Loki passed away this morning in our arms. He was dearly Loved.
He was our Sunshine, our Joy.
May 2010 - May 2011
I've received some messages about how neat it would be to have a Raccoon as a pet and a couple stating they found Raccoons and were giving them away. I want to make it clear, I DO NOT THINK RACCOONS SHOULD BE KEPT AS PETS. Loki was not a pet. He was free to go whenever he chose. He would come and go through the doggie door. We found him infested with parasites, including 2 large botfly larvae in his ear, abscesses, injuries, dehydration - near death and after being told by officials that he would be euthanized if turned in, we did our research and took care of him. A rehabber we came to know in our research said when he matured he would become very aggressive during mating season and she was RIGHT! I was the only one he would tolerate and even I had to be very careful. I let my guard down once and as a result received 5 stitches on my right hand. She told us females can be even worse, especially when they have babies, they become fiercely protective. Furthermore, even during their best of times, they can be VERY destructive in the house. I've had many valuables broken, fabrics ripped apart and even a hole in the wall. I don't believe in caging animals except for transport to the vet or to sleep at night. Loki was never caged, he was always free to go as he pleased. It takes a special kind of person to be able to live with a Raccoon. Too many people wouldn't have the patience, love & understanding to give them the life they deserve and need. I've always been very good with animals, as well as very intuitive to their needs, and one thing I know for sure is they are every bit as sentient as you and I. So, I do not condone keeping wild animals as pets.
I've met many wildlife rehabbers now through my experience with Loki, and over and over I hear their frustration and sadness at having to rehab a broken hearted Raccoon that has formed a bond with her/his human family, but has been turned over to them after 6 plus months because they say the little guy has just become "to much work" for them or they "had no idea he/she would become so aggressive" and they "are afraid someone will get hurt". So please, if you find an orphaned Raccoon that you are positive is truly orphaned, (Very often the Mother is just moving them to a new location and will be back for her baby/babies, so observe from afar to make sure this isn't the case. *See weblinks below for help with this.) I strongly suggest you take them to a rehabber who can train them, as we did Loki, to live in the wild. Most animals naturally respond to the call of the wild and leave their parents to live on their own. Loki was a rare exception and wouldn't leave no matter how much we encouraged him. Animals deserve freedom just as much as you and I. A life spent in a cage is not worth living.
If you need help, please contact Matzo Ross. She can hook you up with a rehabber in your area and answer any questions you have at : http://www.doryandtheorphans.com/
or on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/MatzosNorthwoodsWildlifeOrphanage
For those of you who have asked how Loki died; he had a fatal reaction to the Distemper/Parvo Modified Live (MLV) Vaccine. Had I known the risks associated with the MLV vaccine I would've insisted on a Recombinant vaccine which is a much safer choice.
Thank you all for your kind comments. I'm sorry I don't have time to answer them all but I do read them all and am thankful that so many have experienced a little morsel of our most beloved friend Loki.
Peace & Love to You All,
Kat Wagg aka "Gracie"
"Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man.
Just as one wants happiness and fears pain.
Just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures."
~ The Dalai Lama
"There is no fundamental difference between man and the higher animals in their mental faculties. The lower animals, like man, manifestly feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery."
~ Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
"It is as if life had said, 'I am going to send you into a world of cruelty. I shall make you sensitive to pain, fear, heat, cold, hunger and starvation. In this world of cruelty, I shall make you defenseless. In addition, I shall strike you dumb. This is the kind of world that animals are born into." ~ Grace Johnson
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
~ Anatole France
