The pet I’ll never forget: Mishka, the surly but beloved raccoon

We got Mishka when she was about eight weeks old in 2004, while we were living in Dibden, New Forest. I had been looking to buy guinea pigs and saw an ad for a raccoon on Preloved. My husband, Graham, and I had lived in Florida in the 90s and once cared for a wild raccoon with a bad leg; after meeting someone who bred them we ended up with three—Nigel, Casey and Mishka, who was given to us.

I bottle-fed Mishka kitten milk, then weaned her on porridge. She liked dog kibble, chicken sticks, berries, pumpkin and cheese but wouldn’t eat meat. She was eventually diagnosed with diabetes and my husband had to inject her with insulin every day; at first she bit him, though she later accepted it.

Mishka lived in an enclosure in the utility room and later had the run of the house; she could be affectionate, but would growl and bite if crossed. She hated water and wouldn’t get in the bath unless it was dry, so we cleaned her with wipes—she didn’t smell. Mishka didn’t like the other two raccoons and would hit them on the head.

mishka, raccoon, dibden, new forest, preloved, bottle fed, kitten milk, insulin, diabetes, domestic pet