Okay, progunr, let's keep things calm. :) I'm actually going to reach out and extend my apologies to you because, in fact, I did get it wrong with the "one baby rabbit" post. I could have sworn I remembered the argument there as being started by you, but I was clearly mistaken.

This was the part of it that I thought you wrote: "Just leave her alone with the one she has, she will do the best she can. If it is not meant to live, it wont. That is survival of the fitest, so just get used to that idea. We can't change that urge." so putting that together with your posts in this thread, I responded with what I thought was fair.

Just so everything is clear, I really like your posts! So I guess that I really like you, too! I especially enjoyed your obvious pride in your wife. I followed the link, and she's awfully pretty. She seems like the wife of a good guy (meaning you). So I hope we can be friends.

Just one note, however, about the "rate this comment" thing. I've been going with the rules posted by the site. Here's what's in the FAQ section:

"How do I rate an answer?"
"Yes. In most topics, users are encouraged to rate the answer given by our members. Simply click the button that appears under members' answers. This gives you the opportunity to say whether you found the answer helpful or not - and include a comment as to why. Your rating, along with your comment, will then appear with that member's answer."

When you click on "rate this answer," the page that comes up gives you the option to agree or disagree. So I used it. I give a lot of greens. But it seems like the two times in my membership here that I posted why I "disagree," phantoms and fires arose from beneath the earth. I don't think it should be seen as a pox, or a disease, or the end of life as we know it. :) you were right in not having posted the bunny thing, but I still thought was you said was pretty harsh, and I disagreed. I don't think the reddie will go on your permanent record or have you put away in a place full of rats. But I'll promise to give you a green on one of the many posts you've shared that I have most certainly enjoyed. Okay? Peace then! :)

[danielnoahsmommy]

Shame on you Fr Chuck

[Alty]

shame on you Fr Chuck

What happened to survival of the fittest? ;);):)

[danielnoahsmommy]

In the animal kingdom. Man would always win over a little forest creature. Not a fair fight.

[Alty]

But racoons have claws, Fr_Chuck only has hands. It might be a fair fight, depends on the forest creature, doesn't it? ;):)

Okay, now I'm getting off topic again. Really bad Alty. Let's stick to the topic at hand. :)

[Fr_Chuck]

Fr Chuck has guns, actually we do "coon" hunts down here in GA when we get too bored from hunting bambie and thumper.

[Alty]

Bambie, thumper, you didn't say that Chuck, no you didn't. I actually have a pet rabbit named Thumper, he's a rescue, had a tough life, you wouldn't eat him, you couldn't, not once you looked in to his big brown bunny eyes.

And once again we're off topic, and I am going right along. Bad Alty.

As for the OP's baby racoon. I think it's best to bring him to a wildlife centre. Releasing him after he's had so much contact with humans is a bad idea. The wildlife centre might be able to help him adapt to living in the wild. Good luck with him, and keep us posted. :)

[wildandblue]

Raccoon's supposed to be one of the worst eating, kind of like groundhog. Throw survival of the fittest in the trash. God certainly led that mother raccoon to take her baby someplace where you found it. Although I'm one of the hands off responders you are not doing anything I wouldn't have done myself. Just be careful, you know, posting a blog etc. about your experience could get you in trouble. Have to remember animals in the wild live maybe 5 or 6 years if they are lucky. They are no smarter than a 6 year old child would be at that age. They are all tiny babies that need help in some way. But pick up the paper and see how much trouble it is to raise our own children sometimes. This is going to be a big 24--7 job all for the sake of one little creature who will be gone in a few years. But your conscience will lead you to what is right.

[TheCleaner]

I had also a raccoon two years ago, was a baby maybe 2 or 3 weeks old when I founded with his dead brother in the middle of the highway. I pulled over and picked it up, the animal was hissing and scratching like a cat I had to use a towel to grab it.
Took it home and my kids feed him for a couple of months with cat milk, it was a wonderful pet, monkey like and very sweet for maybe a year.
After that when they reach the sexual maturity they got mean, aggressive, I had to put it outside in my yard, he gradually adapted to the natural living, I live in a wooden area and back in the woods live wild coons so my raccoon stayed in my yard for a few months coming down the tree when I called him with food. After a few weeks living outside he started to bring friends at night for dinner, the other raccoons didn't like humans but I could see'em trough the windows, eventually he left probably to mate but he still around, sometimes he and his kids come in the yard at night looking for food.

Carl.-

[Treeny]

I had also a raccoon two years ago, was a baby maybe 2 or 3 weeks old when I founded with his dead brother in the middle of the highway. I pulled over and picked it up, the animal was hissing and scratching like a cat I had to use a towel to grab it.
Took it home and my kids feed him for a couple of months with cat milk, it was a wonderful pet, monkey like and very sweet for maybe a year.
After that when they reach the sexual maturity they got mean, aggressive, I had to put it outside in my yard, he gradually adapted to the natural living, I live in a wooden area and back in the woods live wild coons so my raccoon stayed in my yard for a few months coming down the tree when I called him with food. After a few weeks living outside he started to bring friends at night for dinner, the other raccoons didn't like humans but I could see'em trough the windows, eventually he left probably to mate but he still around, sometimes he and his kids come in the yard at night looking for food.

Carl.-

Thanks for sharing your exsperience. I read that the females reach sexual maturity at around 1 yr and males 2 yrs. We have researched online and have heard many the same exsperience as yours.
We have enjoyed him He is growing so fast! We leave him out side with the cage that he sleeps in open at all times now, he crys at the door a lot until we go out or let the dog out
Then he's happy. He and the bull dog are the best of friends. We also give him the kitten formula. How long did you bottle feed? He eats solid food now but still loves the bottle and you can tell when he wants one he makes a noise and sucks at your arm, lol..

[TheCleaner]

Well, mine got really bad after 18 months, When he bited my 5 years old even though was in self-defense and he didn't bite as hard as he could I decided to let him go, they are not pets once they grow up you have to treate them with respect.

About the survival after captivity thing... not a problem, they are scavengers, can eat almost anything, the only possible problem that I can think of would be if they get too close to humans and somebody shot them but they seems to have an instinc for that too.

He took the bottle for about month and a half. Keep always a big container with water by the food but away from the little box they love to wash their hands after eating.

Carl.-

[Treeny]

Ya we keep a baby pool outside for him. We are not keeping him caged so he is free to leave when ever he wants to. If he won't leave on his own we are going to take him to a place for rescued wild animals. Can you tell me what the one you had liked to eat?
This one seems very picky, I have tried a lot of things and so far he will only eat hot dogs
And banana and grapes. We have a garden with a lot of veg and luckily he don't bother with it.