Woodchucks: A Harmless Pet

Shannon Frye, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sep 14, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Woodchucks are harmless, cute and furry little animals. I often see them sitting along side of parks in my home town. They sit along side of the road and chew on different pieces of wood, grass and shrubs. Woodchucks do not harm anything, they simply love enjoying the sun and eating through out the day. This animal lives on roots, veggies and different types of shrubs in the wild. You can place a water bottle in the woodchucks cage, but if it refuses to drink from the water bottle you will have to use a water dish. You should also place a mixture of food in the cage for the woodchuck, along with different things the woodchuck can chew on to grind down it's teeth. Animals like the woodchuck, chipmunk and beaver have teeth that never stop growing through their entire lives. They need to grind the teeth down or else it will become uncomfortable to eat and they will not longer continue eating. Some vets will be able to grind down the teeth but not if they have gotten bad enough. It's a good idea to keep the teeth nice and short before it becomes a problem.

Woodchucks if taken it at a young age will become very tame and friendly pets. They can learn many tricks and they will follow you around your home. They love eating treats and they can stand up on their hind legs to beg for food. I wouldn't suggest feeding the woodchuck a lot of table scraps or it will become overweight. Woodchucks also like to be kept in pairs but they should have their own places to retreat to for privacy issues. All animals need a little bit of privacy. Animals with growing teeth shouldn't be left alone because they could start chewing on wood items through out your home.

Never forget that if you want to keep this pet inside you should never let the pet outside. The pet will most likely stick to it's natural instinct and take of running. Once the animal crawls into a hole you may never see the animal again. Many woodchuck owners have lost their pets this way. Watching the woodchuck run through their yard every couple of weeks. Also, don't forget that some people are very cruel. They like to torment and kill tame animals. Woodchucks also become prey to many larger animals. Make sure if the woodchuck is kept outdoors that the cage is always secure or the woodchuck will disappear back into the wild.

Published by Shannon Frye

I am a stay at home mom. I have a 2 year old daughter. View profile