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Coatimundi Breeders

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Coatimundi
(Nasua nasua) and (Nasua narica)

Article By Kathy Flemming

Let me tell you before you read this, that it does have a happy ending.

I have two coatimundi, Monito, a neutered male, and Elyse, a viable female. Elyse is what I call my 'rescue' baby. We got Monito first. I met with the breeder at an exotic sale to pick him up there. Elyse was sold at the same time through the auction to another lady. I spoke with Elyse's 'mother' several times over the next few months. She absolutely loved Elyse. I mean that when she would talk about Elyse, the love shone right out through her eyes. But, the lady's husband hated Elyse and finally forced her to sell her.

We ended up buying Elyse through the auction when she was 6 months old. The poor lady was in tears all day. We knew Elyse was tiny but she was in a pet taxi and we couldn't see her condition very well. The lady was so thrilled that we ended up with her because she knew she would be a pet, not going as a breeder nor hitting the auction circuit. I spoke with her after the sale with my usual million questions about how she had been cared for, diet, etc. When I kept asking her what she ate I was always told she loved cucumbers. She had been weaned at 8 weeks of age, which is much too young. Finally I had to ask what else she ate, and she told me she had just started stealing a few pieces of puppy chow. For four months this little coati was living on cucumbers only! My heart stopped! I know she had talked with the breeder after the sale. I don't know why she didn't follow his excellent instructions.

On the way home with our new little girl we couldn't let her out of the cage because she was so much smaller than Monito, but we slipped her some water, a couple grapes and some left over egg mcmuffin that piggy Monito hadn't eaten. She acted starved.

Well, when we got home we locked up Monito and opened wide the pet taxi for the first time. Finally out tottered this poor, emaciated, dehydrated coati. She weighed in at 2 pounds while Monito weighed 10 1/2 pounds. Now remember they were the same age. Her shriveled skin hung on her frame and the hair was totally dead. She was nothing but bones, with her little eyes sunken back in her head. We were horrified. We spent the night feeding her tiny portions every half-hour. Tried a bottle, but she had lost the suck instinct so we put teaspoon portions in a bowl every couple hours for her. Finally she slept, full enough with good food for the first time in who knows how long.

The next day while checking her further, we discovered her baby teeth were dead. They were these tiny brown things in her mouth. We gave her that day to rest and eat, once again, tiny portions every half-hour. Then we took her to the vet. They were stunned. She was too fragile at that point so we didn't give her any shots. But she was checked for worms, skin parasites, etc. We couldn't feel any meat on her at all and it felt like if we held her too tight she would shatter.

At first she would hardly leave her pet taxi. We put it inside a crate and she spent most of her time inside the taxi and would close the door behind her. Well, I finally took the door off the taxi but left it in the crate. It took a couple months before I could finally take that taxi out of her crate. Found out that she had been living in it all the time, and we are talking the really little pet taxi. She was only allowed out maybe a couple hours in the evening to play on her mom's bed.

She really started gaining weight, naturally, good food does that. After a month or so, on one of her many trips to the vet he finally told me that in the beginning he hadn't believed she would make it. And to see her after just one month was astounding. He also said if the previous owner had kept her one more month Elyse would have been dead.

We were finally allowing Monito and Elyse to play together since she had grown a bit and was finally filled out. The playtime was closely supervised of course. She didn't even know what toys were at first and had no idea how to play. She also couldn't climb or jump at all, even after she was healthy. To this day she still is afraid to jump and climbing makes her very nervous. She will climb up something and then has a nervous break down trying to get down. That is why we bought her a big cat tower so she just has to bop down each level to get to the floor. She is so jealous of Monito because he can get atop the topside of the tunnel of the cat tower and she can't. She is just too afraid to try.

During the early times we discovered that she had some emotional problems. Nicknamed her Psycho Broad. The first thing I learned was that she had never been picked up except with her harness, which had apparently never been taken off. When I went to pick her up like I do Monito (hands around her rib cage with thumbs between her front legs, she ate me alive. Much later I finally found where she had apparently been squeezed because there had been broken ribs in that area. My thumb fit that depression perfectly. No wonder she didn't trust being picked up that way! Took over a year to get her to allow me to put my hands there and to this day I have to do it very slowly or she will try to nip, not that I can blame her. Now days, I pick her up with one hand spanning her chest and she is fine with that.

Well, then we discovered the worst of her emotional problems. She would go into an attack mode over nothing. Anything could set her off, and often we wouldn't even know what caused it. Tons of attacks on my husband and lots of them at me too. These happened several times a day. She wouldn't back off but kept charging, biting, etc. and they always ended with one of us humans bleeding badly, usually me, since I was the one crazy enough to try and bring her out of it. After an attack, her eyes would refocus and she would look around confused. If she saw blood she would try to mother the wound and make it all better. Our hearts would be pounding but we had to feel such pity for her.

After many, many talks with the vets at both offices, and one vet who got to witness one of these episodes, they all decided that she had a split personality. Her mind would click out and Psycho Broad would step in. They feel Psycho Broad developed as a self-defense mechanism due to her treatment during her baby days. If she felt threatened, nervous, or just plain upset, look out here comes Psycho Broad. I have been attacked by a dog, and I swear the attack wasn't as vicious as the attacks by Psycho Broad.

Over time the attacks grew fewer and fewer and seemed to finally settle in over one toy instead of everything in the world. To this day, I am the only one allowed to play with this toy. She will charge whoever messes with it, but now she will stop before she bites if they make a show of dropping it. But now these usually aren't true Psycho Broad episodes, just a ticked off coati who knows exactly what she is doing.

Now I will say this softly... I haven't seen Psycho Broad for months and months and months.

But it has taken so much love, bleeding, work, bleeding, time, and just plain forgiveness of her attacks... did I mention bleeding?… to get this little girl to the point she is today… my prim and proper little lady. And she truly does act like a little lady... most of the time. Her adult teeth came in perfectly and she weighs a hefty 16 pounds and luckily has no bone deformities. Her nickname now is Pudgy Butt. She is 3 1/2 years old.

This is why I spend so much time trying to explain coatis to people. I don't want them to make the same mistakes Elyse's previous owner did. If had know how bad Elyse was back then would I have gotten her? I truly don't know, but I would like to think I would have. Did my husband ever want me to get rid of her? Amazingly enough, No! Even though he was so afraid of her back then, he felt too sorry for her and he firmly believed I could pull her around. If it happened with another coati today, I wouldn't hesitate to bring it home. I had lived through hell for over 2 years and made it out the other side alive, with a happy, healthy coati, who sleeps firmly tucked against us in bed at night. And who loves to romp and play and often hops up in our laps just to get a little quality time and give us her special kisses.

Positives of coatimundi pets?
DB: They are active, always busy, very playful and will entertain you for hours. Mine comes over by me every 15 min. to give me a coati kiss. They follow you everywhere, always wanting to be in the same room as you. If you hurt your self, they come running, check you over with their nose and paws, and make sure you are all right. They love to ride on your shoulders, and will cover their eyes with their paws to say I'm sorry. They are not nocturnal, so the fit into most people's schedule. They are very loving to those they like.
KS: I have never had an animal as loving or protective as my guys. They are smart, trainable, and have personalities that are unbelievable. They give the best hugs. They have become a big part of my life. They are like a perpetual two year old on a massive sugar rush.

Negatives of coatimundi pets?
DB: Never argue with a coati, they only get mad. Be careful taking something from them, this can get you bit. Their bite will really slice you open, I have the scars to prove it. I have learned to trade her for things. They are very destructive, don't like to be restrained, and need constant supervision I don't think they make good pets for small children and have extremely high energy levels.
KS: They are destructive, sometimes very messy, and have quite a bite - not to mention their claws. This is not an animal I would recommend to people with children. Although loving, they can be quick to bite, the teeth and claws are definitely a factor. They require a very watchful eye if not caged and can not be left loose if you value any possessions. Your house will bear the signs of a coati living there and they need attention just like any child. They are like a perpetual two year old on a massive sugar rush.

Anecdotes about your pet coati?
DB: One day Spice went into my computer room and brought me my pen, paper, phone and mouse. I then heard a crash, she was bringing me my key board, I think if I wouldn't have stopped her my tower would have been next. My husband was making a sandwich, and she ran off with the whole loaf of bread. There's nothing funnier than a coati out running a grown man with an object bigger than her. Another time Spice stole my sandwich, crashed my picture to the ground, dumped dirty pine shavings everywhere, spilled the dogs water, ran off with Christmas lights, sent my clean dishes crashing to the ground, and emptied my bathroom cabinets. She then went to take a nap, after all it's hard work destroying mom's house.
KS: Many, they are endless. Any one of my three will get next to you, butt facing you, bend over and stick their head between their legs to get their butt scratched. I guess they just like to watch. My three have distinct personalities. Cootie (male) the sensitive one, is in total happiness just to be cuddled in your arms. He is also my fiercest protector, and mamma's boy. He was my first coati love. Flick (male) is the lover, always in your face for a hug and a kiss. Very independent and curious, can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Flick was a rescue. Sian (female) is the Queen and ruler of all. She also likes to jump full force into my arms for bear hugs. She keeps the guys in line but makes their bed every night. Sian is a foster child, hopefully her owner will be able to take her back soon.

Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?
DB: No, they don't have scent glands, and have no offensive body order. They love perfume and will rub it all over their tails.
KS: Not at all, but they do love smells and will collect them on their tails.

What is their average life span?
DB: Coatimundi is from the procyonidae family. They are 16-28 inches long and weights vary, average is 9 to 16 pounds. Females being smaller. They live 15-18 years.
KS: 5 to seven years in the wild and 12 to 15 in captivity.

Do they enjoy interaction?
DB: Coatis need interaction or they develop self hurting, pacing, biting, meanness, and depression. They need you to spend a lot of time with them and enjoy other pets.
KS: Enjoy it?! They demand it.

What is their general personality, disposition, and attitude?
DB: They have great personalities- friendly, out going, loving, affectionate, curious, smart, and very clever little imps. Their antics will make even the grumpiest person laugh. The males disposition is better than the females. The female is the dominant of the species and therefore more aggressive. The neutered males are generally more laid back. They also calm down when you get them over their adolescents, for a coati that is. Yes, they have attitudes, and not of them good. They don't like to be told what to do, but will learn to listen. They have a mind of their own, and once something gets into it, there's no getting it out. They never forget where something is, so if it is valuable, move it or loss it.
KS: It varies from animal to animal. In general they are loving, adoring creatures that if treated with the respect they deserve can be wonderful companion animals.

Are they sweet and petable, or mischievous and playful?
DB: They can be very sweet and loving, but I wouldn't consider them petable. They couldn't sit still that long, they are way to busy for that. When they are tired, then they climb into your lap, curl up, like you to rub them, and hold their tails and paws while they sleep. They are constantly getting into things and very nosy. They are the most mischievous pet I have ever owned. They need a lot of toys for stimulation and spend hours playing. They are like owning a 2yr old for life.
KS: Both and some times they are all four at once! There is never a boring moment with a coati around.

How destructive are they for an average household?
DB: Very, they will empty your cabinets, take off base boards, pull up floor tiles, break your valuables, knock things over, tear up your carpeting, peal off wallpaper, help their self to your food in your refrigerator, open your curios-draws-door knobs-sealed containers-purse, turn keys, rip up paper-blankets-books-money, hid your remotes-keys-pens and anything else they can think of. I once joked about getting all the coatis together and using them for a demolition crew. They would bring the house down quicker than any professional, and be more entertaining to watch than a movie. Now if you use locking curious, child proof locks, rearrange your furniture, raise your pictures/art work higher, put a key lock on doors (remember not to leave the key), lock on your refrigerator and other tricks you can protect your stuff, or at least most of it. A coati is like owning a bull in a china shop, but remember don't get too upset with them, after all they are only doing what coatis do are supposed to. The happiness they bring to your life is worth that vase your in-laws gave to you, after all you never like the thing anyway. Also if the hubby breaks anything now, he can always blame the coati-LOL.
KS: They can be very destructive if not disciplined and supervised. Provide plenty of toys and activities to keep everyone happy.

Do they climb or tear up furniture?
DB: They will climb, jump, scale or use any other means that pops into their head. Such as knobs, open draws, cabinets, furniture, pictures, gutters, ledges, stair rails, and your shoulders to reach things up high. There's not a lot they don't figure out how to reach, and mine is declawed. They have unbelievable balance and can walk on the skinniest things.
KS: Yes and yes

Are there any problems associated with their claws?
DB: Mine is declawed.
KS: They can scratch without meaning too, but learn quickly what is acceptable and what is not. The occasional scratch should be expected.

How messy are their droppings?
DB: Not at all, normally firm like a dogs.
KS: Like any cat or dog.

Can they be litter box trained?
DB: Yes, mine is 100%, but I started working with her at 4 wks.
KS: If gotten young it is possible to litter train them. Mine are paper trained, but will still "mess" off the paper sometimes. They seem to like high spots as a potty.

Can they be trained?
DB: Yes, mine walks on a leash, understands no and know what it means when I sake my finger at her. Sometimes I do have to get up before she will listen. As far as my finger, she comes over, puts it in her mouth, and looks at me sheepishly as if to say that wasn't me Mom, I'm your sweet little angel.
KS: Yes. These animals are very intelligent and can pick things up quickly.

How are they with other pets, larger and smaller?
DB: Spice is great with a lot of my pets, but she had to be taught. She was too rough for my fennecs when she was younger, but not anymore. My one cat just bats her until she goes away. Since she was a baby and my dogs were grown, they taught her what was acceptable to them. My one dog actually took her on as if she was her puppy. My genet is the only one that can keep up with her. I don't allow her to interact with my birds or rodents-prey-predator.
KS: They can get along and even enjoy other pets. Of course it would depend on the combined temperaments of both coati and the other pet.

What size cage do they need?
DB: Coatis should have a large, strong cage, at least 6' by 6' by 6'. There should be toys, tree limbs, shelves, a swing is nice, hammock, and some kind of den. Mine has free rein of the house, but only when I'm home. This is for her safety and protection of my house.
KS: A minimum cage size would be somewhere around 6x6x6 for one coati. I would go much bigger if you do not plan to allow your coati out of the cage for play time.

What do you feed them?
DB: Coatis love to eat, and will steal your food. Their diet should consists of omnivore-zoo feed, insectivore-zoo feed, with fruits, vegetables, chicken, eggs (cooked), crickets, meal worms and other grubs they will fine.
KS: I feed a high protein dog food, supplemented daily with fresh fruits and cooked meats or eggs. Of course there are a few treats thrown in to boot. Meal worms and crickets are given occasionally, some will also feed mice.

What vaccinations/vet care do they require?
DB: Make sure you fine an experienced exotic vet, and discuss this with them. Mine was given dog DHLP-P and cat FVRCP-P. She was spaded at 7 mths. Rabies was not given, as it is not excepted in WI and she is an indoor pet. She will go in for yearly checkups, stool sample, and shots. She was dewormed with strongid-p for dogs.
KS: I am not sure of exactly what vaccines where given to mine, but I get a rabies booster for them every year. I do know that all vaccines given should be the "killed virus" type. I get mine a yearly check up with fecal exams to be sure they are free of parasites. Flea control may also be needed.

At what age would it be best to get one?
DB: A bottle feed baby is best for the first time coati owner.
KS: The younger the better. If you can bottle feed the bond will be stronger between you and your coati. If you come across an older coati that needs a home, it will bond to you if given the time and patience to adjust to new surroundings and learn to trust you.

Other Consideration for owners of coatis?
DB: Remember a coati isn't a dog or cat, they are an exotic animal. If you want a pet to act like a dog or cat, buy a dog or cat. If you want it to stay in a cage, buy a hamster. If you want it as a show piece for friends to look at, buy a car. You need to change your life style to fit the needs of the coati, not the other way around. Warning, most states, rabies shot or not, will take your coati away and kill it if it bites someone.
KS: You must be dedicated to the care of these cuties to be fair to them. They are not a just feed it and give it water animal. They will require much of your love and attention to be happy and will want to be considered part of your family. The bonds that can be formed between animal and human are strong and the decision to under take the care of this animal should not be taken lightly.

What kind of person should own these animals?
DB: A loving, forgiving, tolerant and patience person. They need someone who can spend time, and love them dearly for the little imps they are. Coatis make great pets for the right person, but they are not for the average household.
KS: Someone who is willing to commit to the care and well being of the animal. This is not a dog or a cat. Coatis require lots of love and attention and in turn give it back to you unconditionally. You must always remember that even though they are "tame" or "hand raised" they are still a wild animal and must be given respect. You must earn their trust - and set boundaries early to have a well behaved coati. Do your research before you get your animal, and be prepared! The fun will start the first day it enters your life.