# raccoon weaning.



## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

My little Raccoon Atuki is ten weeks old now and is on a few bottles of milk and rice every day. I have been trying for weeks (in vain) to try to get him to feed on some pureed foods. I have tried fruit, veg, yoghurt, pureed baby cereals, his milk and rice......everything i can think of and he has turned his nose up at everything. I have tried putting it on my finger and then letting him suck i of but he refuses to play the game.

Anyway, i was starting to get worried, then this morning he came running out from behind the couch with a biscuit the baby dropped. He quite happily had a munch on it and i was gobsmacked. And just now i am eating cheese and crackers and he snuck up, and took a wholegrain cracker off my plate and sat there quite happily eating it.

Is it going to be ok for me to just scrap the "puree" phase as he seems to be prefering proper food.

And what sort of foods are good to provide the right nutirents and vitamins for a growing fatty like Atuki?


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## NinaDee (Apr 14, 2010)

Try giving him rusk (but try to get one with reduced sugar) soaked in whole goat's milk. That was Indy's favourite over baby food during weaning. Or you can even give him a bit of rusk to nibble on if he's happy to give it a go.


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## NinaDee (Apr 14, 2010)

Also try warming up pureed baby food before giving it to him. Indy quite liked the apple and pear ones.. pour a bit of the formula milk in it as well, so he can smell it, I also used to add a bit of really fine baby cereal. And I used to get baby weaning spoons and sneakily shove a bit in her mouth so she gets to taste it and then she used to give it a go herself.


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

NinaDee said:


> Also try warming up pureed baby food before giving it to him. Indy quite liked the apple and pear ones.. pour a bit of the formula milk in it as well, so he can smell it, I also used to add a bit of really fine baby cereal. And I used to get baby weaning spoons and sneakily shove a bit in her mouth so she gets to taste it and then she used to give it a go herself.


 
I hve tried everything to get him to lap out of a bowl. He has had rusk and milk, fruit puree, everything. I always wam his foods up as he loves his bottle to be really warm and turns his nose up at luke wamr or cold stuff.

My kids enjoyed the rusks that Atuki didnt want:lol2:

I will keep trying him but he seems to be quite happy to munch on food instead of lapping.


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## NinaDee (Apr 14, 2010)

Then I don't see why you can't start feeding him adult food, if he's happy eating it... it took me ages to wean Indy, so consider yourself lucky lol


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

NinaDee said:


> Then I don't see why you can't start feeding him adult food, if he's happy eating it... it took me ages to wean Indy, so consider yourself lucky lol


You wouldnt believe the nightmares i have had about him not eating weaning foods. even today i tricked him into taking a bit of pureed baby food in a bottle and he went nuts and it all ended up on me! 

I am just going to keep on trying him with finely chopped food and the stuff i know he like (not bourbon biscuits though!).


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## africa (Sep 12, 2008)

He will be fine going straight onto more solid food if that's what floats his boat:2thumb:


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## lotti (Aug 20, 2010)

A warnin about gluten when weanin, some raccoons can be allergic so it's best to wean them onto it slowly and if u see any Ill effects stop givin it straight away,u can get gluten free rusks and most 4 month plus baby food doesn't have it in,we wean straight onto fruit and baby porridge in a bowl quite thick,I put it down on a mornin wen there hungry and give them the milk in a bowl after, they ll eat wen there ready, I've never known a raccoon to starve unless their ill they don't tend to refuse food!


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