Pests or Pets? Domesticated Raccoons Becoming Increasingly Popular in Russia

Raccoons are often considered pesky mischief makers that like to steal food whenever they get a chance, but Russians are starting to look at them more as adorable and intelligent animals that deserve to live in the house with their human. Eccentric animal owners brought their pet raccoons to a festival dedicated specifically to the fluffy rodents in St. Petersburg last weekend, showing potential owners that keeping a raccoon is cool and how to best care for the domesticated animals.

Raccoons are becoming increasingly popular as pets in Russia, and so the festival is designed to help owners improve their pet-care skills. Pet raccoons are best acquired from breeders at a young age, so that they are already used to being around humans, because raccoons bite when they are threatened. Owning a raccoon is a major commitment, as the mischievious buggers usually live 10 to 15 years.

Despite the cute mischief and active lifestyle, raccoons can be difficult to keep because human vets are not usually trained to handle the animals and because the masked bandits can get temperamental, causing more damage to your belongings than most canines can dream of. However, viral videos capturing how raccoons try to wash dishes or engage in general mischief have captured the hearts of would-be owners and it appears that people in Russia are increasingly willing to look past the obstacles to raccoon ownership and get a pet raccoon for themselves. Would you ever keep one of these masked bandits in your house?