CARE GUIDE

COATIS

REQUIRED SUPPLIES

Please purchase extra necessary supplies here for when your care package samples run out. You will need to order these ahead of time. Links provided in red. You can also purchase these supplies from us at pickup - make sure to reserve your supplies beforehand (our prices in parentheses).

• Milk Replacer: We are feeding our coati babies Meyenberg Goat Milk. The ratio is 1 part powder to 4 parts water. You will receive an entire bag in your care package with the purchase of a baby coati!

  • Esbilac Puppy Milk Replacer Powder or real goat milk (pasteurized) also works great, but you will have to slowly transition into this new formula over 7-10 days.

• Bottle-feeding supplies: 5 oz Baby Bottles ($5 per bottle)

• Monkey Biscuits: Mazuri Primate Growth & Repro Biscuit ($40 per 25# bag)

• Canned Dog Food + Dog Kibble: Any high quality formula

TAKING YOUR COATI HOME

BOTTLE FEEDING

• Milk: Your baby should be eating 10-20 ml of Fox Valley Raccoon Milk Replacer 4 times a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. Feel your baby’s belly as it is drinking and stop them before the belly gets too full. A proper full belly should feel like a soft balloon. A hard belly means they were overfed. Baby coatis WILL overeat and can vomit or bloat as a result. Bloat can take several days to clear up. As your kit grows, increase the amount per feeding, while reducing the number of feeds per day.

• Aspiration warning: Make sure to examine the nipple hole prior to every feeding. If the hole has been stretched too much, your baby will drink too quickly and aspirate. Aspiration is the most common cause of death in bottle babies!

• Stimulating to potty: While your coati baby will be going to the bathroom on their own by the time you take them home, you can still opt to stimulate their genitals to toilet them after feeding. This keeps them from going to the bathroom on you right after a feeding, and it will keep their cage cleaner.

WEANING ONTO SOLIDS

Solid food feedings should replace a milk feeding, because if they just had milk, they will not be hungry enough to try solids.

• Fruits: Offer a little bowl of small diced, soft fruits. Favorites include melons, grapes, blueberries, apples, kiwi and bananas.

• Monkey biscuits: Soak biscuits in water, Pedialyte, or juice until softened and like mashed potatoes in consistency. Add baby banana food and/or milk to make the “mash” more palatable. Stir and offer immediately.

• Puppy food: Offer high-quality puppy kibble and/or wet food. Your baby will most likely not want to try this unless they are hungry.

Keep in mind: If your baby refuses the solid, and you give them the bottle right after, you are teaching them to refuse solids. They are smart and will learn how to play you in order to get what they want. You may need to let them get a little hungry before they are willing to try some solids.

VET CARE

• Vet Visits & Vaccines: Your coati should see the vet on a routine basis just like a dog to ensure it is healthy and stays that way. They should get their “puppy vaccines” (parvo/distemper, or the 5-way vaccine) starting as early as 6 weeks, with 1-2 boosters 3-4 weeks in between, and then boosters at least annually. They should get a rabies vaccine starting at 12 weeks, with annual boosters after that.

GROOMING

• Baths: Your coati shouldn’t need baths very often. If they get food stuck on them, you can gently wipe with baby wipes or a damp cloth.

• Nail trimming: Make sure to trim your coati’s nails often and start when they are babies. If you don’t start when they are small, they will not be as willing when they get older, and the task will get much more difficult.

TRAINING

• Potty training: Not everyone has been successful at potty training a coati. If this is a deal-breaker, DO NOT ADOPT A COATI! Some owners have been successful. Train them just like you would a dog with positive reinforcement only (praise, treats, etc). Consistency and persistence are key! Join coati groups on Facebook for other owners’ experiences.

• Harness training: Same concept as if you were leash training a dog. Start them on a harness and leash when they are young and use positive reinforcement (treats!).

MATURE COATI DIET

Once weaned, we feed our coatis a variety of the following: high-quality dog food, monkey biscuits, fruits & veggies, and a variety of proteins, such as cooked meats, eggs (raw and cooked), raw meat and whole prey.