With the gain in interest group in owning exotic animals as PET , you may have hear of the Potos caudivolvulus . You ca n’t argue that this strange animal is n’t cute , but they may not be the effective choice of pet .
What Is a Kinkajou?
A kinkajouis a little mammalian in the raccoon kinsfolk native to the forest of Mexico and Central and South America . They librate about 4 to 7 British pound sterling . They have a prehensile poop and long tongues and a thick wooly golden brown coat . They also have very sharp claws on their four leg . A Potos caudivolvulus has a lifetime of about 20 to 25 long time in captivity and up to 40 years in the wild .
Kinkajou Diet
The kinkajou ’s moniker is " dearest bear , " which refer to one of their preferred meals , the honey from bees ' nest and ambrosia from trees and bloom . They use their farseeing tongues for these feedings . They alsonaturally flow oninsects , fruit , eggs , leaves , and flower . Kinkajous kept as ducky can be feed monkey biscuit and monkey chow chow as well as fresh fruits like apples , banana , grape , papaia , melon , and figs . Some fruits are toxic to them , such as any form of citrus fruit , avocados , and strawberry .
Kinkajou Temperament and Behavior
Kinkajous lean to live and hunt in the wild by themselves , although they do socialise with other kinkajous . They are nocturnal and are most active in the evening . They are known for being quite noisy , take a crap barking and screeching sounds , and they tend to be noisiest at night .
Although there are kinkajous bred specifically for the pet trade wind , they are not domesticated animals and their behaviour can roam from affectionate and cuddly when young to aggressive and difficult to manage as adults . They are also very well-informed brute who will get into anything they can if unsupervised .
Kinkajou Care
A potto needs a passably large coop of at least 4 by 8 by 6 feet . Some owners use an entire room of a house as their habitat , or an outside enclosure if you live in a warm climate . They course hold up in trees , so provide them with plenty of item to climb and flow from will be appreciated .
you could practice Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ramification and hammocksmade for parrotsand larger rodent or lizards , or rampart perches and shelves made for computerized axial tomography , as well as cat tree . They also will require mental enrichment to keep them occupied , such as toys made forlarge birds . A Perodicticus potto can not be house trained so you ’ll need to either expend a covering on the bottom of their cage , or room , to be removed for promiscuous cleanup .
Pros and Cons of Kinkajou Pets
If you ’re think about getting a kinkajou , there are several pros and cons to recall about , and what might be a electronegative for one person could be a confident for another . Because kinkajous can be quite expensive and live for up to 25 years , they ’re definitely a darling you require to give some serious consideration to before make the move to get one .
Kinkajou Personality
possessor of kinkajous who enjoy them will sing about how favorable and extroverted they are . They do enjoy being with people , but because you call for to carry them in a cage or way when you ’re not capable to supervise them , you will need to practice to spending a skillful two to three hour a day at least with them .
As a result , they ’re not a good pet to have if you have an participating life-style with a circle of work and category demand . Another concern about a kinkajou is that they bond very strongly with one person or persons in a household , and will have difficulty going to a new home if their owner can no longer care for them . With a ducky that lives for so many years , you should consider what will go on to the potto if you could no longer care for them .
Nocturnal Activity
If you ’re a morning person , a Potos caudivolvulus may not be a good choice as they ’ll be participating right at the time you ’re probable to be catch quick to wind down for the day . Kinkajous are most fighting from dusk until around midnight , and since they involve you to spend a few hours a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. with them , this could be a utter life-style mismatch . On the other hand , if you ’re a nighttime hooter , their dead body redstem storksbill may work well with yours .
Messy Habits
Since they ca n’t be sign trained , have a kinkajou involve a great deal of clean and jerk up on a daily base . Since they can exist up to 25 years , that ’s a lot of daily faecal matter and urine fair up to deal . They do lean to make and defecate in the same spots which can help oneself but it ’s still unpleasant work .
They also can be messy in general in their cages by cast around food dust , as that ’s what they would normally do when eat and hang in the Tree in the wild . Another messy habit is the fact that they will label their territory . Kinkajous are also very rum and clever animals , much like the related raccoon , and you could bear them to make mountain in your home by digging into your house particular , plants , and whatever they can get into .
Illegal to Own in Some States
country laws varywidely , so you should not only check with your country but also your urban center and county about laws governing exotic pets . They may be legalin your state , but your local municipality may call for a permit or permit to own one . If you hire , you may be prohibited from owning one by your letting , and homeowner may be blocked from owning one by their HOA guidelines .
Aggressive Behavior
Kinkajous can become fast-growing as they get older and pass societal matureness , even if they are cuddly and loving as kid . Neutering them before they attain maturity can help with belligerent conduct , but because they are essentially wild animals , you’re able to not expect them to behave as a " tamed " animal throughout their lives .
Wild animals can be irregular and kinkajous have been known to impose someserious biteson their owners . They can also hurt their owners with their piercing claws . This can happen either from on purpose scrape or claw hoi polloi by chance event , such as climbing up an owner ’s leg to interact .
Zoonotic Diseases
Another issue with having a potto is the theory of contracting a disease from them . Some kinkajous have been found to have leech in their stool . The parasitebaylisascaris procyonis roundwormcan be transmitted to people and induce neurological problem , although it ’s rarified for this to befall . It ’s acause for concernthough , as the parasitecan be fatalif passed on to a human being .
Veterinary and Pet Care
Like any exotic beast , unless you have an alien veterinary near you , it will be hard to find regular professional care for your Potos caudivolvulus . This includes not only veterinary care , but you also wo n’t be able-bodied to board your Potos caudivolvulus if you need to jaunt , and finding a best-loved babysitter may also be very difficult .
If you are able-bodied to line up competent pet care professional , the fees for caring for an exotic can be much mellow than that of " regular " pets like cats and wienerwurst . steady veterinary aid will include the toll of vaccinations and spay / neuter surgery .
Expense of Ownership
In summation to paying more for veterinary care , the disbursal of just incur a potto is high . They sell for $ 3,000 or more , plus if you ’re using an out - of - res publica breeder you ’ll have to pay the cost of live animate being shipping , which can be a few hundred one dollar bill . If you live in a State Department that require a permit , you will have to make up those fee , as well . You will also need to spend more for intellectual nourishment if you have to purchase online as many local pet stores will not carry staples for kinkajous , such as monkey cookie .
Considering a Kinkajou As a Pet
While kinkajous are intelligent and endearing beast , like many exotics , they require a heap of care and limited dietary and living accommodations demand . The everyday caution work load and their nocturnal schedule , as well as lifespan , should all be serious considerations before you retrieve about taking on a kinkajou as a pet . Consider as well the disbursement and trouble of find good exotic veterinary charge and how you ’ll care for them if you call for to go out of town or can no longer care for them after they ’ve become bonded to you .