It was born in the wild

[Mid]

So it should stay in the wild.

So was reading this article about a baby hedgehog who lost it's quills so it became a pet.

Apparently hedgehogs are now bred as pets. However, people were outraged! It belongs in the wild, they say. Stop messing with nature! They're not the same as a dog which has had thousands of years of domestication! We're not even sure if cats should be pets!

...so my question is, what are your thoughts in regards to keeping irregular animals as pets?

 

[Sidhe]

I feel pretty strongly about it.

Most current domestic animals were domesticated because they were of use to humans in some way. Dogs for various reasons, cats for mousing, and of course barn animals for food, transportation, and materials (sheep for wool, etc.) Many newly domesticated animals are either not fully domesticated (most birds, hedgehogs, snakes...) or are being domesticated purely for vanity. Foxes are a good example of that. So are most 'exotic animals.' Seeing people try to keep wild cats, monkeys, slow lorises - god, you name it, someone's probably tried to keep it as a pet - really infuriates me. The exotic pet trade is awful. People will try to justify it by saying 'well, cats and dogs didn't start off as domesticated,' but again, they were domesticated for a reason. These days, we have very little reason to domesticate new wild animals, especially not vicious predators that humans cannot possibly care for adequately. What reason do you have to keep a lynx in your house, if not for your own vanity? None. Most of these people have no idea how these animals were acquired, and don't care to know. They just want to show off their unique pet to other people.

Keep in mind that this doesn't apply to rescues at all. There's a difference between rescuing say, a fox or a squirrel, and having the animal end up non-releasable and stay in your care, and actively going to purchase an animal for outrageous sums of money because you think it's cute and 'you want one.'

 

[Durandal]

So it should stay in the wild.

So was reading this article about a baby hedgehog who lost it's quills so it became a pet.

Apparently hedgehogs are now bred as pets. However, people were outraged! It belongs in the wild, they say. Stop messing with nature! They're not the same as a dog which has had thousands of years of domestication! We're not even sure if cats should be pets!

...so my question is, what are your thoughts in regards to keeping irregular animals as pets?

Um...can it survive on it's own?

 

[LogicfromLogic]

There are certain animals that I'm more or less leaning towards it staying wild. Like what quality of life is it going to have? A hedgehog can adapt. When push comes to shove, it all comes down to how the animal adapts to the environment.

If the creature was born and raised in captivity, releasing it into the wild without the proper training/it learning how to fend for itself (which few people in common society know how to do this) after it's first breath was taken in a human's life is a death sentence and not a pretty one either. But there are some animals even within captivity that should never be classified as pets such as lions, tigers, etc. Anything that can chew your face off.

Now it could be argued about how boas, etc are dangerous yet they make great pets. It all depends on if you have the proper equipment and the right level of education to care for these beasts. Now I'm not saying that you should go out and buy a hyena after doing some heavy research, there are some animals like I have stated before that belong with professionals or to stay out in the wild.

But hedgehogs can adapt. Boas can adapt.

Meerkats cannot adapt. Lions will probably eat you.

For some people it worked, but it's suggested that you only get a pet that you can handle, and not one you think you can.

 

[Minibit]

if an animal can survive in the wild, let it stay in the wild.

Most people who get outraged over taking in feral animals as pets, or putting them in zoos or wildlife sanctuaries don't realize that, in the majority of these cases, the animal cannot survive in the wild. In fact, many wildlife sanctuaries exist which take care of injured or abandoned animals, only until they are able to fend for themselves, and then they are released. There are definitely a LOT of douchey institutions which mistreat animals or take in animals which were doing just fine in the wild thank-you-very-much, but this definitely isn't true of ALL institutions, and most people don't do research before crying "cruelty!"

But my real bottom line is that if the animal is healthy and happy, then whatever is good.

 

[Jorick]

As long as you're able to adequately take care of it, whatever, I don't care how exotic your pet is. The whole "wild animals should stay wild" argument is dumb. Humans have made a habit of subverting the natural order of ecosystems and I don't see this as a particularly egregious example.

However, adequate caretaking for an animal includes things like giving it the right sort of food and making sure it has enough space to be comfortable. Lots of people fuck this up even for totally domesticated animals, and honestly they're just as bad as the people who try to have a lemur or whatever as a pet when they can't take care of it. I'm taking about shit like trying to put a cat on a vegan diet, or having little space for a very active and energetic dog and not taking it out multiple times a day, or putting fish in a tank that's too small, and so on. If you can't actually care for the animal properly then you shouldn't have it, end of story.

 

[Dervish]

There's a fine line between owning a hedgehog or chinchilla verses a cheetah or aligator.

Some animals are totally fine with being bred in captivity and make good pets and would in fact get murdered out in the wild (good litmas test: if you expect Fuzzy Prick the hedgehog to not survive with your house cat around, than it won't survive everything else), others simply have some hardwired instinct that makes even tame individuals lash out for any number of reasons.

People want to own an animal just because it's exotic and they probably have no idea how to care for it even if they tried, and then get surprised when the fuzzy murder machine they had since a cub attacks a family member because it doesn't have like 200 kilometers of Savanna to explore and exercise in.

Hell, I want a sloth named Yoda, but I know why I am not allowed to own one. People who take part in illegal wildlife trade are genuine douche canoes.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Short version, if you can properly look after it than go for it.

Long version? There's a number of factors to consider.

1) How well can you look after it? Do you have the space, the time, the energy. Do you genuinely care for the animal and give it love and attention? Or are you one those little shits that treat them like an accessory?

2) How Dangerous is it? And do you have the special training to handle it? Dogs? Pretty safe. Snakes... More risky but not too hard if you study before hand and have the right gear. Lion? There's only a handful of people on the planet who even have a chance of pulling this off, and only with certain members of the species as well.

3) How capable is it of surviving in the wild? Note, that if the answer is 'yes' that's not an instant disqualification.
3a) If it is capable of surviving, give it the option to return to the wild. And no, I don't mean a one time thing. I mean give it an easy means of leaving the house and running off to the forest if it wants, kind of like many people do with their cats. That way if the animal is living with you, it's by it's own choice.

4) If it's not domesticated how mindful are you of that? Because one trend you'll most likely need to make for many of these pets is granting them more independence, and not treating them like a house cat or pet dog. For example a while ago we had someone (I forget who) make a thread about a wolf resort. If you want a wolf as a 'pet' you'd likely need to give it the level of independence places like that give them (plus the training etc as detailed in point #1)

5) Even if you're perfectly capable of all the above, what about those you live with? What about guests who come over? If you don't keep an eye on that someone could get injured rather easily... And usually your pet is going to pay the price for it by being put down, because people are stupid like that.
5a) How are other pets likely to get along? Will they fight? Will the fight be serious? Is there a legitimate risk of coming home and finding one of them eating the other? If these are dangers, either don't do it or set it a damn good way to keep the two seperated. But even that is dicey, because you essentially make the pets very own home a place of danger and caution... So in all honesty just don't even do this at all.

There's probably other points that I'm not considering right now, but that's the basic gist of elements I would have to consider before pointing at any case of this and saying if it was ok or not.

 

[Kagayours]

If we're talking about animals that were bred in captivity for the purpose of becoming pets (like I'm pretty sure they do with hedgehogs now) then I don't see the problem. Taking animals straight out of the wild when they had no reason to be taken from it is a bit of a different story, however.

And then there's the thing about knowing how to take care of it (which applies for any animal, even something like a cat or dog). Aaaand you should probably do your research and make sure this is a creature that isn't likely to attack you or anyone else (as others have said, a pet hedgehog is a bit of a different story than a pet lion). Oh, and an animal being endangered is probably a pretty good sign that it shouldn't be involved with the pet trade. If you want an unorthodox pet, get yourself a skunk or something else that the natural ecosystem isn't exactly experiencing a shortage of (besides, you can get skunks de-scented, and they're pretty cute imo).

But, if all those requirements are met... I really don't see the issue. In fact, I'm honestly kind of a fan of unusual pets, so long as they're living happy and healthy lives like any other pet should. That means: knowing how the fuck to take care of it, and you should also probably make sure it was actually bred to be a pet -- as it would probably be more comfortable around humans that way, and might not survive on its own in the wild if you gave it the chance (in fact, a lot of trouble comes from people buying exotic pets and then trying to release them into the wild... your indigenous ecosystem doesn't need that shit).

So basically, as long as you're a smart and responsible pet owner, go ahead and get all the bats and snakes and hedgehogs and anything else you want (I mean, all the ones that you have the space and resources to take care of, of course). The argument that certain animals can't ever be pets just because humans have no need to keep them as pets is... bleh. Yes, dogs and cats were domesticated for a reason -- but I'm pretty sure most dog and cat owners today don't keep those animals for the same reasons that our ancestors did. They keep those animals because they're cute and make good companions and because they just want to have a pet in the house. So if you can find some other species of animal that can fulfill the same role then, by all means, go ahead and get one.

 

[Dervish]

My dad had a pet raccoon when he was a teenager. He found a baby abandoned by his mother, so he took him in and nursed the little guy back to health and the raccoon became a hilarious and fun member of the family that liked to steal cookies ( only ever 2 at a time), scratch the dog in the friendly sense, hang off the dog's chest when the dog was walking around and all sorts of stuff like that. Eventually, nature called and the raccoon left to go find a mate and never came back, but I always thought it was awesome my dad was buddies with a trash panda. Now he hangs out with a family of crows, most of whom will hang out on the deck with him and only hang around when they see his Jeep pull in.

 

[Hellis]

Oh man. Trash Panda Pet! They get real agressive hitting puberty though.

That said. Some people in my old neigbourhood had a exotic pet licence and worked at a zoo. I still remember the shock when I knocked and they had a baby crocodile in their bathtub... (It was only there for a few days while they renovated part of the zoo.) They also had a meerkat that had been shunned by its pack and wasn't quite all there. Problem with merekats being that they really do not let themself be hindered by ANYTHING. They can dig/burrow trough ANYTHING.

 

[Diana]

As long as you're not a raging moron and actually put thought and consideration in to caring for the animal, I don't see why not. Do I think it's STUPID, especially for big big animals? Yes. But if you can properly care for them and give them what they need, I dun have a problem with it. >>

It's not any different from having domesticated animals or children. >:[ There's a ton of people who shouldn't have any of THOSE either.

 

[Astaroth]

Most exotic animals are illegal to own without special licenses. As they should be. Not because "it belongs in the wild", but because not every moron who wants a baby alligator should be allowed to get one. Animals need to be cared for and supplied for in ways that not everyone is capable of- and that includes your average dog or cat. Dogs and cats are just the "easiest" because they've specifically adapted to living with humans, supplies and care instructions are readily available, etc.

Some animals that are considered "exotic", though, like ferrets? Ferrets are very much domesticated animals. Wild black-footed ferrets are a completely different animal. Not everyone should own a ferret, but releasing one in the wild is a death sentence.

By the way, couple things:

1. If anyone isn't sure that domesticated cats should be pets, they should look at the feral cat colonies that cause worse problems than most other common pest wildlife. We really don't need more cats running around in the wild.

2. @Minibit "Feral" specifically means an animal that was once domesticated and is now living in the wild, which is why it is usually applied to dogs or cats. Just for clarification. Not sure if I'm correcting you unnecessarily, but the way your post was worded it made it sound like you were unaware. Figured I'd throw that out there.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

I had a baby squirrel that I found and tried to keep alive. I fully planned on keeping it as a pet if she had survived. It all depends on the animal and their personality type. If it can be domesticated without breaking it, I'd say go for it. If not, find a place where it can be taken care of and released back into the wild.

Then again, this is coming from someone who would attempt to hug/pet any animal they see, even in the wilderness. This is why my husband never takes me camping. ; ;

 

[Windsong]

Proper precautions, training, knowledge, etc etc before 'owning' a wild animal is essential. Most times people think it'll be like a puppy of some sorts. Then it fucking eats them.

Fun fact: cats domesticated themselves. Sorta wandered into humans lives, ate the rodents, and sat in laps.

Fun story: a friend of the family used to have a 'pet' (very loose term) alligator named Lugnut in rural Florida. He lived in a pond beside the river and constantly went back and forth. It hunted on its own but was fed chicken or beef scraps after butchering every so often. Wish I could find the pictures of Lug sitting under the guys lawn chair beside the water looking content as fuck.
We all assumed he just got used to people but never approached them for food. It was strange but also pretty cool. Cause living tank fossils are cool to a 10 year old.

Last I heard he's still out at their property.

 

[Cpt Toellner]

I was in an environmental college program for over 6 years, I've seen every side of this argument. While I will normally take both sides of things, some things really don't belong in our hands.

If you do want an exotic pet, my only demand is that you MAKE A FUCKING COMMITMENT. I once talked to a Conservation Warden about Wolf-Dogs in my state. So many people, (primarily in urban areas,) want a wolf for a pet, so they pay to have a half-breed puppy. As with most horrible people, they got bored of the dog and it's more primal side coming through as it grew up and released the pup into the wild. Now I want to inform you that wolves never do any good on their own, and a hybrid who can't fend for himself, nor join any packs (due to his domesticated upbringing,) won't last long. Wolf-Dog corpses litter the middle region of my state, all because urban jackasses can't handle their pet.

This goes with most exotic pets, and sums my opinion very well.

If you can handle the pet, know what you're in for, and make a commitment to be a responsible owner, then more power to you.

If you can't, then don't, aminals are not for your temporary amusement.
















That being said, I really want a pet fox.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

If you can't, then don't, aminals are not for your temporary amusement.

That can be said for all animals. People get puppies and kittens, they grow up and are no longer tiny and cute, then they get rid of them. It's heartless.

 

[Astaroth]

Kinda like how parents need to STOP giving bunnies to kids for Easter. Sure it's cute or whatever. But rabbits are a lot of work and can't just be left alone out in a hutch all day. :/

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

Kinda like how parents need to STOP giving bunnies to kids for Easter. Sure it's cute or whatever. But rabbits are a lot of work and can't just be left alone out in a hutch all day. :/

I had a pet bunny. He was litter trained, and even followed me around whenever I took him outside. I'd call his name and he'd come running. I loved that bunny. :( I let a friend's mother breed him with one of hers (She had a rabbit farm) and he ended up dying from.....well, sex. He literally had a heart attack afterwards. X_x

 

[Astaroth]

@Nydanna

D:

Jesus