Boy, What a Gang!

The TRIPLETs ..... these youngsters joined us on the 24th of May, 2 days after Oppie the Opossum. Three's a Company here but, Oppie, being the bully in the class, has to get in every picture.. Their mother decided that the attic of William & Wendy's house made a much better litter den than some old rotten tree hole. Disturbed by the noisy, William began to investigate and found these little fellows instead of the mice he expected. On the advice of a friend and a local Vet, Wendy contacted Dixie and arranged to bring them to us. Raccoon kits require a special formula to ensure they have every chance of surviving. Please don't attempt to raise young Raccoons without getting the advice of an experienced rehabilitators and strictly following their advice.

"Man, You one Ugly Dude!!"

Now this is a face anyone could love. This is the 1st kit to open her eyes and the remaining two males opened their eyes over the next couple of days. At this point, kits are 4-6 weeks old and their K-9 teeth are just starting to come in. Like human babies and young puppies, they begin to get irritable and tend to chew on the nipple of the bottle. Without the proper diet and keeping on a strict feeding schedule, young raccoons will not survive. If you cannot give these youngster your undivided attention, please pass them on to someone that can. Preferably, an experienced rehabilitators.

"Yummy, MaMa This is Good Stuff!!"

At this stage of development, the kits will eat 2-3 oz of formula every 3-4 hours.... That's right, EVERY 3-4 hours. This means light sleeping and middle of the night feeding.. Oh honey, isn't it your turn???? We humans are only substitutes for their mother. Don't ever believe that we can do a better job of caring for them than their mother because we can't. We try only to take those kits that have been orphaned or the mother is not healthy enough to raise them. Never take kits from the mother for the wrong reasons and Please Understand that Raccoons are susceptible to Rabies. Like unprotected cats and dogs, Raccoons can get rabies. Though it is not as wide spread as some would like you to believe, every kit is potentially a rabies carrier.... There is NO cure for Rabies in animals or Humans. If you get rabies, you DIE....... All raccoons turned over to the South Carolina Wild Life Will be destroyed (No Exceptions).. Please, think about this when you consider who to call for advice on babies or adult Raccoons you may encounter.

What is That Thing?? "Sissy" Only Female In The Group.	You Talkin To Me? "Bubba", Just Because...	It's A Bathtub Party. "Nails", We Painted His Toenails