# which to keep, skunk, racoon,kink,coati



## claire & al (Apr 26, 2011)

out of all four which is the best to keep ie the easyiest to look after i'am looking for something thats loveing, not too active like running and jumping around reking the house , ive looked into avin a kink they seem the best but the £600 price that ive seen puts me off a lil duno about racoon as they may be too big same with coati that leaves me thinking about the skunk mmmmm wat too do if any1 has kept any of the four feel free to ad a lil info for me thanks xx


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I think you need to completely rethink your choices if price tag and destructive tendancies put you off.......

ETA: Here's an example of what one skunk is capable of: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/exotic-mammals/674923-maple-miner.html And I know ***** can be pretty bad, too. Plus, all of them are expensive pets (both to buy and care for).


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

I believe they missed a zero off the end though, £600 wouldn't be so bad. For a kink, you'd never get one for £600 right?

I bet repairing that damage cost a fair bit though, and the skunks (I think) is the cheapest to buy. 

Do you have an outdoor place for them or would they have to be 100% indoor pets? Not so much damage to be done on supervised indoor time perhaps?


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## Lenor (Jul 24, 2009)

Agreed with above. Maybe you need to ask yourself why you really want any of these? they are all demanding animals, all destructive, all have quite specialised needs, and all are relatively "wild" animals. Like any exotic animal they can be amazing to look after if you really really want one and are able to put the time and effort and research and money in. But you have to really have a strong interest in that particular animal. If you just want an interactive pet, why not just get a dog, cat or ferret? They're popular pets for a reason, although the animals you've listed sound different and exciting and are fun to talk to your friends about, they all have downsides, be it costs, destuctivness, the need for specialised food or enclosures, the smell, potential aggression etc... Having said that, although I've kept none of the above from what I've read skunks are probably your best bet if you decide you have to have something different. Equally, if there's one animal that really grabs you after researching them all, even if it's more expensive etc, then go for that. You'll have to care for it for a decade or more, so it's got to be something you want ultimately: victory:


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## claire & al (Apr 26, 2011)

em_40 said:


> I believe they missed a zero off the end though, £600 wouldn't be so bad. For a kink, you'd never get one for £600 right?
> 
> I bet repairing that damage cost a fair bit though, and the skunks (I think) is the cheapest to buy.
> 
> Do you have an outdoor place for them or would they have to be 100% indoor pets? Not so much damage to be done on supervised indoor time perhaps?


yer completly indoor , n ino i dont mind £600 but £6000 is silly isnt it oh well ill keep looking


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## snowdrop (Feb 5, 2011)

If this is going to be your first big exotic mammal? If so I would go for a skunk, there great starter pets and are very loving - plus its always a bonus that they're not that much money! Leaves more money to spoil them! However they can be very destructive and you need to be ready for this, you should look into the thread that someone has put up (sorry can't remember your name :blush None of the animals you are looking into should be for the faint hearted, and more research will show this.
If you are just wanting to keep your animal indoors 24/7 you need to take into consideration the other animals you own (that's if you do) and where they will sleep, you will need to look at the facilities and requirements each animal will need before deciding on which one you 'like', for instance all of the above animals need strong stimulation constantly, and the kinkajou and the coatimundi will need to be able to access a place with heat (I can't elaborate in this, but a friend of mine has one and I remember her briefly saying it is important from them to be able to get to heat all the time.) 
Also if you are thinking about a raccoon I wouldn't personally recommend a raccoon living indoors 24/7, I believe that they need an outdoor area for them to get away from everything, although i believe there are a few owners on hear that devote a full room to there raccoon and take them out for walks daily which works great for some keepers. Although with you being a first time raccoon owner it may not go so smoothly, another thing to think about would be if you was at work for long times in the day, and how that would affect your pet. So please just take the needs of each animal into consideration.
Instead of asking people 'which animal to keep', have a quick look on each animal and see which one you think would suit you more - when you think you've got a good idea on each animal e.g there price, needs, facilities - start another thread on that specific animal and more before will be able to help you and give you specific advise on what you would like to know and they will be able to tell you there own stories - god knows we have a few.: victory::lol2:
Hope I helped you out a little :2thumb:


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## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Skunkies......*

Have three skunkies but dont buy them to be cool and dont automatically expect them to be a cuddly lil thing, it needs work etc. Two of ours are descented one fully loaded and she had a lovely litter of 4 last season.....

All were acquired as adults and were difficult, so to speak, from the start except for Ella, ironically the one that loathes being handled although she will come to us. All about trust building! 
Best to get as a kit and spend the time with.........I would say theyre prob the easiest of all mentioned and never had destruction issues (they all live fairly happily in the house....).
Shame Ollie, the male, isnt too freindly with Puck, our `possum even though he is interested in them, lol.

Good luck with your searches.........just remeber they all have specific needs, esp. foodwise and are not trainable although will take to using a litter tray mostly. Nothing like a mutt.........but funny and interesting.

Dave.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

claire & al said:


> out of all four which is the best to keep ie the easyiest to look after i'am looking for something thats loveing, not too active like running and jumping around reking the house , ive looked into avin a kink they seem the best but the £600 price that ive seen puts me off a lil duno about racoon as they may be too big same with coati that leaves me thinking about the skunk mmmmm wat too do if any1 has kept any of the four feel free to ad a lil info for me thanks xx


 
This coment & the price tag issue means you are only left with a skunk!!

Raccoons & Coati's dash around like little tornado's, Kinks are expensive & will probably need more dosh to set up their enclosure.

As for the loving part........you may get lucky & find an animal that is very affectionate, but please remember these are exotics & in essence still wild, so are pretty independent & will do their own thing. However, I have 4 skunks & none are particularly loving but can be picked up & cuddled for short periods & will also follow me around (usually in the hope I give them food lol). So as someone else said, maybe you need to rethink your ideas a little & decide exactly what your wanting for your pets.

Saying that, baby skunks are usually very friendly if raised in a home but can change if you decide to let them breed etc.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> This coment & the price tag issue means you are only left with a skunk!!
> 
> Raccoons & Coati's dash around like little tornado's, Kinks are expensive & will probably need more dosh to set up their enclosure.
> 
> ...


couldnt agree more with ken 

a skunk is looking like your best option


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

But a skunk can be VERY destructive and she specifically stated she wanted a pet that didn't wreck her house.


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## claire & al (Apr 26, 2011)

sam gamgee said:


> Have three skunkies but dont buy them to be cool and dont automatically expect them to be a cuddly lil thing, it needs work etc. Two of ours are descented one fully loaded and she had a lovely litter of 4 last season.....
> 
> All were acquired as adults and were difficult, so to speak, from the start except for Ella, ironically the one that loathes being handled although she will come to us. All about trust building!
> Best to get as a kit and spend the time with.........I would say theyre prob the easiest of all mentioned and never had destruction issues (they all live fairly happily in the house....).
> ...


 yer i understand i aready keep sum pets and no they are hard work lol, how in the house do they live , ie do they have there own bedroom or just there own area what do they sleep in ect , and would love to see a pic of the possum never seen 1 :2thumb: , i think a kink is out the question now anyways tooo pricey, how big do skinks grow too , what do they eat , is it best to get them descented or not how much is that and can it be done by a vet in this country , sorry for all the questions just interested


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## claire & al (Apr 26, 2011)

Amalthea said:


> I think you need to completely rethink your choices if price tag and destructive tendancies put you off.......
> 
> ETA: Here's an example of what one skunk is capable of: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/exotic-mammals/674923-maple-miner.html And I know ***** can be pretty bad, too. Plus, all of them are expensive pets (both to buy and care for).


 
no its not the price tag of all just the £6000 kink i seen, but thanks anyway


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## Becky18 (Aug 4, 2010)

My partner and I have a male striped skunk and we also have a female coati. We have never had any problems with our animals although from what we have heard and researched our coati is a one off, she is more loving then our skunk. Both of them have an outdoor enclosure but come into the house for 'play time'. 

Skunks grow up to 2ft and they eat a variety of fruit (no grapes or raisins), veg, cat biscuits and live food. Our skunk is fully loaded and hasn't sprayed yet. Since 2007 it has been illegal in the UK to descent skunks, however you can get imports from Europe that have been descented.

Coati can grow to the size of a beagle. They have a similar diet to skunks, they are generally more temperamental than skunks. However our coati is brillant and loves attention. She prefers to cuddle up to my partner than me but then our skunk prefers myself than my partner.

Hope this helps.


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