Why shouldn't I be allowed to own a pet Lion or Tiger?

[Philosoraptor]

http://www.exoticcatz.com/dontban.html

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/bigcats/a/bigcatsaspets.htm

Above are two very interesting sites for big cat owners, or those who are thinking of getting a pet lion or bobcat or lynx. I have heard that there are anywhere from 7 to 10,000 pet lions and tigers in America.

I know, I know, there's a war going on, and I'm supposed to devote every moment of my life discussing it, but, its an issue for general discussion, like Armageddon or Ann Coulter's latest raving.

[theHandpuppet]

1. If you really have to ask that question

Then you have just answered yourself.

[Democrats_win]

2. "Born Free" showed that even pros can't have them as pets.

This was a very sad movie that didn't end very well for the cats. These were people who had some background with lions.

[badgerpup]

13. IIRC, Joy Addams (sp?), the author of "Born Free"...

...died as a result of a lion's mauling.
No, I'm NOT laughing. :cry:
These aren't 'big cats'.
They are wild animals, apex predators, carnivores, and should be treated and respected as such.

[eShirl]

3. just claim the lion is a weapon

and that you have a right to keep and bear him/her

[Uppanotch]

4. You SHOULD be allowed to own a pet Lion or Tiger. You should also

be willing to commit in writing your willingness to be a responsible, caring guardian.

[wryter2000]

10. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Crunchy Frog]

47. Also your willingness to be a meal

without the animal in question bearing any of the consequences thereof.

[Sammy Pepys]

5. This is a question for your neighbors....n/t

....

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. How is a lion or tiger in any way comparable to a pit bull terrier?

One is a wild and quite possibly untameable pure carnivore that weighs as much as five or six hundred pounds; the other is a particular specialised breed of animal that has been a human companion for millenia. One is adapted through socialisation and breeding to living with humans; the other is not a social animal and can't be so adapted. Totally specious argument you're making here. Nice try, though.

[Ravenseye]

7. I think it's a question of safety

For instance I think it should be legal, in general, to own a pet lion or tiger. The restrictions should be on adequate safety precautions and cages etc. In addition the person should have to pay out of their own pocket for regular, and surprise, inspections of the quality of the safety procedures. If the safety is in question, then the person loses their liscence.

On top of that I would think it's within the rights of a city to deny ownership of dangerous animals within city limits. I know personally, I wouldn't want to go into my backyard and be mere feet away from a large cage with a lion or tiger in in it next door. The smell, the danger of the animal getting loose etc..

So I'd say it's within localities rights to not allow people to keep certain animals on their property, as well as requiring safety checks, and maybe not allowing a cage containing said animal within a certain distance of another residential location.

This is actually a very interesting issue, in that it typlifies the differences between 'red' america and 'blue' america. Blue america tends to be more highly located in urban dense settings, while red america is rural, or suburban. A rural red voter sees the government preventing him from having a lion as intrusive. Who does it hurt? An urban blue voter, doesn't want a tiger living on the other side of the drywall from his apartment where he can hear the tiger at 2am growling, and smell the tiger's feces.

Living in urban situations we have to be more concious of not just what we want, but what others want as well. It's just politeness and safety in civics form.

So. yes it should be legal, just not in my backyard or my neighbors.

[Ian David]

8. Because "Lions on a Plane" would make a great movie? n/t

[Ezlivin]

9. 100 pounds of kitty litter every day?

And you'd need scratch pads the size of trees.

Are you going to let them sleep in the bed with you?

[Avalux]

11. A mountain lion lived next door to me when I was a kid.

Legal in the area; the neighbors got him when he was a cub and kept him in a fenced in enclosure with a run. Not a very big area. I could see him and hear him from my bedroom window. I'll never forget the way the poor thing cried and how miserable he seemed. It's just downright cruel and selfish to try to turn a wild animal into a pet. :thumbsdown:

[Bretttido]

33. Agree with you there

I think it is cruel to the animals' whose normal lives involve traveling several miles every day. It makes me think of those poor bears in Zoos that spend the entire day walking back and forth because they've literally lost their mind. :cry:

[Captain Hilts]

12. Because most people don't have the knowledge and circumstances...

to own and maintain them safely.

It frightens the neighbors.

Get a red tabby, they can retract their claws and they will rid your yard of rodents. AND they will sleep with you.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Ever hear of Sigfried and Roy?

People who work with big cats on a daily basis, who are familiar with them to a degree inconceivable to the typical pet owner, are at risk, and know they are at risk, when dealing with them.

If a big cat challenges you for dominance, you will lose. Simple as that.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Hey, Nancy Grace...

isn't there some missing blond child you can go exploit?

[MamaBear]

16. Because they are not domesticated animals.

They are not socialized to be around humans; they need lots of room to hunt, they need lots of exercise, they need lots of stimulation. Most people don't have the time or the inclination to spend with these big strong animals (I'm talking bobcat and lynx here, not the really big, really strong animals) to keep the animals from become very destructive of their environment.

I hope you're just putting this up for discussion and not really considering adopting a wild cat. It's just not fair to the cat.

[slackmaster]

26. Young children aren't domesticated either

Some of them can't be.

[alarimer]

32. Most kids don't get to be 500 pounds

And humans are not endagered species either.

[slackmaster]

37. Sure, but most exotic cats kept as pets are bred in captivity

It's not possible to release most captive-bred predators into their native environments, so their status as pets has no bearing on their prospects as a species in the wild.

[alarimer]

43. Genetic diversity

Is one reason for captive breeding programs. They have reintroduced wolves, why not cats?

Aside from that, it is unacceptable to have these animals as pets. No one should be allowed to have alligators either.

[givemebackmycountry]

17. Do you remember that whack job in New York City?

He had a full grown Bengal Tiger in his apartment.
Neighbors became suspicious when Tiger Piss started to leak through the ceiling into the apartments below.

Gee, and to think I get upset when my upstairs neighbors walk too heavily and I hear it.
At least I don't have Tiger Piss leaking through and soiling my bedding.

If I remember correctly, he also had a freaking full grown alligator or crocodile, and like a 15 foot python running around.

Look, there are limits as to what one should have as a pet.

Many americans don't deserve to have a dog or a house cat living with them, because they are too stupid to treat a animal with dignity and respect.

[xchrom]

18. get a zoo or wildlife park then you can.

[wurzel]

19. Because animals are not toys! n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. There ya go.

Pets are not toys.
Wild animals are not pets.
Wild animals are not toys, twice removed.

[Frank Cannon]

20. "Born Free" should be required viewing for all "exotic"...

animal lovers.

Another video is the PBS presentation "Saving Klondike and Snow", about two of the CUTEST little baby polar bears and their adoption by a zoo.

There is a VERY good reason why these creatures are called WILD animals. Even the pros (ESPECIALLY the pros) know that these animals, no matter how beautiful or seemingly docile, need to be handled with resources that your "hobbiest" just doesn't have.

[Gruenemann]

21. Maybe you should get a Liger.

The Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage.

[Lorien]

23. BAD idea. I had a recent experience with a serval hybrid

I was doing pet rescue and a woman approached me about adopting out her serval/ bengal hybrid Ashiki.Ashiki was chewing up everything in her home; shoes, clothing, furniture,anything made of plastic or rubber, etc. Our rescue doesn't do wild animals, so I ended up taking him in myself. He was as sweet as could be at her home. An hour after arriving home with me he was a snarling, lunging wild beast. With patience I eventually did get to the point where I could play with him, but every so often he would lunge at my neck. I talked to MANY professional wild cat keepers and discovered that wild cats as pets become bonded to ONE person during their lifetime, but can revert to their wild nature at any time. They'll kill other pets and attack other people if "their" person is not nearby. They are much more intelligent than domestic pets and become bored easily, which leads to destructive behavior. Ashiki also knew how to open doors, drawers, and work many locks-it was like having a dangerous two year old in the house.

Eventually I talked his previous owner into taking him back. She has to devote a huge amount of time to playing with him every day and making up activities for him so that he doesn't tear the house apart. I'll take a domestic pet over a wild one any day; wild animals should remain wild, period.

Cute face, huh?



He's big: that's a DOG crate:





He can jump over a person's head without any effort:

[ForrestGump]

24. He's beautiful. And, yes, I agree with

everyone here that wild animals belong wild...if they must be captive, it's got to be in the right facility for the right reasons. Shoot, I'd love a big cat (tiger, snow leopard, or whatever) just because I really appreciate their innate attributes, and I've got experience with and extensive knowledge of the beahvioral ecology of top predators (albeit not hands-on experience with large felids), but there's just no way...practical considerations just make it a really bad idea and even the best care that a private individual in a private residence could provide is not going to be right for a sizeable cat. I bet most big cats kept in the US are not in good condition because they're neglected (most likely because what once seemed cool to the owners soon became an obviously bad idea) or because they just don't have the freedom and space they need.

Pity you can't kinda neotenize a baby tiger... :D

[Lorien]

35. Well, you can have a toyger:

http://www.toygers.org/

;-)

[slackmaster]

25. Very hard to get a permit for one in California

I have no problem with a person keeping a captive-bred exotic species of cat as a pet, as long as they can take good care of the animal and have sufficient measures in place to keep it from escaping and becoming a public nuisance.

It's not something most people are financially or physically capable of doing. IMO some oversight is important.

[Kashka-Kat]

27. Because they aren't pets and never can be - have no genetic coding

that makes them suitable to become pets, as was the case with the small african wildcat ancestors of our common housecat. Genetically, the ancestors of pet cats and dogs were more docile and had more of a capacity to become affiliative with humans.

Anyone who truly loves these animals would NEVER EVER try to make them into something they are not.

[treestar]

28. You should be able to, but you would be liable for damage it

caused, so you'd have to know what you were doing. The common law on wild animals is that you are strictly liable for any damage they cause, too, no need to show negligence.

My grandfather's older brother brought a monkey home with him when he'd been abroad. It terrorized their small town for years (though the stories may have gotten exaggerated over the decades). We always realize that today, they probably couldn't have that monkey without a ton of permits and tons of government supervision.

[LeftHander]

29. When did lions and tigers become domesticated house pets...?

Excuse me!

But those are WILD animals and have no evolutionary strategies for being pets.

Cats, dogs and other DOMESTICATED creatures have hundreds of thousands of years of breeding behind them and instincts that MADE them suitable for domestication by humans.

[QuettaKid]

30. bad idea.

http://www.cptigers.org/

[alarimer]

31. Because it is cruel and inhumane to keep those animals

as pets. There is a rescue facility in California I believe tha specializes in rescuing big cats that foolish assholes thought they could keep as pets! They have some real horror stories about how these animals were mistreated. Wild animals are NOT PETS!!

[LWolf]

34. Because they are not domesticated breeds,

genetically controlled by humans for domestic characteristics for thousands of years.

[LanternWaste]

36. because they are on the endagered species list....

You can... BUT--

There's an extreme amount of regulations you must comply with because they are on the endagered species list.

[niccolos_smile]

38. Go ahead, but...

if it gets out, it's your @$$ and the cat's.

[The Anti-Neo Con]

39. Public safety.

A lion or a tiger is a very powerful animal that's difficult to keep confined. If they bust through a fence or barrier, the neighbors dog, or even kids could become lunch.

I know of a guy who keeps an even more dangerous animal that a lion or tiger. He has an Australian Taipan snake, and he is aware if he is bitten by this snake that death is imminent in 15 minutes even with medical attention. The difference is that it's very unlikely the snake can get loose.

[sweetheart]

40. just a paper tiger nt

[earth mom]

41. Imagine the uproar if people were allowed to keep dangerous animals!

Pit Bulls and other dogs that kill people don't count though because they're someone's "pet". :sarcasm:

[Xithras]

42. My uncles bobcat hybrid killed three dogs.

Many, many years ago my uncles neighbor offered him a kitten from his cats latest litter. The kittens were HUGE, and nearly killed the kitty mama, but they were adorable. He agreed to take one, and was the first to choose one. Unfortunately, the SECOND person to see them was a local cat lover who instantly recognized them for what they were...bobcat mixes. The owner called animal control, who seized and destroyed the kitties. Only my uncles survived.

The cat eventually grew into the largest house cat any of us had ever seen. Aside from the tufts on his head, he was colored exactly like his mama and didn't resemble a wildcat in any way.

This turned out to be a bad thing for the local dogs. No matter what it LOOKED like, or how friendly it was with our family, it was still a wildcat at heart and stood its ground when faced with a predator. The local dogs would charge it, expecting him to run like most other cats...but he usually ended up charging after them. Three dogs (the last a full grown great dane) were killed by him before animal control finally stepped in and seized him. He never got the cat back, but he did manage to get the cat placed on a friends ranch in the local foothills (ranchers like them because they keep the rabbit and mice populations low).

He was an adorable, friendly cat to us, but in retrospect it really wasn't a good idea to keep him as a pet.

[Dukkha]

44. 10,000 pet lions and tigers?

and Bears? Oh My!

it's kind of kile owning a gas guzzling penis car. Just a status symbol.
If you're into exotic pets, limit it to small reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, etc..

[NuttyFluffers]

45. i always wanted a pet Portuguese Man o' War...

so i sympathize with you. i dreamed of walking my pet jellyfish along the beach, with a leash naturally. i wonder if i have to spay or neuter it...

[Crunchy Frog]

46. Are you angling for a Darwin prize or something?

I am personally in favor of anybody's right to be a meal for a large predator. The problem is that the predator usually pays for the human's stupidity with its own life.

Maybe you could just go jogging in mountain lion territory. It's got to be more cost effective than trying to keep an exotic animal as a pet. It gives the animal a fighting chance as well. :D

[upi402]

48. Why do you ask, Roy Horn?

:scared: