You've heard of therapy dogs, but what about therapy raccoons? A British woman who suffers from chronic illnesses claims her pet raccoon helps her deal.
Kasey Valentine has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (aka chronic fatigue) and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder that causes her considerable joint pain.
"Both illnesses have left me quite isolated and anxious about going outside and meeting new people," explained Valentine. "I don’t have many close friends these days because of this, as not many people understand how it feels."
But Cody the raccoon - which Valentine takes for regular walks to the shops and bathes like a puppy - helps enormously.
Which begs the question: why not just get a dog, which is a domesticated animal? Raccoons aren't really meant to be house pets. Valentine admits as much.
"Naturally, they are destructive creatures and Cody enjoys peeling off wallpaper. He never gets left on his own and he is kept out of mischief where possible. It's like having an extremely hyper toddler at times, but it keeps me on my toes and I really need that."
Yes, raccoons are typically a pretty feral bunch. Just ask those who live in the city of Toronto, where a considerable amount of effort and funding has been put into keeping the mischievous mammals from upturning garbage cans every night.
Yes, there is a certain cuteness about them - at least the ones that aren't foaming at the mouth. They regularly wind up in my yard at dusk, but I don't invite them in for biscuits and cuddles.
Valentine describes Cody's "personality" as "inquisitive, curious and affectionate."
"He is very intelligent too. He is a lot more outgoing than me, which is great because it helps me learn to be more confident about life and meeting new people. He has really changed my life around and I now have a reason to keep pushing forward every day."
Cody made me cast my mind back to little Darwin in the shearling coat... Does it matter what type of animal a person takes as a pet if they are proven to be a therapeutic influence? Or is it irresponsible and selfish to treat a raccoon (or monkey) as a surrogate baby?
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