exotic animal owners

Well that would be true, if that was the only thing I wrote. Bans only eliminate problems by eliminating animals. Because the first thing he did was start laughing. Exotic animal bedding and cages cost between 500 and 8,000 dollars on average. Considering that this is "rare", I find it to be unreasonable to cite this as a broad impact from the N. American exotic pet trade. It's no different from the stock market, or placing a wager with an insurance company. Prospective owners can try to get references from whoever theyre buying the animals from, and buying locally is always really good, Blue-McLendon said. As of 2018, the US has over three million pet birds alone. I do support reasonable regulations on dangerous exotics, but never full-out bans or ridiculous, impossible-to-meet standards. I've lived with cats and dogs in my youth. The Cavalry Group (or "Cavalry") is a boutique public relations and strategic communications firm headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut . Her enthusiasm for writing and research is behind the most reliable information for pet lovers. The term "exotic" doesn't have a set definition, but it usually refers to a wild animal or one that's more unusual than your standard dog or cat. } Many people believe that exotic animals have not adapted to being kept as pets in the same way that domesticated species have. After his lynx passed away, he purchased a Wallaby and named him Bucky. It should be about providing the animal with what it needs for its happiness and welfare.. Thank you very much. Is keeping exotic pets selfish? To help you better understand the exotic pet trade, we put together the most crucial information about it. It might not sound like a lot, but these are only the officially reported cases. Exotic pet owners keep exotic pets for the same reasons that domesticated animal owners keep domesticated pets, which is the hope of a symbiotic relationship with their creature of choice. I did almost loose my ferret, when I was younger and ignorant of states having their own pet laws. Keeping in mind that lack of being more damaging than another type of animal is not by any means meant to be taken as an attempt to make light of the negative environmental impact that some of our pet-keeping decisions are responsible for, the most popular pets in America that are recommended as moral alternatives to exotic pets are indeed the most damaging to the ecosystem. Some animals, such as big cats, cant be kept domestically in an ethical manner. It does not take 30,000 years to domesticate animals just because dogs have been around for that long. 3. I lived in California and that was horrible. The exotic pets market is growing. Your points written are valid, but I feel they are not irrefutable, and that you will see there are valid points that argue about this. The large majority of special interest groups oppose exotic pet ownership because they feel it is wrong, that animals do not 'belong' in captivity, and that pet owners cannot meet the needs of non-domesticated animals, making it 'cruel.'. This includes big cats, primates, reptiles, amphibians, and rare birds. How many times have you heard of an animal, lets say an exotic cat or monkey, biting someone in the news? For example, 22% of homes in Indonesia own a bird, whereas less than 3% own a cat or dog. PS is -not- under siege by exotic pets, as statistics show. Slightly confused as to why ferrets are referred to as exotic pets? Most issues like this are judgement calls - and that makes them arbitrary relative to opinions and experiences upon which they are founded. About 140 non-native reptiles and amphibians have been introduced to Florida. There are also problems with the trade of all animals. The tiger mauling occurred because the boy and his father were visiting the big cat owner, who foolishly went to show the animals to them and opened the cage. So theres a serious amount of animals shipped worldwide. The domesticated cat is established in all 50 states, and there is a powerful lobby to not only stop cat removal for the protection of wildlife, but currently owned pet cats are routinely released to add to the devastation of invasive feral cats which include excessive small animal predation, diseases spread by feces to wildlife, and adding to the number of animals that motorists have to swerve past to avoid emotional upset. but i do realise your points and support your opinions on the matter. Suggestions for future topics may be directed toeditor@cvm.tamu.edu. I understand what Melissa is saying however I was talking about the impact exotic animals have on our eco system. Additional legislation wouldn't even be necessary to deter the average exotic pet owner from purchasing poached animals due to the laws already in place. Unfortunately, due to the sheer demand. The Act states that the exemption list is set by regulation, rather than being included in . He asked for a picture with her and with us. But these animals still maintain more acceptance as pets than exotic pets like small wild cats that have no human fatalities on record. A yard, a house, proper vet care, supplies, etc. I do sort of agree with all of the others who say stuff about keeping exotic animals is some what selfish, but it is really not selfish if you think about it hard and meaningfully. I'm fairly confident you can't.". If you already have the name of someone who has experience with the type of animal that you have, then calling them is probably your best bet. The severity of the problem may vary in extent (i.e. Many of them couldn't survive in the wild. It's insulting when people approach someone who's obviously invested in a subject and attempt to 'argue' using basic points they heard in some anti-exotic pet pamphlet. Do you have any reasons you can give me that dont boil down to "keeping a lion is the same as keeping a caliko" like can you give me any reasons why its actually beneficial to the animal? It is often the case that those who oppose exotic pet keeping on the grounds that they are unsuitable for captivity do not logically consider the welfare of traditional pets, applying their same logic. 2. Maybe this is true, not one of my areas of interest. "If this is the case, then you should have no problem with more restrictive laws (often referred to as "bans")". but when reading the articles you'd swear you can't take a step wtihout stepping on a sake. I should like to ask Melissa her opinion of the the hundreds of dolphins and whales held in captivity in dolphinaria in the USA. Exotic Pet Ownership Typically, the term "exotic pet" refers to any non-domesticated animal; this excludes animals like guinea pigs and canaries. Breaking free is one thing, but animal attacks are quite another. Lets take a look. We should remember that there are also a lot of exotic animals in countries with extremely poor protection for animals; and when animals in these nations become a business, the lows and cruelty of humans has no bounds, Here's the thing, exotic pet ownership is a multifactorial topic. 4. As I've stated, not even zero incidents would be enough to please lawmakers. Domesticated pet owners enjoy their freedom and I just want the same thing. The author is objectively a bad person. I agree that you should be able to own exotic animals. if those two examples are the same to you then you must have a brain the size of that of an ostrich. The only special permits required are to move llamas, cattle, bison, domestic dog, horses, ferrets, goats, poultry, sheep, and pigs on the state's roads. Despite the small number of bad scenarios involving exotics, people still hold exotic pet owners, as a whole, 100% responsible for every incident individual owners cause, but dog owners are never blamed for attacks and fatalities caused by other dog owners (this means that there would have to be zero exotic pet-related incidences in order to ease peoples fears, and sometimes even that isnt enough!). In 2016, 13.3% of households were estimated to have specialty or exotic pets, a 25.5% increase from 2011. Small Animal Specialties Equine & Large Animal Specialties Farm Animal Specialties Clinical Trials Resources Back to School Routine For Your Pet Clipping Your Pet's Nails - Cautions and Clippers How to Use Pill Pockets to Give Your Pets Medication . And while 4.7 million dog bites occur each year, there are anywhere from 70-80 million dogs in the country, meaning there's only a 5.8% chance of you being bitten by a dog. It can be easy to succumb to the allure of having a beautiful spotted cat as a pet, but theyre just not suited for households, Blue-McLendon said. 11% of the cases come from contact with a reptile thats 132,000 people. I told them I didn't know I couldn't bring her and that I we would turn the car around and not enter, but they called the state trooper. Because my ferret supposedly has rampant diseases. Servals aren't typically aggressive, but they can be difficult to own as they are still considered "wild." 3. Now, lets look at whats happening to exotic pets worldwide. Owners may have to shop for a custom-made cage and invest in a high vegetarian diet. However, the conclusion that because some animals are endangered, and when removed from their habitat the ecosystem suffers greatly, all exotic animals must be banned is faulty reasoning. In some countries, keeping exotic animals is more common than domesticated animals. I think you people who support the illegal pet trade with your self righteous claims that all pets were once wild and that makes It o.k. Second leopards are endangered and taking them out of their natural habitat (were they can roam around and hunt and live their life the way nature has intended) for human amusement. That does NOT have to do with any 'wild' characteristics. Thanks again! We then continue to build more of these structures for frivolous pleasures: nail salons, restaurants, Build-a-bear workshopsyou name ita resource-consuming structure will be built for it. Leaving alone the subject of inherently dangerous animals like tigers, even harmless exotics like ferrets have been persecuted for the exceptionally rare circumstances where a case emerges with a child injured by one. Me wishing this would be the one time she would give someone hell but nah she was like 'warm hand'. The incident happened . The presence of wild-looking spots still unnerves most people more than rowdy dogs kept loosely confined in backyards. Sadly, I'm not sure that we're going to win this fight. The man died, and so did the lion after failed tranquilization attempts. These misconceptions arise due to the domestication mytha notion that makes people believe that domesticated animals are biologically or mentally suited for living in a modern indoor household while that could never be acceptable for a 'wild' animal (although not all exotics are kept inside). I don't mind people taking care of abandoned animals etc or maybe an exotic animals somehow decide it likes you and wants to stay but. I was talking about exotic animals, reptiles, and fish. It is rather astounding that owners of bonafide invasive species would become enraged that some exotic pets have also become invasive. Maybe you can get an exhibitors license, but it won't be easy. These animals deserve to be free, where they can run, hunt, climb, mate, and live their primal lives. Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and director of the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center, says that it is also important to differentiate between exotic pets, which can be kept ethically in domestic settings, and wildlife, which should not be kept domestically. I do plan on having a small, responsible, licensed zoo after college. Serval Cat. If theres no demand, the trade will cease to exist. (Did you see the double animal pun?). There are special rules that allow you to show or exhibit them in the state. Most exotic pets do not pose a threat to the environment and those that don't have as severe of a footprint as many domesticated pets. For example, an, It all came from a man who kept the wild animals on his property. Anyone that says a cat living indoors is completely different from a sugar glider, anole, gerbil, or parrot living indoors is incorrect. You may care for your animals like any pet owner, but owning an animal that really hasn't adapted to living with humans seems very cruel to me. Exotic animal = anything other than a dog, cat, or common farm animal. Of course I thought ticket. margin-right: 0; So me, two other friends, Jezzy and their dog hit the touristy spots. As for the logic 'if you accept domestic pets, you must accept exotic pets', that logic applies to anything. Although not always an ideal pet for everyone, the Serval is a gorgeous exotic cat from Africa. I've never heard of a wild animal catching Herpes B virus from a monkey (there are wild macaque colonies restricted to parts of Florida). Take any subject upon which opinions vary. Nor is it right for one person to dictate which levels of selfishness are appropriate, i.e., the production of domesticated animals is ethical and keeping natural state animals is not. This next part is just a story that has had a significant impact on my memory. I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping cats. They are VERY similar to their ancestor, the African wild cat, and have the exact same issues that zoo animals have in captivity. Median home list price: $337,500. I think no one should attempt them unless they have a large enclosure (around at least 2 acres). I agree with exotic pets should be allowed. 5. The exotic pet trade also damages food chains and ecosystems. Not only those animals die, the the predators that rely on those animals die.This then ruins the whole ecosystem. I know Sam may never see this, but I wrote it anyway so that people who come across this in the future may see a more logical answer. Is it ethical to support 10 "good owners" if you're also supporting 50 "bad" ones? border: 1px solid gray; Some people like to claim that keeping exotic pets will save them in the wild but I think thats untrue in most cases, so I apologize for that on their behalf even if they dont agree with me. Argument 3 is pretty good, but we can't say with certainty that NO exotic pet has EVER harmed the environment. All I can say is that dog and cat supporters, i.e. I believe that pets must not be caged and be allowed the freedom of movement. Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, for instance, once owned a monkey, though the animal was seized in Germany when. We build large, resource-consuming homes that we dont need on top of the homes of hundreds of other animals. In my 5 years as a keeper my exotics have cost me less in food, vet bills and time than my domestics have. Jezzy passed 3 years later but I still have a photo of her and the trooper. I'm not advocating for the removal of any animals from their native habitat, but what I am trying to bring light to is the fact that simply because a pet is exotic, it is not always true that it is endangered. Its important to not be spontaneous about the acquisition of any animal. Banning the ownership and breeding of these animals will solve these problems! Exotic pet incident statistics show its not just these animals that get out. Well, the truth is that no animal has! 3. This includes hamsters, parakeets, or even bunny rabbits. Thank you for your time. Also, you're missing the point. Felicia Wilson There's a large following. Melissa A Smith (author) from New York on May 15, 2014: DevilsAdvocate-- I should also point out upon reviewing my words that a lynx is not considered to be a 'big cat' to me or zoologists, so the lynx scenario is also not an example of what I was referring to. I think what Melissa was trying to say was that the blue tilapia was not introduced to the ecosystem by the pet trade. Why? Also, it steadily increased between 19902017. Blue says that owners should consider the source through which they obtain their pet when getting any animal, exotic or not. Dog ownership is more popular, with 69 million pooches and over 45.3 million felines.