Coatimudis Make Unusual Farm Pets

Coatimudis Make Unusual Farm Pets AG WORLD Ag World 20-3-20 If you've been looking for an unusual pet - or a hot new money-making enterprise - you might want to take a look at coatimundi's, says Pam Stephens, Auburn, Wash., who's one of only a handful of breeders in the U.S. "The coati has the body and climbing ability of a raccoon and the personality of a cat," says Stephens. "It isn't the best pet for everyone because it's very curious and has raccoon-like claws that aren't retractable. Coatis are full of energy and will play all day long so you have to make sure your house is ækid proof'. They're an extremely intelligent animal and can easily outwit any dog or cat." Coatis come from Central and South America. No coatis are being imported to the U.S. at the present time. They come in black and white, cinnamon-brown, red-brown, brown-gray, yellowish-gray, olive-brown, and chocolate. The most common captive coatis are the white nose coati and the ringtail coati. Primarily a tree forest dweller, they've also been known to bur-row into the ground and live there. Coatis reach their maximum weight of 10 to 20 lbs. at about one year old. "Baby coatis like to climb up on your shoulder so that they can see everything around them," says Stephens. "If you don't want coatis to climb up on you, you'll have to train them when they're young." Coatis chatter and sometimes make a small barking noise when they become disgusted with someone, says Stephens. "They can be house broken and leash broken at an early age. In general, the more human con-tact at an early age, the better their character will be." Stephens has baby coatis for sale for $650 apiece. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pam Stephens, 18230 S.E. 317th St., Auburn, Wash. 98092 (ph 206 631-1231).

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