Woman discovers her parents ‘adopted’ a raccoon when she came home for Christmas

A woman discovered that her parents adopted a raccoon when she came home for Christmas break.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Seattle Sports radio host Stacy Jo Rost took to the platform to document her encounter with her stepfather Rick’s new pet: a wild raccoon. The adventures of his new furry friend, aptly named Little Rick, were followed by tens of thousands of users, with one post receiving over 269,000 likes.

“My parents had to put their dog down two years ago and it’s been really hard on them,” Rost wrote in the post. “Unfortunately my stepdad, Rick, has found the worst way to cope: feeding a one-year old raccoon and letting him live on their porch.”

Rost said that when her parents first found Little Rick, the raccoon was only a baby and had a wounded back leg, taking pity on the little guy, they decided to take him. Rost added, “So now they’re attached.”

Little Rick - also nicknamed Rickoon - first began showing up months ago, searching for food on her parents’ porch. Her stepdad and mother took pity on him, and reportedly started to feed the wounded animal breakfast. Some of the meals included an assortment of sardines, berries, and hardboiled eggs. The couple also took care to set aside a little bowl of water for him so that “he can wash his little people-hands” after eating.

“I mean they make him breakfast every morning,” Rost continued. “My mom claims she’s against this because he’s a wild animal and dirty but she’s lowkey in cahoots. This woman is lying to my face.”

But that wasn’t all, Rost’s parents reportedly bought the wild raccoon dog toys and a bed, too. She added, “Need I remind you: Little Rick is not a dog. He’s a raccoon. He will bite. They’re in denial. He’s using you for eggs before he kills you in your sleep.”

Rost continued to chronicle the perplexing bond between her parents and the little creature, noting that they have grown so close that the raccoon now follows her stepfather around when he’s fixing things on their porch. Despite her parents insistence that Little Rick is harmless, Rost maintains that the whole dynamic is weird.

In one post, she wrote that her parents defended the little raccoon, arguing that he was “cute,” but she wasn’t easily swayed by the furry creature. “He’s a wild animal,” she wrote. “This raccoon looks cute until it tries to kill you. Y’ALL. LOOK AT THIS. LITTLE RICK CANNOT BE TRUSTED.”

Users in Rost’s comment section were in stitches at the hilarious situation and her reaction to it, but they made a point of noting that at this point, Rost would likely have no choice but to accept Little Rick as the newest addition to their family.

“That’s your little brother now,” one person wrote. Another added: “Lmao, I love this for them... You, not so much. How’s it feel to be the second favourite child?” Rost jokingly replied, “I’ve fallen to third.”

“Your parents are good kind people,” someone else commented. “The average life span of a raccoon is 2-3 years. Most perish by cars or hunting. Little Rick is living his best raccoon life.”

Adopting a raccoon is legal in some states, but in Washington, where Rost is based, it’s considered illegal. According to the Tri-City Herald, it’s illegal for Washington residents to own any animal that poses a risk of rabies infection. Raccoons are reportedly legal to own as pets in the US states of Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.