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After leg surgery, pet Peeves is taking it easy

By Times Staff
Published August 1, 2005

LITHIA - The thud in the night was her pet coatimundi, Peeves, taking a spill from his hammock atop a coat rack. When he snuggled into bed, Debra Bradford thought all was well. The next day she noticed a limp, and her veterinarian confirmed a broken leg. Next stop, Florida Veterinary Specialists: a Tampa animal hospital that handles avians, exotics and almost anything out of the ordinary.

It all started three years ago, when Bradford's husband rescued an injured baby raccoon. Bradford wanted to raise it, but learned raccoons make terrible pets. Still, she liked the idea of owning something exotic and began looking for alternatives.

Cue the coatimundi (pronounced koh-what-ee-mun-dee), a South American critter similar to the North American raccoon, but with a long, thin snout. Peeves came from a Texas breeder in June 2004, when he was 5 weeks old. Bradford is a big Harry Potter fan, and named him after one of the book series' characters, a poltergeist at Hogwarts castle who, like her pet, is a source of havoc and mischief.

The surgeon at FVS used screws and a metal plate to re-connect the leg bone because the animal probably would chew off an external splint.

Peeves has his own room at the couple's home in Lithia. He also has a wooden gym set, a hammock and even his own doll house. For now, however, he is spending a lot of time in a large crate. Doctor's orders are for limited jumping and climbing. Peeves will have to endure a few more weeks of crate life.

It's different from having a dog, says Bradford, which will adore and obey you as a master. Peeves adores her, even gives hugs, but "if you try to reprimand him, he'll bite." If you want to take something from Peeves, you have to offer something else in trade. "He's kind of like having a little kid," she says.

[Last modified August 1, 2005, 00:58:09]