The coati is a procyonid, that is, it is related to raccoons. They have certain physical and character similarities with the aforementioned raccoons, but their elongated nose makes them noticeably different.
Because of his cantankerous character when he becomes an adult, considering keeping the coati as a pet is not the most sensible idea. It is true that when coatis are young they have an adorable appearance and behavior, but when they mature sexually they become quite dangerous animals. Males are more aggressive than females, except when they are raising their cubs.
They have highly developed fangs that they don't hesitate to use without hesitation. Your nails also deserve a lot of respect.
If you continue reading this article on our site, we will be able to inform you about the care and peculiarities of the coati as a pet.
The White-Nosed Coati
The white-nosed coati, Nasua narica, is distributed from the US state of Arizona to Ecuador, inhabiting Central America. It is an omnivorous animal that feeds on rodents and small vertebrates, not disdaining carrion, fruit, birds, berries, eggs and insects.
Adult males are solitary. The females and immature males live in groups of 5 to 20 individuals, the males being expelled from the community when they reach sexual maturity; circumstance that occurs at two years of life.
It is a very good climber, taking refuge at night in specific trees for each group. Their hunting habits are diurnal, but they can change if they are chased by human beings, or they dedicate themselves to making incursions into settlements or towns and rummaging through garbage.
Image from skyscrapercity.com:
Coatí morphology
The size of the coati is similar to that of a domestic catmedium-large size. Adult males can reach almost 70 cm in length from the tip of their snout to the base of their tail. The tail can measure the same as the entire body. Females are smaller. The weight ranges between 3 and 7 kg.
Coatis have short, coarse, dense hair. The colors cover a wide range: browns, browns, grays, reddish, and black. Coatis are not endangered.
The Ring-Tailed Coati
The ring-tailed coati, Nasua nasua, is another species of coati that is somewhat larger than the previous one. Males can reach 80 cm plus the tail, and weigh up to 8 kg. Females are half the size and weight of males.
Its hair is somewhat shorter because they live in warmer areas. They live from the north of the South American continent to the north of Argentina. It is distinguished from the white-nosed coati by its tail that sports dark rings and because it consists of 13 subspecies. They are animals whose habitat is tropical and subtropical forests.
Its diet is omnivorous, similar to the white-nosed coati. Solitary males practice cannibalism with cubs of their own species. They are animals very intelligent. Its longevity is 15 years.
The coati mascot
The coati is prohibited as a pet in Spain by Royal Decree 1628/2011. This is not the case in Ibero-American countries.
There are innumerable cases of incidents, serious bites, destruction of furniture, and escape from the pet among people who have claimed to have coatis as pets. This does not prevent someone from adopting a coati having gone well and being very satisfactory because the animal has come out tame.
There are people who breed coatis, but in a semi-professional way, since they have not yet achieved an acceptable standard.
Captive Coati
All articles on the web that talk about the coati as a pet focus on very large types of cage (3x3x3 meters or larger). In other words, they propose to have the poor animal caged, captive. Although in certain circumstances it can be walked on a leash. They also point out the need to wear thick gloves to avoid bites during handling, since they move extremely quickly.
Would you have a caged dog or cat as a pet? What pleasure can be derived from this sad and miserable sight?
But there is no alternative, a coati cannot be let loose around the house, unless you want the insurance to pay for the damage caused by pretending to have suffered a cyclone inside your home. If you have it loose in a garden, it will most likely escape. I don't even want to imagine a child trying to pet an adult coati.
Stress in the coati
It is very common for coatis kept as pets to have many problems of hair loss Their tails can be peeled or in various areas of the body can suffer from bald spots. It is usually due to the stress of captivity, dietary deficiencies or both. It is a good idea for the vet to treat the sick coati. He must inform you of the type of food suitable for your coati.
Guest coati, the best solution
I consider that the only reasonable way to live with a coati is the following:
Coatis are very intelligent and curious. We know that they are not afraid of incursions into populated areas to look for food. If we live in an area where there are coatis, we can leave food within their reach.
As the coati is basically diurnal, it is very likely that we will see it on occasion hanging around our garden. Let's take advantage of the occasion to throw him a treat that will attract him and gradually make him trust us.
If we become a source of easy and tasty food the coati will settle near us and will not fear our company over time. However, let's forget about scratching its belly or stroking its back. It will continue to be a wild animal that we will invite to visit us regularly.
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