My cousin had a family of trash pandas in his garage rafters. Unfortunately mama got hit by a car. All the babies went their own way, except the runt, who didn't seem to know what to do, so he took it in. The thing was so freaking fun and playful and cute. ... RIGHT UNTIL HE HIT PUBERTY. Then it turned in to this vicious fucking devil, and he had to be released. Was like a switch flipped in it's mind. They are a long way from domestication.
I used to live in TX and had an adult one that would come up and eat out of my hand and let me pet it. It would even come into my house if I left the door open looking for me to feed it.
I never tried picking it up or anything because it’s still a wild animal. The guy that lived there before me got it used to him and fed it so I knew about it before it started showing up.
I would keep dry cat food outside for it and eventually a possum showed up and started the same thing so for a while there I had a partially domesticated raccoon and possum that would let me pet them and eat from my hand.
They’re very cool. I actually stopped feeding them about 3 months before I moved out because I had no idea if the next tenant would be cool with them or try to harm or trap them or something so they eventually moved on. It was a cool experience and for the first time as a dude I got to feel like a Disney princess.
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u/Trips-Over-Tail May 20 '26
This is how domestication starts.