# A Few Questions - Asian Palm Civet



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

Hey I have a few questions regarding Asian palm civets, would very much appreciate any answers/opinions on the following..

Social or Solitary!?
I have read that in the wild they are solitary animals however I see that many people tend to keep them in pairs.. Are these same sex pairs or male and female intended for breeding!? 

Diet
From what I have read their diet is made up of fruit, insects and meat but I am confused because even though most websites and things say fruit makes up the best part of their diet.. I have seen one website that says meat should make up the majority of their diet!?

Housing (Pics wouldn't go a miss) :whistling2:
Indoors or outdoors!? Again seen conflicting information and 2 completely different methods of accommodating them.. Some people seem to have a dog cage/create type of thing in their living room with a bed and litter tray, while providing them with full run of the house if they wish.. 

Others seem to have large outdoor enclosures!? Can civets be housed outdoors ALL year round!? What kind of shelter needs to be provided!? Do they require any kind of heating!? What size enclosure is required for a single civet or pair!?

Thanks in advance oo:


----------



## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

We keeps pairs together and know alot that also do..
Diet wise we feed mixed fruit and. Veg..boiled eggs..chicken..high quality
Cat biscuits..meal worms..locusts.......we keep them outside with plenty of things to
Do as they are on the go alot.they have a bed built at the top of the enclosure


----------



## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

I have never kept a civet, but I would love to in the future so I did come up with a caresheet for them which was verified as correct by civet keepers  I'll copy the relevant sections and paste them here:



> *SOCIAL STRUCTURE*
> In the wild, Asian palm civets tend to live alone and only come together to mate. However, in captivity they do fine in pairs or groups all year round. There are usually no problems with introducing new civets to current ones, but care and caution must be taken just in case.
> 
> Zoos and private keepers have also found that, in certain situations, they can get along with lemurs, servals, domestic dogs, coatis, wallabies, kinkajous and even tiger cubs. They should never be introduced to prey animals, however, as they are excellent hunters.





> *FEEDING*
> Asian palm civets are omnivores, mainly frugivorous. Their diet in the wild is about 65% fruit, 25% meat and 10% insects. This should be replicated in captivity where possible. It is best to feed civets in two sitting in the evening/night. Sometimes, keeping civets apart during feeding is recommended to minimise aggression.
> 
> They eat a wide variety of fruits. In the wild, primary sources are chiku, rambutan and mango. In captivity, however, they will also eat bananas, grapes, green beans, melons, apples, pears, plums, peaches, mangos, kiwis, pineapples, papayas and strawberries. They must be given a variety of different fruits daily, as too much of one type can cause stomach upset.
> ...


My caresheet was intended for indoor keeping, so I don't have anything on that issue specifically, but as with most exotic pets it's a personal choice I believe. My preference would be to keep them indoors primarily (being confined to a civet-proofed spare room rather than a crate when unsupervised), with access to outdoor enrichment being preferable if possible. I believe that in America, where most exotics are much more on the domesticated side, they tend to keep them indoors most of the time. But keeping them outdoors in a suitable enclosure is equally just as good. 

I think once when reading how one civet owner kept theirs, they had one indoors and one outdoors in a very large enclosure (something like 30 x 10 x 10 ft) or something to that effect. From what I know, they can be housed outdoors all year round but should be have a heated area (e.g. shed) within that space. Apart from that, I know very little about outdoor keeping.


----------



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

bloodpython22 said:


> We keeps pairs together and know alot that also do..
> Diet wise we feed mixed fruit and. Veg..boiled eggs..chicken..high quality
> Cat biscuits..meal worms..locusts.......we keep them outside with plenty of things to
> Do as they are on the go alot.they have a bed built at the top of the enclosure


Are these same sex pairs or are they male and female!?
Which food makes up the main part of their diet!? Are they fed certain food every day.. things such as insects or egg being given less often than fruit and cat biscuits!?
How big is your outdoor enclosure!? Are you in the UK, if so can you tell me whether they are outdoors in ALL weathers.. wind, rain, snow, storms etc.. Is there anytime that they need to be provided with heat (if so, what temps)!? Is there a certain age you would recommend putting a civet outside, would babies be best kept indoors until they are a bit older?
Would LOVE see a photo of your enclosure and Asian palm civets course :blush: 



genevie said:


> I have never kept a civet, but I would love to in the future so I did come up with a caresheet for them which was verified as correct by civet keepers  I'll copy the relevant sections and paste them here:
> 
> My caresheet was intended for indoor keeping, so I don't have anything on that issue specifically, but as with most exotic pets it's a personal choice I believe. My preference would be to keep them indoors primarily (being confined to a civet-proofed spare room rather than a crate when unsupervised), with access to outdoor enrichment being preferable if possible. I believe that in America, where most exotics are much more on the domesticated side, they tend to keep them indoors most of the time. But keeping them outdoors in a suitable enclosure is equally just as good.
> 
> I think once when reading how one civet owner kept theirs, they had one indoors and one outdoors in a very large enclosure (something like 30 x 10 x 10 ft) or something to that effect. From what I know, they can be housed outdoors all year round but should be have a heated area (e.g. shed) within that space. Apart from that, I know very little about outdoor keeping.


Yeah I see how keeping them indoors could be more appealing to people! I have no intention of getting a Asian palm civet (at least not any time soon) as you can tell I am not too clued up on ow to properly care for them hence all the questions.. I am asking mainly out of interested however who knows, in a couple of years time that may change! If I were to get them they would have to be housed outside which is why I am kind of trying to find out about outdoor enclosures rather than indoor! Could I get a link to your caresheet!?


----------



## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

Sexd pairs....fruit and veg main part of diet then the test offerd sparingly in compaison
...they are in a 18x7x6. With a mesh front and half open roof
They are kept outside all time snow .rain ect no probs..thete is a bed in there but dont
Use it that often mine are feed about tea time...yes im in uk


----------



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

bloodpython22 said:


> Sexd pairs....fruit and veg main part of diet then the test offerd sparingly in compaison
> ...they are in a 18x7x6. With a mesh front and half open roof
> They are kept outside all time snow .rain ect no probs..thete is a bed in there but dont
> Use it that often mine are feed about tea time...yes im in uk


Ok thank you, is there any fruit or veg that should be avoided!? 
Do you know what the minimal requirement regarding size of enclosure is!?
They are fine in all weathers without any kind of heating!? 

By the way thanks for taking the time to answer all m questions, much appreciated : victory:


----------



## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

Ire


MrJsk said:


> Ok thank you, is there any fruit or veg that should be avoided!?
> Do you know what the minimal requirement regarding size of enclosure is!?
> They are fine in all weathers without any kind of heating!?
> 
> By the way thanks for taking the time to answer all m questions, much appreciated : victory:


I feed mine..banana..strawberry..kiwi..grapes..apple ...pear...
Pineapple..melon..carrot..sweet potato..cauliflour..brocoli..
Brussel sprouts..green beans...orange..plumb..never had any problems with this diet
As we feed it to alot of animals....not sure on cage requirements
But 10x6x6 may be ..double door entry is a must tho....they are fine
Without heaying yes


----------



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

bloodpython22 said:


> Ire
> 
> I feed mine..banana..strawberry..kiwi..grapes..apple ...pear...
> Pineapple..melon..carrot..sweet potato..cauliflour..brocoli..
> ...


Thank you : victory:


----------



## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

MrJsk said:


> Could I get a link to your caresheet!?


Don't have it uploaded anywhere but I don't think it's changed since I posted it on RFUK here


----------



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

genevie said:


> Don't have it uploaded anywhere but I don't think it's changed since I posted it on RFUK here


Thank you :notworthy:

Oh just noticed you live in Cheshunt, me too :Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

MrJsk said:


> Oh just noticed you live in Cheshunt, me too :Na_Na_Na_Na:


Oh yeah  I'm more of a London girl at heart though, I spend most of my time there. Just moved to Cheshunt and I can't say I'm a huge fan!


----------



## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

genevie said:


> Oh yeah  I'm more of a London girl at heart though, I spend most of my time there. Just moved to Cheshunt and I can't say I'm a huge fan!


aha yeah I have to agree, lived here all my life and believe it or not it actually used to be really nice.. gone way down hill over the past few years !


----------

