Is It Legal to Own a Pet Raccoon in Wyoming?
I get asked a lot of weird questions by my three-year-old. He's in the "why" and "can I" stages of life. And yesterday, he threw me for a loop with this question, "Mommy, can I have a pet raccoon?"
A bit of context - he's really into Guardians of the Galaxy right now. He thinks Rocket the Raccoon is hilarious. And his grandpa living in Oregon has a ton of raccoons visiting his house regularly (to be fair, he lives in the woods.) My son has heard stories of Grandpa's Pet Raccoons and thinks he deserves a pet raccoon.
I explained that he wasn't quite old enough to have his own pet yet (we tried and failed with a fish.) But, still, I was curious - can we own a pet raccoon in Wyoming? I mean, they are pretty adorable, excluding their propensity for raiding trash cans, and honestly, my husky does that, too. So I could get over it.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish website, you can own a raccoon in Wyoming. The only restriction is that it can't be imported. You can also own critters like porcupines (not imported), skunks (not imported), squirrels (with a permit), and foxes (not imported.)
Remember that raccoons aren't as easy to care for as cats or dogs. They need a lot of playtime and won't do well caged all day. Think of them as a high-maintenance mischief machine. Raccoons are stubborn and temperamental, making them a challenge to train. The Spruce writes that raccoons are "messy eaters" prone to "[dunking] their food in their water dish before consuming it."
Raccoons can also get similar illnesses to dogs, like rabies and canine distemper, so you'll have to take your fuzzy friend for veterinarian visits and shots periodically. On that note, not all veterinarians will treat raccoons, so ensure one that does is in your area.
With all that in mind, I think we'll hold off on bringing our own Rocket Raccoon into the house. You can find other intriguing critters allowed as pets in Wyoming by clicking here.