Coati

The coati is a member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae), native to South, Central, and south-western North America. Coatis are sometimes called hog-nosed coons and owe this nickname to their protruding organ of smell which they use to rummage the ground for food, such as insects and worms. Being eager fruit eaters they easily climb into trees, where they also sleep at night, rolled up in the axil of a bough.

This friendly looking coon with its funny little nose has acquired large popularity as a domestic animal the last couple of years. However, whoever takes in a coati, will soon realize that this animal does not lend itself for a life indoors. Coatis are very curious, they check the edibility of everything they encounter: clothing, footwear, pillows and other soft material are torn apart by their sharp claws and fangs (they frequently swallow parts, and their owners end up paying high veterinary bills because of it). Their gluttony cannot be controlled a tap on their sensitive nose will provoke a malicious reaction. Their astonishing speed makes them dangerous opponents.

When they become older, coatis display a more erratic conduct, which affects domestic bliss even further. Their predilection for high sleeping-places, not provided for in a normal living room and their pervasive scent marks especially with adult male animals - will eventually cause the living pleasure of the animal to gain the upper hand. At that stage the coati has magically turned the house into a fine smelly nest.