The cutest pumpkin to come out of fall is not one that kids will be carving and/or smashing. It's actually this adorable raccoon who thinks it is a dog! Pumpkin was rescued by Rosie Kemp of the Bahamas after she fell from a tree and broke her arm. She was only a month old when Kemp found her in her backyard.
Kemp and her daughter Laura Young nursed the raccoon back to health and decided to adopt her. Thankfully, the little animal bonded with Young's two rescue dogs and is now basically a dog herself.
"Raising her was (and still is) a full-time job," Young told The Dodo. "They are so unbelievably intelligent, very aware, and I would say they are even able to express emotions."
Pumpkin likes to relax by the pool, play with her dog siblings and eating treats like watermelon. Basically, this raccoon is living a better life in the Bahamas than all of us.
"She instantly bonded with us and our two rescue dogs and follows me and our two dogs everywhere we go," Young said. "She now thinks she is a dog. She is able to play and be rough with them and she respects them when they have had enough."
Pumpkin, who is now one-year-old, has even learned to use the toilet when she needs to relieve herself.
Pumpkin has an Instagram account and Facebook page and a Twitter account (#blessed), where Young and her family and friends document the raccoon's everyday life.
Before you start hunting for your own raccoon to adopt, keep in mind that Young makes it very clear that raccoon's are not pets. "They are wild animals, so they are quite moody. Unlike dogs and cats, they are not domesticated. Like a spoilt child if she doesn't get her way, she will let you know."
Sorry to crush everyone's dreams but it is illegal to keep a raccoon as a pet in the United States. But just follow along with Pumpkin's adventures and it'll be sort of like you own a pet raccoon.