Wisconsinite Sterling North published his boyhood memoir
Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, in 1963, and because of the
book's immense popularity, followed it up with a second
raccoon book, Raccoon are the Brightest People, in 1966. That
one had lots of photographs. It is worth noting that, like my
own raccoon, North's Rascal chooses to return to the wild at
the end of the book.
An excellent book for those interested in accounts of
people's experiences with adult pet raccoons (and many, many
other species) is Robert Franklin Leslie's Wild Pets,
published in 1970.
I always wanted a pet skunk, but never had that experience.
However, after a lifetime with different animals, I can say
that dogs and cats do indeed make the best pets, with
rabbits, ferrets, and birds of the parrot family close
behind. Wild animals and "fad" pets (such as potbelly pigs)
are unpredictable pets and not as affectionate as the most
popular domestic pets can be.
Mark Harris
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