When I was a little girl, I wanted a pet tiger – a desire I attribute entirely to Princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin. Her large feline companion, Raja, seemed to be perfect. He was exciting, cuddly, cute, protective, empathetic, and sweet. The ideal animal friend.
However, Raja was also a fictional cartoon character. I grew out of it. No matter how many Animal Planet specials I see with adorable infant wild critters, I force myself to remember that they are, in fact, wild. I’m not equipped to take care of them, unless you count the fact that many of those beasties would probably make a good meal out of me.
Now, the extent of my pet-extravagance entails a cat (not a tiger) named Zip, two Australian shepherds named Foster and Wallaby, and a rescued West Highland terrier named Clover. They are certainly not as glamorous as a tiger. My cat may be fat and lazy and my dogs may love to howl themselves hoarse at passing ambulances, but at least they aren’t harboring a latent desire to rip my face off – that I know of.
Not everyone shares my contentment with plain old domestic pets. Some people don’t want to go all the way to the zoo or a wildlife preserve to see exotic animals. They would rather look out their windows from a safe distance to see bison, tropical birds, monkeys, and all manner of other creatures in their own backyard.
As exotic pet ownership continues to grow, so do my concerns for the animals being taken home.
Unfortunately, there is no concrete definition of “exotic pet,” which can make the issue even more muddled. Some interpretations are broad enough to include pet store staples such as Guinea pigs, ferrets, and rats. Others try to limit the meaning to animals that were more recently in the wild. Still others use “exotic” to mean any animal that hasn’t been fully domesticated, but complete domestication can take generations upon generations and there is no standard definition in this case either. Domestic dogs and cats as we own them now have taken thousands of years to get to this point. More commonly, the colloquial usage seems to basically refer to any animal you can’t readily buy at your local pet store.
Article comments
1 - Melissa
Wow, so someone who collects their info on these exotic animals from tabloids about celebrities is going to try and inform the public about why people desire exotic pets and the ethics of keeping them? So you are satisfied with dogs and cats, good for you. How dare you try to dictate other people's lives because of your uneducated judgments.
2 - Jordan Richardson
"Satisfied" with dogs and cats? Really, Melissa?
I think Amanda summed you up here, if she'll forgive my addition: "animals can't (and shouldn't) function to feed your own status."
3 - roger nowosielski
But they do, through no fault of their own.
4 - Cindy
There is no way to guarantee that a person can care for a cat or a dog or a human infant.
Dems da berries. We do not need more regulations based on the whims of people like Amanda. Let Amanda decide what she wants to do.
Disclosure: I think owning tigers and things that could eat you is pure insanity.
5 - Cindy
Oh, and if my neighbor owned something that could eat my family, I would want to say something about that. That, I think is the extent of the boundary I should permit myself to cross into other peoples personal lives. I could always try to educate them, though.
6 - Cindy
That sentence didn't make actual sense, but I think its meaning came through.
7 - Cindy
In summary. I like your ideas Amanda. Until you drag the sheriff in.
8 - Cindy
..to enforce them.
9 - Amanda Stonebarger
Thanks, Jordan. I absolutely agree with your addition.
As for bringing the sheriff in, I think it's sometimes necessary. I am pro-animal welfare laws because they serve to protect groups that cannot speak for themselves. If you think about it, that's the same reason we have child welfare laws--not to tell people people how to raise their kids, but to ensure that children are raised in a safe environment.
I question whether the common layperson can provide the right environment for exotic animals, so I believe they should either be in the care of professionals or the wild.
10 - M.
You're only talking of tigers? What about chinchilla's? or other little furry animal creepers that have't been a pet for too long? Or a Savannah, a half wild cat. And yes, of course you need money for a animal, no matter how much you know of the animal and how much you love it, you need the money to care for it. You have some good points in your article (like the zoo argument) but in general this article doesn't make any sense!
11 - M.
I meant to say, that a permit wasn't a bad idea, it just needs more regulations. like knowledge and money, if you want to get the permit.