How do you feel about exotic pets (e.g. big cats, pythons)?

If your home isn’t as close to their habitat as possible, don’t keep ‘em.

They are exotic pets till they kill you then there deadly animals.

The only good I can see is if you are rescuing the animal from abusive/negletful conditions. Taking an animal out of the wild and trying to make it a pet is ridiculous and dangerous.

Not a good idea. For one it is cruel to try to domesticate a wild exotic creature. For two, it is illegal in most states and for three, even if you manage to keep, conceal and provide for the animal to the best of your abilities and it doesn’t end up shredding your face or worse, no reputable animal health practitioners will treat an illegal exotic.

Bad idea all the way around and most people do this out of selfishness, for the ‘cool’ factor, to show off…not because they truly care for the well being of the animal in question.

As much as I love them, wild animal should be kept in the wild. It is just cruelty. It disgusts me. Big cats are really beautiful animals and should be admired from afar.

I just read an article about this in Reader’s Digest. I think that if you can’t/won’t give them an environment that’s close to their natural habitat, or if you don’t have room for them, or if they pose a threat/danger to any human being or animal, you should not keep them as pets.

these pets are bad ideas. They are not domesticated. Big cats dont eat “meow mix” They WILL turn on you. Ever have a cat pounce on your leg??? Pictured that with a 300 pound tiger. Yeah it’s a really bad idea

As one familiar with case law, I think people are nuts to own them.

Don’t laugh..but, my chinese goose attacked a frail little 80ish jehovahs witness in my yard, knocked her down and was beating her with his wings and ‘goosing’ her. It was very upsetting for the both the woman and my goose! lol

I wondered if my insurance would cover a goose attack.

Needless to say the solicitations have stopped though. lololol

Any animal that needs to be caged should be off-limits. The very idea that one would need a cage, is proof that this person should be without the animal, and the animal should either be in the wild, or in a sanctuary.

As for uncaged wild animals, I think the laws America has set in most areas are fine.

A lot of exotic pets are held by humans not out of love, but out of ego. Kingpins in the Mexican Mafia think its cool to own wild animals. Other idiot-thugs do, as well.
As well as entertainers and some businessmen.

It’s absolutely ridiculous. Anyone who feels the need for an exotic pet is nursing some need within themselves – ego. They’re asking for trouble. There’s enough examples out there of what can go wrong. Those poor animals.

I am against it unless they can be kept in the proper surroundings.

<——-< Is this what you mean by big cats?

I agree with most responses, in that, exotic animals are too few generations from the wild. Unless an animal is adapted to living in a human environment, like a human, then they do not need to be in a human environment. I don’t even think it is ok to keep big dogs in small yards or pens. They need room to explore and not be couped up in a cage or pen. I agree with Kraigmo, any animal that needs to be caged should be off-limits…even some dogs and cats.

Never never never should people attempt to keep wild animals as pets. I’m sure out of the many people who do keep exotic pets, some of them have great experiences. However, it is my understanding that this is uncommon. It’s very easy for an animal to turn on its owner with sometimes deadly consequences. It’s wrong for a wild animal to be taken out of its natural habitat. It confuses the animal, which not able to follow its instincts (such as to hunt) when put into a domestic environment, and this can turn into a very dangerous situation.

Watching the new show Fatal Attractions would probably give you some more info on this subject.

My daughter was just telling me yesterday of a new show about exotic pets gone wrong. The first episode was a man in a studio apt. that had something like 6 huge monitor lizards. Apparently they bite their prey and then you become infected with some lizard disease, lol…once you weaken and die they then eat you. Can you figure out what happend to the lizards keeper? Not a happy ending….ewwwwwwww!

I’m with @Simone_De_Beauvoir If you cannot provide an environment for them that is as close to their natural environment as possible then you shouldn’t keep them. It is unfair and unkind to the animal and purely selfish. That being said, it is also dangerous. To you and your family. Keeping non-domesticated animals as pets, unless you really know what you’re doing is both selfish and stupid, IMHO.