I need help with my kinkajou please desperate for help:(

Sooooooo, what are you planning on doing with the babies....?

~Thylo

 

Ok Ok Ok.....there are a lot of extremely judgemental people aggressively attacking this woman that's made an error, but can't cope. Do you really think that level of aggression is going to help, change the OP's mind, or make her take any kind of action? Nope....it won't.

So, speaking as someone that has worked with kinks and currently owns a number of procyonids, I'm not going to bollock you unnecessarily, but try to actually give you some practical advice.

A vet trip isn't ever a bad idea. However, I understand that it can be hard if the animal isn't handleable. But tempt her into a carry case with her favourite foods, find a specialist exotic vet, and they will take care of the rest.

Now the thing is this......ALL procyonidae go mental when it comes to pregnancy. But if you think that the odd nip is bad, get ready for some full on psycho behaviour once the baby is born! Just think yourself lucky its a kink and not an angry mother coati!

My best advice is get her a proper outdoor enclosure (with a heated indoor area). These aren't house pets, and need their own space in custom made enclosures.

Don't try and force handling....it seems that in spite of what the vendor told you, this animal just isn't ready to be handled (and possibly never will be), but you must get ready for that. Once she is settled in a proper enclosure (please don't tell me she is living in an indoor parrot cage here, because that would make me lose my rag), then go in and sit with her for a few hours at a time during her most active times. Don't try to touch her, but let her come to you, possibly tempted with her favourite foods.

Provide plenty of enrichment. She has a very active brain which will need challenging daily. By "enrichment", I don't mean baby toys or cuddly bears, but real things for her to tear apart, or really forage for food.

Unfortunately, there is a real trend for people buying kinks thinking that they're lovely cuddly little babies. In the UK, people see them as "the legal monkey"...once they find out they can't keep a capuchin, the next thing they crave is a kink. This stems from all the youtube videos. You can't tell me that your year of research didn't tell you that kinks can be very nasty at times, or that pregnancy in procyonids is a very aggressive period. (That is if you actually did research and not just spend a year watching youtube vids.....you'd be surprised just how many people consider that to be "research").

So, in conclusion.......
1. take her to the vet to get her pregnancy validated and checked out.
2. build her appropriate housing.
3. face up to the fact that you now have a serious commitment to a serious exotic, that may never be the cuddly animal you always dreamed of, but which deserves the very best of care.

Good luck

 

Don't you mean "baby"....singular? They only very rarely have more than one. With the greatest of respect, if you're going to criticise someone keeping exotics, you should all know a bit more about the species first!

 

It was just a question, I'm curious to know their plan on what to do with the baby. I haven't been criticizing them really, just pointing out that there have been people who have worked with the species giving advice that she's not following. I'm not claiming to know what she should do, I'm just trying to get a few more details.

~Thylo

 

Mrcriss thank u so much! This is what I needed!i also appreciate you taking my back with these ther people. I did do my research and none of it was YouTube videos I mainly talked to a lot of breeders I know and I went on a lot of different websites but they didn't answer a lot of my questions. I have also had people tell me that they cage u had now is fine till I can save to get a better one. A lt of this info did help me and I am willing to do whatever she needs to be healthy and happy so I will try everything you said. Thank u so much for taking the time to really help me and care about my situation

 

I was thinking the same thing. I say this without exaggeration but it seems that now a days every single time a new member comes along they are constantly harassed and teased, especially when all they want to do is learn.

 

DISCLAIMER: I'm not suggesting Daisy or anyone else is a troll in any regard.

Some of these people are just trolls. Others, not so much. These others just need a bit of tough love from time to time. Look at me. I was a horrible spammer and troll when I first joined. I'll admit that. I got the short end of the stick from a lot of the members I call my buddies now. Did I feel harassed and bullied? Yes. But do I look back and feel as though I deserved it and am glad it happened? Absolutely! This site isn't just all fun and games. Some stuff is very serious and if you can't handle a bit of tough love to help you learn and grow, maybe you shouldn't be here in the first place....

~Thylo

 

A lot of it wasn't tough love a lot of people didn't know what they were talking about and were just being jerks

 

This website should be able to offer some help to your situation:

- Index page

 

Please don't mistake my post for approval of your methods. Someone has messaged me privately and told me how your kink is currently being kept, and contrary to what some people supposedly told you, that cage is not "fine" for now at all!

But I don't see the point in harassing you about it, because what's done is done, and shouting about it and throwing insults around isn't going to change things any quicker. But it's now time for you to undo the damage as quickly as possible.

I realise that outdoor enclosures are expensive, my coati enclosure cost way over £1000 (that's when I stopped counting!)....I just wish that breeders would make people aware of this cost when they show interest in the animal. As this kink was sold pregnant (which is deplorable), I get the feeling that the vendor was trying to palm her off onto the nearest sucker, possibly because they were aware that there may be issues!

So.....all that aside, I ask everyone now to cease with the snideness, and lets all move forward to try and help Daisy1 with her problems.

First off, get that cage into a quiet room.....not the living room, not anywhere that the kids play (if you have some), and certainly not where the washing machine is.

Secondly, put in a high shelf. I'm told the kink sleeps in a sack on the bottom of the cage.....this will be stressing it out no end. If the kink can sleep at the very top, it will be a lot more relaxed.

Next, buy a nice dark bed with a hole in the front which she can make her nest on the shelf, to have the baby in.....something like this, but a bit bigger. (i hope the link works)
Small Custom Cozy Bed for ferret guinea pig by CustomCozyPetBeds
In fact, buy 2 or 3, because these animals are destructive, and you'l also need to wash the dirty ones.

I can't stress enough that during this time, you shouldn't try to force her to be handled. When she has her time out of the cage (which she absolutely MUST for a fair few hours every evening!), then just let her be....allow her to wander in peace, and if she wishes to come over to you for a cuddle then all the better!

Make sure her diet is spot on. Ignore what the vendor told you (because it sounds like they were full of it!), and really read up as much as you can on a healthy diet. Just like naughty children, the wrong diet can make them play up!

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Keep us posted as to how she's going on, and GET SAVING for a proper enclosure.....once she goes out in one, you'll see the world of difference!

 

Oh, and remember.....enrichment, enrichment, ENRICHMENT! That kink has to spend a lot of time in that small space, so the more things you can do to occupy her mind, the better! I don't mean cramming it full of soft toys, but really look into different creative ideas to make her time in there a little less boring.

 

That statement wasn't necessarily just directed at you or your situation. I was just speaking in general.

@Mrcriss, while I know that it shouldn't by all means be all the Kinkajou is given, couldn't giving it a stuffed animal toy to tear up be good for enrichment?

~Thylo

 

Certainly for coatis and raccoons, yes (provided that they don't contain anything harmful), but I've never seen a kink rip one up tbh.....all the times I've seen them with soft toys, they've just kind of sadly sat unused in cages, and even though the keeper thinks "ooo, great enrichment...it's got plenty of toys", they're really just taking up space!

 

So for the enrichment of a Kinkajou it may be more helpful to add lots of climbing abilities (and possibly changing them up a bit when/if possible) along with hiding food around?

~Thylo

 

One thing we've been trying to get across to our students is that although enrichment with food is great, not all enrichment has to involve food, and that they should think more outside of the box.

Playing with texture and scent is fun. Putting things out of reach, or sealed up in boxes. Strange stuff to climb other than the standard fixtures. New branches with smelly leaves (conifer etc). Rotten logs are brilliant for ripping to pieces....esp to get the bugs inside. A good deep substrate is brilliant for encouraging forage behaviour.

 

Ok I will and I am saving for a new one it shouldn't take to long and since her cage is smaller I've been letting her out longer so she can get more exercise. The good news is that these past 2 nights she has been very cuddly and hasn't hissed once ever since I moved her cage she is getting better. I will also buy a couple of those nests you said and that should help a lot. She is on the right diet. She is really healthy. I do think not having one of the nesting spots is a big part of her attitude. So I will buy those immediately.

 

Hi Daisy,

I agree with mrcriss entirely, I don't want to belittle you in anyway as that would not be best for the kink but what I would say is that the way some exotics are kept in the US is not how most exotics are kept in Europe.

Really, I would recommend you building a purpose built kinkajou enclosure outside or in a spare room in the house. The only real way to house large exotics indoors is to turn over a large room for them, the best option is to have a large outdoor enclosure with plenty of ropes, branches and climbing opportunities.

I see you were lumped with this heavily pregnant kinkajou but as Mrcriss stated they really should not be sold at this stage in pregnancy, just like coatis and raccoons they can become very aggressive when sexually mature and especially when having young.

If you can put a travel crate in the cage with some fruit and when she heads inside the door can be closed quickly and then the Kink can be taken to the vets to check for any other problems.

One problem you may find is that once an exotic has had a litter then it can stay aggressive and it will take a lot to get it back to how tame it used to be.

I would also recommend you visit forums and Facebook pages dedicated to exotics as they will be able to help you better.

 

Thank u for that also the good news is I put her in the front room and now has the whole room to her self and has been a sweetie for a few days now. I'm waiting on my check to go to the vet but besides that the advice you guys have me did help a lot so thank you to those who actually tried helping I appreciate it!

 

I'm glad to hear she has mellowed a little, it is probably a space issue then, I would provide her with as much out time as possible until you can build a purpose built enclosure for her.
You may want to introduce a large nestbox into the cage for when she gives birth, do not disturb her for a few days and when she does want to venture out allow her to do so herself, that way the youngster will be more likely to survive. Let us know how it all goes

 

I happen to know. When kinkajous are pregnant, as with other animals, they become terribly aggressive.