Do any of you have experience owning exotic pets?
A friend of mine is thinking about adopting a large cat (not like Lion/Tiger size, he's not Tiger King-tier crazy) and I'm curious if anyone here has direct experience doing so or has friends/acquaintances who have. Any tips/tricks/long-term learnings appreciated.
Additional detail - he is buying a large property and will be providing proper facilities for them, they are not going to be exotics treated like typical house cats.
He's considering Caracals, Clouded Leopards, European Lynx, or Servals. Pics below.
Caracals
Clouded Leopards
European Lynx
Servals
My Dad has owned some half exotic cats. They were both a snow bengal Siamese mix. One was a mix and the other one was more pure. They both were stolen from my Dad.
Damn I'm sorry to hear that. Fuck whoever took them. This one pictured here is a beauty!
Given the list above, I’d probably pick the Caracal. I’m a big fan of exotic cats too. I think one thing about pure exotics is they might mark their territory inside and also might pee everywhere.
Know someone who had a serval, which is one of the calmer ones on those list... It was destructive and aggressive. It would snap at strangers who came to the house, was kind of a liability in general. I don't think he was that sad when it died because it was very hard to manage - and he was a good trainer and put a lot of time into the cat. It's just not realistic to expect a wild animal to thrive in a home environment or become domesticated.
I know these cats are cool but they are wild animals and really not good pets. I would recommend an exotic-looking cat that is still bred to be a pet. There are some larger wild-colored domestic cats, that would fit the bill, but not ruin his life in the way owning a wild animal may.
Also there are new federal laws (Big Cat Public Safety Act) that ban private ownership of clouded leopards so can strike that from the list.
Government ruins things yet again, what a surprise. There's no interest in discussing the whole domestic vs wild argument, he knows what he's doing and has the facilities/size of property needed to provide professional-grade care. Plus he hates entertaining anyway so I would guess the stranger aggression is probably a feature vs an inconvenience.
If he has the facilities/property for an outdoor wild cat that's a different story - I was imagining keeping these in his house (a lot of people keep servals in the house, such as story above) which would be a real challenge. As long as he's not treating this like a fun house cat that's fine.
Heard some girl I knew in HS was able to have a baby tiger for a few months before they gave it away to the zoo. Always thought that was crazy and wondered how her parents were okay with it (her dad was known to be the 'fun parent' by many classmates who knew her well so it may have been his idea).
Know of an another girl whose parents owned a llama on their farm in the Northeast lol.
I've worked on a farm before and we had an Alpaca to protect the sheep from wolves. The theory is, when a wolf sees another creature so tall with a such high set of eyes, it is frightened as it thinks all the animals may be like that and it runs away.
That and they're fucking vicious, ever had one pissed at you? They bite hard as a mother fucker and will chase you down no fear. So soft though!
My ex owns one of those Savannah cats. The F1 types. Hes a complete asshole and kinda scary at night
I always wanted to own birds of prey or a flock ("murder") of ravens. Would be so freaking sick.
It's important for your friend to do thorough research on the specific needs of each species before considering them as pets. Building proper facilities, such as spacious enclosures with plenty of room to roam, would be a great first step. Your friend should also ensure they find a reputable breeder or adoption center that specializes in these types of animals. Providing regular veterinary care and a balanced diet are crucial for keeping these exotic pets healthy.
Ok chatgpt.
Nice ;)
It might be a good idea for your friend to connect with experts or join online communities dedicated to these specific species. They can offer valuable tips and long-term insights based on their experiences. Sharing the thoughts from my experience as an animal lover and Tortoise Owner. Hope this helps.
I'm kinda into these ones (not owning any though).
A former female client of mine has a pet that looked like a bengal, which I think is only allowed in certain states.
G5 Bengals are legal to own. G4 Bengals are banned in a few states.
This puma didn’t grow up in the wild and was rescued and is kept as a pet now.
What a dapper boi
hahaha
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