People accuse me of ‘abusing’ my chunky pet racoons
A raccoon proprietor suggests her animals are frequently ‘fat-shamed’ on the web since she treats them to Wotsits, pizza and even McDonald’s, but insists their cuddly sizing is ‘all fluff’.
Dawn Ford, from Indiana, stated she began publishing about her two raccoons Lily and Salem just after adopting them when they ended up just 4-months-aged, but only when they grew up did her clips soar in reputation.
The 47-yr-outdated self-proclaimed ‘raccoon mom’ reported her pets are fed ‘just like standard pets’, on a significant-protein canine foodstuff food plan, together with wholesome foodstuff, but they are permitted cookies, pizza, and McDonald’s fries as treats.
Dawn statements equally of her ‘chunky’ animals are beautifully wholesome, with Lily weighing 24lbs and Salem 25lbs. Nonetheless pictured future to her 5ft 2in frame, they seem greater than everyday living.
A raccoon owner suggests her pets are continuously ‘fat shamed’ online as she treats them to Wotsits, pizza and even McDonald’s , but insists their cuddly dimension is ‘all fluff’.
Though the pet-lover has been accused of animal abuse, she insists that Lily and Salem are ‘all fluff.’
Dawn is hoping to conclude the stigma that raccoons are vicious animals and as an alternative reveal that with good care, and recurrent look at-ups at the vets, they are just as harmless as her 3 canine.
Adorable video clips captured by Dawn display her animals gorging on sweet corn and grapes as very well as their calorific treats of McDonald’s fries, chicken nuggets, cheese puffs and even lollies.
Dawn stated: ‘Lily’s favourite treat is BBQ chips and Salem’s favorite is rooster nuggets.
Dawn Ford, 47, (pictured with her racoon Lily) has questioned for men and women to quit ‘fat shaming’ her two pet racoons
Dawn purchased her raccoons back again in Could 2021 when they ended up just four weeks aged and bottle fed them
‘It isn’t all the time, if I give them a cookie or pizza, it’s going to just be simply because I am getting pizza for lunch, similar if it was my puppies. On a regular foundation, they try to eat a common, high-protein canine food items diet regime.
‘People imagine they are excess fat but they are not, it can be hair, it is all fluff.’
Dawn described that Lily appears to be a good deal greater than she truly is simply because she herself is only 5’2 and 110lbs.
The pet-lover reported: ‘I really don’t even intellect individuals contacting them ‘fat’, chunky or adorably unwanted fat, but they are not unhealthy or abused.
Dawn defined that Lily and Salem appear a great deal more substantial than they truly are as she herself is only 5’2 and 110lbs
Dawn, from Indiana claims the two of her ‘chunky’ pets are properly nutritious, with Lily weighing 24lbs and Salem 25lbs
Dawn stated that Lily’s favourite handle is McDonald’s bbq fries, but insists that she also eats healthy
Salem is pictured in this article tucking into his favourite food of McDonald’s hen nuggets, he also likes wotsits
‘When I blew up, my followers went nuts. It was seriously pleasant at very first but the dislike was just outstanding. It would make you question you, I know far better but it can be hurtful.
‘I’ve identified as my vet and said “all these men and women are expressing that they’re too significant or unhealthy, are they?” and they confident me “no, they’re great”. But you get started to question yourself a minor bit.
‘I’m not mistreating them, I really like them and they are spoilt rotten.’
Dawn purchased her raccoons again in Could 2021 when they had been just four months old and bottle fed them.
She claims that hers aren’t even the largest and that her vet sees some that weigh extra than 40lbs.
The raccoon operator often shares video clips of her unconventional animals on TikTok with her sweet clips amassing hundreds of likes and reviews
Dawn reported: ‘Lily is sweet and docile, she’s the a single I am constantly keeping in films. She’s so mild.
‘Salem is extremely loving. He likes to lay on your lap. He lays with me on the couch and always needs to be petted. He’s a lot more playful.’
The Indiana-centered ‘Racoon mom’ feeds them cranberries, peanuts and cashews as dietary supplements for a lot more protein for their muscle mass.
Equally Lily and Salem also really like corn on the cob and have to have fruits and greens. Even so, the cheeky animals do take pleasure in a cookie now and again.
Dawn stated: ‘I will not even assume they take in anymore than my puppies do. Most canines aren’t satisfied if they hardly ever get pizza crusts or bones, the raccoons are the very same.
‘It’s just how you feed a regular pet. The very same as I give my dogs pizza crusts, I give them pizza much too. It isn’t undesirable or unhealthy.’
Dawn described that you need to have a large amount of time to just take care of a racoon and mainly because they get bored easily they want a good deal of toys and consideration
Inspite of some of the hateful reviews, Dawn hopes that sharing Lily and Salem on the net will exhibit men and women what loving animals raccoons can be.
She statements they’ve even aided a small lady who was attacked by a raccoon final year prevail over her fear.
Adamant that her ‘quirky’ animals are no distinctive to owning a cat or a puppy, the 47-calendar year-old also thinks all animals and animals have earned appropriate treatment, regardless of if they are the ‘norm’ or not.
So her ‘spoilt rotten’ raccoons have a good deal of toys within their enclosure, have hammocks to rest in and even suckle on cat balls as ‘dummies’.
The Indiana-primarily based ‘Racoon mom’ feeds them cranberries, peanuts and cashews as health supplements for additional protein for their muscle tissue
Dawn explained that she has long gone to the vet about Lily and Salem’s bodyweight right after feedback poured in off social media. The vet confident her nevertheless that both of those animals ended up healthy
Lily is pictured in this article nibbling on her favourite McDonald’s fries. Dawn has described that she is a sweet and docile racoon
Due to their prolonged fur, she also bathes them as soon as a week and litter skilled them like cats.
Dawn stated: ‘Friends and household enjoy them. Every person adores them.
‘I spoke with a woman who experienced been attacked by a raccoon. We Facetimed and she received to see Lily and Salem and interact with them.
‘By the end of the conversation, she was begging her mom for a pet raccoon. There is so substantially misinformation about raccoons out there. It is just a absence of understanding for these people.’
Even so, she described that you will need a large amount of time to choose treatment of a racoon and simply because they get bored easily they want a ton of toys and focus.
Lily and Salem like canine ropes, cat balls and stuffed animals, and like a doggy they just take the things out of their animals.
Due to the fact of how much they will need Dawn insists that persons do their study in advance of using on a pet racoon, or any pet.
The raccoon proprietor regularly shares movies of her unconventional animals on TikTok with her lovable clips amassing 1000’s of likes and responses.
One particular vital comment read: ‘Animal mistreatment. Over weight and unhealthy.’
One more mentioned: ‘That is so sad… very poor point demands a diet…’
A 3rd wrote: ‘Obese pets are not cute.’
A much more good commenter explained: ‘Cuteness overload!!’
Another remarked: ‘If a raccoon isn’t going to look chunky, there is almost certainly a thing erroneous with it.’
A 3rd explained: ‘The raccoon is residing the dream’