You’ll Need a Permit to Keep and Otter as a Pet

Otters are found in the United States and they look a lot like ferrets and weasels but are different in some ways as well. They are very sleek and live in the water. They come out of the water at times to enjoy the sun and look around. Otters are quite small and they can be friendly if you raise them from when they are little and young. Sometimes people will find an orphaned otter and raise it from a baby.

You need to be careful if you have a pet otter because most states do not allow you to keep wild animals. Some states will allow you to keep wild animals but you need to have a permit to do so. Make sure that you can keep an otter and if you need a permit get one right away because if you get caught without a permit you will probably get a fine and the animal will probably get taken away. You might even face jail time depending on how many animals you have.

You need to be very careful with otters because they bite and they bite a lot. Otters spend most of their time in the water so you will need a swimming pool setup for the otter to swim in. They can actually hold their breathe until the water for over 10 minutes. Otters have been known to kill household pets such as cats and dogs. They are somewhat like alligators and they will drag their food under the water to eat it.

Otters normally feed on fish and crayfish. You can purchase different types of fish from bait shops and pet stores. I wouldn’t suggest pet stores because the fish are usually full of illnesses. You can also catch crayfish from any local river and you might be able to purchase them online. Otters usually are small like ferrets but some of them can reach up to three and a half feet long. Some otters will get very aggressive during the mating season so be very careful around the January through May season. Make sure to keep household pets away from otters because they will drag them into the water and kill them.

Not to say that all otters are mean but some of them might be. You will want to do your research before purchasing a otter or taking care of an orphan. If you want a pet like an otter, you might want to purchase a ferret instead. They are a lot more friendly and they will not kill any of your pets like your dog or your cat. You won’t have to worry about it biting you as much as a ferret would.