Kangaroos
DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this blog is to educate people about exotic animals and describe what life with them is like. Due to the sensitive nature of
raising exotic animals in the U.S., there are things this blog will not discuss. Each state has its own unique laws and regulations regarding owning exotic animals, and in order to prevent any mishaps, the author will not mention specific names or places, and will not explain any processes, including but not limited to: the purchasing, shipping, or transferring of exotic animals. This blog is designed with the sole aim of depicting the daily in-home care taking of the animals mentioned.
As far as raising exotic ZooBabies goes, kangaroos are one of the easiest and the most fun. However, this doesn’t mean anyone should go out and buy a kangaroo without being prepared. There are plenty of books and other resources to teach you about these amazing animals. Use them. Kangaroos have a lot of allergies and can have some hereditary problems. Don’t ever assume anything with ZooBabies will be a piece of cake, because nothing ever will.
The first and most important thing to know about baby kangaroos is the proper way to pick them up. It’s obvious they are very bottom-heavy, so if you pick up a kangaroo from under the arms like a child, you could break their ribs. Instead, the best way to lift a kangaroo is to brace his body with one hand on the belly, then grab the base of the tail and lift him at a horizontal angle. It may be a surprise to learn that the strongest part of a kangaroo is its tail. You could even pick up a kangaroo by holding only the tail, except they don’t like being upside down!
When I snag a kangaroo baby, I pick them up like a cat. The difference is that when you pick him up this way, he will end up cradled in your arm on his back, rather than simply being lifted straight up from a standing position.
Alternatively, placing a hand-made “pouch” or tote bag in front of him will coax him to roll into it and curl up like a furry roly-poly. This comes in handy for traveling!
ZooBaby kangaroos drink milk from a bottle until they are about 2 years old. Although the baby bottle holds only 2 ounces of liquid, the nipple is approximately 2 inches long. Kangaroo mouths are very narrow and very long, and they need special-made nipples. They drink a combination of a special powdered milk made for ZooBaby kangaroos and an herbal mixture (it looks like thyme and smells like tea) that is mixed in to help prevent diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. It’s very common for all kinds of ZooBabies to have tummy problems for a multitude of reasons—it’s always best to try to prevent them altogether!
Kangaroos are messy animals. They need to wear diapers! Premature infant diapers work well on the newer babies, but since every baby grows at a different rate (or they are different types of roo—red kangaroos are the largest, but wallabies stay very small by comparison), size needs to be adjusted accordingly.
Common sense dictates that we cut a hole in the back of the diaper for the tail; I usually forget the scissors and use my thumb to pop a hole where I think the tail will go (you get better at guessing the more you do it) and then I widen it little by little as I slide it up over the baby’s tail. It shouldn’t be so tight that the diaper is digging into his skin, but it shouldn’t be so loose that poop falls out, either!
Kangaroo babies do get dirty. It’s important to bathe them not only for cleanliness, but also for bonding purposes. I recommend getting a non-slip pad for the bottom of the bathtub. If it’s a bath/shower combination, it’s best to have a showerhead with a long hose to pull down to their level, but you can also buy a hose attachment for a faucet from a pet store. When bathing the baby, keep one hand on his chest both to support him and to prevent him from jumping away. With the other hand, wet him from the neck down (there’s never any reason to wash a baby animal’s head with soap; if his face gets dirty, use a damp washcloth), lather in an animal-friendly shampoo, making sure not to forget the potty parts! I know it’s gross, but you gotta get your hands in there to get them clean! Rinse out all the shampoo completely. They’re not as bad as cats, but they do still lick themselves (especially the arms). Squeeze all the standing water from his arms, body, legs, and tail, then towel dry. Give him lots of snuggles afterwards!
I hope this entry has given you some insight into what life is like raising a kangaroo baby inside the home, and for those of you who are considering this lifestyle or who are currently involved in it, I hope this has helped! Hugs and kisses to all my ZooFriends!
ZooMommy
