DrGravitas Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 The United Arab Emirates, home if the city Dubai, is well known for wealthy citizens keeping wild animals such as cheetahs as pets. This changed this Wednesday as Laws were passed against ownership of these sorts of exotic pets as well as domesticated but dangerous animals. Furthermore, new restrictions on traditional pet ownership, like dogs, were also passed. Ohio, meanwhile, continues to keep alive the possibility of my one day keeping a fox or fennec as a pet. What are your thoughts on exotic pet ownership? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossa Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 If its a very common, local species, and you're prepared for the responsibility, I don't have a problem with it, but I think many (most?) people don't realize how hard it is t keep wild animals, and it ends poorly. This reminds me...Ohio is a state where it's legal to have a pet Skunk. In fact, they even hold skunk fest there, an annual festival for people with pet skunks, and skunk lovers in general. http://www.skunkhaven.net/index.htm#Projects Not sure when Skunkfest 2017 will be but I'd love to go. You need a skunk, Dr. G.! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I think exotic pet ownership is bourgois and vain. For some reason owning a wild animal just because it's "cool" or "cute" seems disgustingly decadent and immoral to me. Maybe it's because I was raised by an outdoorsman who also taught me to respect nature. It's different if people adopt said animals because they were rescued from illegal owners and are unable to survive in the wild. I'm also put off by the he idea of people domesticating certain animals just because they want to keep them as pets. Something abiut exotic pet ownership disgusts me. Maybe it's the vanity. Maybe it's because it seems arrogant. Either way it strikes me as unethical. Dogs and cats in the other hand.. are wonderful. They're also practical. In many cases, exotic pets look like some weird sort of status symbol that their owner could project themselves onto. I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion amongst furries, but I'm cool with it because I'm not a manchild. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelwell Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 10 minutes ago, Hux said: I'm also put off by the he idea of people domesticating certain animals just because they want to keep them as pets. Something abiut exotic pet ownership disgusts me. Maybe it's the vanity. Maybe it's because it seems arrogant. Either way it strikes me as unethical. Dogs and cats in the other hand.. are wonderful. They're also practical. In many cases, exotic pets look like some weird sort of status symbol that their owner could project themselves onto. Honestly I can't see someone owning a cheetah, tiger, etc without thinking they have way too much damn money are wasting it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Wild pet ownership is riskey business, and only those with licenses/proper training should have them. Special care should be taken about where they get them as well. Restrictions should also apply to how certain exotics are kept as pets, for example, only those with room for outdoor area enclosures should have animals such have canids, and felids among other things. In fact, the best way for someone to keep in exotic is to be well versed in zoology and other animal wildlife sciences, and "pet" owners should be surrogate families for exotics that cannot be returned to the wild. Exotic pet ownership should be discouraged for those who dont take proper responsibility and care in where they get them or how they care for them, and people should instead be encouraged to have a domesticated animal of the same merit. Similar but different rules apply to domestic pet ownership. I think even domestic pet licenses could be enforced, if only for the benefit of animals and a preventative to animal abuse...just an errant thought, though. ...but then again maybe even parents should have a license. What? Too much government? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 40 minutes ago, Hux said: I think exotic pet ownership is bourgois and vain. For some reason owning a wild animal just because it's "cool" or "cute" seems disgustingly decadent and immoral to me. Maybe it's because I was raised by an outdoorsman who also taught me to respect nature. It's different if people adopt said animals because they were rescued from illegal owners and are unable to survive in the wild. I'm also put off by the he idea of people domesticating certain animals just because they want to keep them as pets. Something abiut exotic pet ownership disgusts me. Maybe it's the vanity. Maybe it's because it seems arrogant. Either way it strikes me as unethical. Dogs and cats in the other hand.. are wonderful. They're also practical. In many cases, exotic pets look like some weird sort of status symbol that their owner could project themselves onto. I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion amongst furries, but I'm cool with it because I'm not a manchild. I think the only "good" reason for someone to own a wild animal is because they have a passion for the species, and in doing so are well versed in the needs and expectations of bringing one into a household and/or human interaction. I can see it as decadent if those doing it are arrogant and obnoxiously show-offy with their pets, or merely think the animal looks cool and dismissing all of its other qualities rather than the surface qualities they see on television of a wild animal. If anything, the first thing someone should do if they want to interact with these animals is get certified to work in a zoo, sanctuary, or refuge. If that's not the case then they should be prepared to make something of a home or personal wildlife refuge. I've personally never considered much the idea of owning an exotic myself, as much as I love wolves, bats, or other animals. Mainly because I would want to know I have the capacity to care for it. Its the reason I dont have a dog or bearded dragon right now even though I really want to have those animals in my life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazerMaster5 Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I say leave the wild in the wild. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I can agree with a lot of what's been said, even though I would love to own certain exotic pets. The ability to care for the animal is the most important factor, along with ensuring its well being in that sort of environment. For myself, I would love to own a fox/fennec but I don't even own a dog because I wouldn't want them to have to be alone all day while I'm at work. Though, I suppose that's not much of an issue for the more solitary foxes. Still, they sheer destruction they could cause (and fear of how my neighbors might react) stops the idea from being more than a dream for now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 1 hour ago, DrGravitas said: I can agree with a lot of what's been said, even though I would love to own certain exotic pets. The ability to care for the animal is the most important factor, along with ensuring its well being in that sort of environment. For myself, I would love to own a fox/fennec but I don't even own a dog because I wouldn't want them to have to be alone all day while I'm at work. Though, I suppose that's not much of an issue for the more solitary foxes. Still, they sheer destruction they could cause (and fear of how my neighbors might react) stops the idea from being more than a dream for now. Fennecs also shriek a lot :v Your neighbors might think something in your house is dying and call the cops. Jokes aside, it shouldnt be an issue to own a fennec fox if you know how to provide recreational benefits to avoid unruly, destructive behavior by providing its habitat needs and adequate stimulation, as well as proper handling of said animal. That's not to say aggression and destruction isnt expected and CAN happen, it's a wild animal. Its a learning process where you need to anticipate the behavior and needs of an animal and plan accordingly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 29 minutes ago, WolfNightV4X1 said: Fennecs also shriek a lot :v Your neighbors might think something in your house is dying and call the cops. Jokes aside, it shouldnt be an issue to own a fennec fox if you know how to provide recreational benefits to avoid unruly, destructive behavior by providing its habitat needs and adequate stimulation, as well as proper handling of said animal. That's not to say aggression and destruction isnt expected and CAN happen, it's a wild animal. Its a learning process where you need to anticipate the behavior and needs of an animal and plan accordingly I'd actually put a lot of thought into it from time-to-time. Made sure it'd be legal in the area I was moving to, bought a house in a neighborhood with no HOA to tell me I can't, etc. One the ideas I had involved cordoning off a big chunk behind where my computer's situated to turn it into a multi-level climbable area that connects to the outside through a sort of airlock of doggie doors. That would help prevent heat loss while providing them a means to go outside (which would also be caged off). It'd be expensive, but I think it'd be much better than just limited free roaming in the house or just a yard cage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Käpt'n Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 If it's not an endangered animal, if it wasn't just taken from the wild and if you are 100% capable of taking good care of it then sure, why not. Keep your exotic animal. Endangered animals shouldn't be kept as pets because the illegal pet trade is one of the biggest reasons why many animals are endangered to begin with. For example, they estimate that there are fewer than 2000 ring-tailed lemurs left in the wild on Madagascar, but there might be as many as 20.000 of them being kept as pets on Madagascar alone. In many cases wild animals are also killed and then their offspring is being sold as pets... None of that needs to happen. On the other hand, here in Germany they are trying to ban "dangerous animals" that are being kept as pets simply because they escape all the time. So while you are capable of taking proper care of an exotic animal it is always possible that your snake, spider, scorpion or what ever you keep gets out and puts other people in danger. The sad truth is that most people are NOT capable of taking care of these animals. My advice for those who want to get something really cool and exotic like a tiger or a lynx: GET A DOG! About fennecs... It seems to be quite possible to keep them but they are just way too much work. They sleep a lot but when they are awake they are like adorable little shrieking tornados. And since they are not domesticated training them to do anything will be almost impossible and I've heard that they get stressed in captivity. There are some people who keep red foxes but look at this shit... Do you want a "dog" that jumps onto your dinner table? I doubt it. The Russians have managed to domesticate foxes through 50 years of selected breeding, if you want something fox-like that will actually behave in a managable way those might be your best bet. Although, they don't really look like foxes. They simply look like dogs: So yeah. Get a dog. Or a cat. But to be honest, if you are thinking about getting a tiger maybe you shouldn't be allowed to keep an animal in the first place... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantasma Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Pets should only be kept if you can give them a good life that is better with you than without you. I personally would love to live on a large land with bat houses and dens for coyotes so that I can get close to them and maybe befriend a few of them. I wouldn't want to restrict them, but I... understand coyotes in a way that to me is very special and sadly.. despite my best attempts, that cannot be found in the wild without building those bonds. Someday, and perhaps if there were orphaned young coyotes I would raise them myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WileyWarWeasel Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Get pet algae. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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