--- Reggie Bautista <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Debbi wrote: > >Why some people think they have to have exotic > >animals as pets is beyond me... > > Why? If you buy into the idea that keeping pets at > all is ok, then what > does it matter whether it's a cat or a prairie dog > or a horse or a degu?
I didn't mean to insult anyone here; I should have said that animals which have been domesticated (dogs, cats, pigs, goats, chickens, koi etc. - and I even count the rat lines that have been bred to be docile and calm around humans) have, in the course of that domestication, been selected for interaction with and response to humans. Many "wild" characteristics, such as extreme aggression, territoriality, migration etc. have been modified or bred out over the course of multiple generations; those individuals which exhibited undesirable traits were culled, and likely not bred. Domestics can be "pets" because they are "primed" to live with us; 'their' nature is now 'ours.' Many seem even to crave human attention. Wild animals, OTOH, do not have this in-bred ability to live and interact with us; their agendas are not modified for our benefit. Far too many exotics end up abandoned, maimed or killed b/c they *cannot* adapt to our demands. Frex, apparently young infants smell rather like baby rabbits, and ferrets - hunters - have attacked and seriously harmed infants. It isn't that the ferret or lion or python is intentionally being "bad" or mean; it is simply following its nature. An exotic that has been reared by humans still has its instincts, but not the training/experience to survive in the wild; if abandoned, it will most likely starve or otherwise die shortly thereafter. Tropical exotics can carry all sorts of diseases (partially listed in two articles linked to the one I posted), and we just don't know enough about how some pathogens 'jump' from one species to another. I mean, who'd have thought that *prairie dogs* would be susceptible to African *monkeypox*? Furthermore, the demand for young endangered exotics (adults are usually completely unsuitable) leads to the hunting and killing of breeding females (frex clouded leopards, orangutans), further deleting the precious wild genepool; and many of those young also die. > If you buy pets, you probably buy them based on how > cute you think they are, > how prepared you are to properly care for them, This is where many fail, as they do not understand just how profound the differences between a domestic and a wild animal can be, and what proper care entails. Frex, a friend 'inherited' a wolf hybrid from a prior boyfriend; now 'Allie' is a lovely and loving creature, but she has never accepted that small dogs deserve to walk the same earth as herself. Despite socialization attempts, obedience schools, 'personal trainers' and punishment for 8 years, she still lunges after any smaller dog, and if you haven't properly braced yourself to stop 85# of muscle and bone when they hit the end of the leash, the 'pinch' collar won't save that peekapoo. Or the skin of your nose, chin and arms as you are dragged down the path. That is just one of her quirks which has to be dealt with on a daily basis. Zebras are not simply striped horses, but strong and snap-reflexed animals who 'think of' things that startle them as hunting lions -- and if they can't do what they prefer (run away), they are very capable of attacking the perceived threat. Zebras have maimed and even killed adult lionesses. For a handgun thread crossover, there is certainly a 'macho' element for some in owning a large exotic (I don't think that goes for your hedgehogs, however ;} ). > and how much they seem to > match your personality. For some, that might be a > goldfish. For others, it > might be a hedgehog. If you accept the idea of > pets, then who's to say > what's too exotic to be a pet (other than for safety > reasons with large or > very dangerous animals like lions or pythons where > they might pose threat to > public safety if they get loose)? There are some wild animals who could probably be domesticated in time (frex several small South American wildcats), and some who are part-way there already (ferrets, mongooses). It's sort of an Uplift question, I suppose... :) Debbi Finished Ranting For The Moment Maru ;) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
