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Behavior
Kinkajous are curious, intelligent, and friendly pets that love to swing and climb. An average adult kinkajou weighs 4–7 lbs, and is 17-22 inches long. In addition to body length, the average tail length is 16-22 inches.
Typical peak activity for kinkajous is between 7:00 PM and midnight, and again an hour before dawn. During daylight hours, kinkajous are often found sleeping. When they first wake up they are quiet and docile, and as a result they do not like quick sudden movements. Hand-raised kinkajous can roam within your house. We recommend that you keep your kinkajou in a large enclosure when you are not able to spend time with them and watch them due to their curious nature and high intelligence. Think of it as baby proofing your home. A kinkajou will eventually figure out a way to get into something if they are curious enough.
Hand-raised kinkajous will enjoy climbing and playing with their adoptive family. Don’t be surprised if they make a jump for you from a high place. They will also climb up on you for that extra attention. Although kinkajous are considered nocturnal you can train them to sleep at night if you play and socialize with them a lot during the day.
It is difficult if not impossible to litter train kinkajous. However you will find that once a kinkajou finds a place to relieve itself, it is usually in the same area most of the time.
Care
Our baby kinkajous are available for adoption at 8 weeks of age. At this point they will still be bottle fed every 12 hours a day. The formula for the feeding consists of 1 part Esbilac, 2 parts very warm water, and one part pureed bananas with a “dab” (apprx. ˝ tsp.) of plain yogurt. The babies feed off a saucer, and we usually make enough to last a couple days. You may begin introducing various soft fruits and monkey biscuits into their diet to focus on weaning from the bottle and more consumption of solid foods. This should continue until the baby kinkajous have accepted the solid foods, at which point the new owner can decide when to finish the weaning process and transition solely to solid foods. Below this section is a listing of foods kinkajous can consume.
Kinkajous at this age should be able to go to the bathroom on their own. They will need to be bathed once a week. Kinkajous come from the rainforest so they are used to warm temperatures. Be sure to maintain a temperature of at least 70 degrees in areas where the kinkajou will be. You will be given a stuffed animal that has provided company and security for your baby kinkajou. Place this in the baby kinkajou's enclosure with them. A water bottle should be added to the enclosure to encourage proper hydration. A Coz-E-Sack should also be added to the cage along with more complicated toys and various perching/climbing apparatus.
Diet
The main parts of kinkajous’ diet are fresh fruits and vegetables.
We feed in the evening so fruits and veggies are fresh when the kinks get up.
The following items are safe to feed kinkajous:
Fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, figs, grapes, kiwi, mango, melons, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, oranges, and tangerines, etc.
Vegetables: artichokes, brussels sprouts, carrots, corn on the cob, romaine lettuce, sugar snap peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc.
Other Foods: cooked oatmeal, broiled chicken, hard boiled eggs (peeled), yogurt (good to feed this at least once a week), freeze dried grasshoppers.
Animal Foods: *dry dog food, monkey crunch biscuits, new world primate biscuits, or leaf-eater biscuits.
Treats: marshmallows, raisins, dried plums, honey, juice, fruit nectar, fig newtons, wheat bread.
Just keep in mind these are treats, not part of a good diet and as such should be fed in moderation.
* The hard dry food helps supply extra vitamins and protein, but is also very good to help clean their teeth. When they are only eating the soft fruits their teeth get very brown and dirty. The dry food cleans teeth and exercises the gums.
Avoid: Avocadoes, strawberries, citrus fruit, chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol.
Note: Once they are weaned off the bottle, kinkajous also should not be fed dairy products other than yogurt, as kinkajous are lactose intolerant, and dairy products can make them very sick.
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