A guide to aging orphaned raccoon kits.
| Age | Weight (grams) | Weight (ounces and/or pounds) | DESCRIPTION: Progression of eye, ear, fur, tooth and sound development. Movement, motor skills, diet, deworming, and vaccinations shedules. |
|---|---|---|---|
 Newborn |
45-90 | 3 to 5oz typically | Raccoon kits or cubs (whichever term you prefer, since it seems nobody can agree on one) are born very lightly furred, with a faint mask. Eyes and ears sealed. Umbilical cord drops off between the 3rd and 5th days. Aprox 4-6 inches long with 2-2 1/4" tail. Ideally should be housed in incubator, at 100 degree’s F. |
 7 Days |
100-200 | 3-7oz | Eyes and ears sealed, mask and tail rings present, beginnings of underfur on back and sides.When hungry, cold, or not in contact with another warm body, the babies will start chattering, whine or twitter like birds. |
 2 Weeks |
150-200 | 5-7oz | Eyes and ears sealed, but eye slits apparent. Mask and tail rings present, starting to fur in. No more night feeds. Sounds: snorts, chirr’s, alarm (guinea pig) squeal. Starting to do the ‘spider’ crawl. |
 3 Weeks |
200-350 | 7.5-12 OZ | Eyes open at 21-23 days, ears unsticking from head, will start responding to sound, furring in more obvious, tail furred.no heat pad needed, can thermo regulate on his/her own. |
 4 Weeks |
350- 566 | 12-20oz | Belly well furred, incisors completely erupted, while head remains proportionately larger than the rest of the animal. The youngsters crawl about readily and climb fairly well on a rough surface.start feeding rice cereal, k nines start comong in. They growl and bark with much spirit. |
 5 Weeks |
500-750 | 17-26oz or 1-1.6 lbs |
Adventuresome and playful, walking, starting to climb.Guard hairs appear partially hearing deciduous incisors prominent, premolars erupts at 1.5 months |
 6 Weeks |
750-1200 | 25-40 OZ 1.5-2.5lbs |
Able to walk and climb. Begin to self potty. Guard hairs showing through undercoat. Whiskers start. Ready for larger, more interesting caging – indoors. |
 7 Weeks |
900-1700 | 30-60 2-3.5 lbs |
molars can be felt. Good proficiency at walking, running, climbing very active, sometimes rough fighting characterized by growling, squealing, wrestling and imitation of adult defense postures. |
 8 Weeks |
900-1700 | 30-60 2-3.5 lbs same as last week give or take :) |
Have fully mastered sight and sound, wrestling and scrapping with each other. Start dish feeding by floating honey nut cheerios in formula. Whiskers evident. 6-8 wks First permanent incisors replace deciduous teeth. Raccoons have 40 teeth. Do first deworming with Strongid*T 1cc per 5 lbs. |
 9 Weeks |
1134 TO 1814 | 3 ½ to 4 lbs | pre molars and first perminate incisors also add dry puppy chow to mush and veggie fruit and bottle may still be given twice a day. |
 10 Weeks |
1814 to 2267 | 4 to 5 lbs | 2nd upper and lower permanent incisors, day 73. Juvenile molt begins, face fur fills in, eliminating narrow look, going to bushy look. Able to eat kibble soaked in formula, grapes, melon, cooked chicken cut small. |
 11 Weeks |
same as last week | same as last week | First permanent molars, lower day 78, upper day 81. Able to eat dry kibble, whole cooked chicken pieces, and assortment of fruit, veg, nuts, etc. |
 12 Weeks |
2267 to 2721 | 5 to 6 lbs | 12 weeks Permanent teeth erupt: 2nd incisors ( 10weeks), 1st molars |
 13 Weeks |
Very little weight change | Very little weight change | Able to start on ‘whole’ foods such as mice, live fish, crickets etc. |
 14 Weeks |
2494 to 2948 | 5 and 1/2 to 6 and 1/2 lbs | 3rd upper incisors, day 97 |  15 Weeks |
about the same | about the same | very active and aware,and climbing skills are much better. |  16 Weeks |
2721 to 3628 | 6 to 8 lbs | Give first vaccinations. 70 days they start to travel with mother 112 days or 4 months mother weans them Mac Clintlock, 1981; Evans, 1985 Distinct color patterns, very active and aware, good coordination and hand control Learning the rear feet inversion. 100 to 100.2 normal body temp. |