Exotic Pets

In May a couple of friends and I will head out to a bi-annual sale in the heart of Amish country where "exotic" animals are sold. Actually, since there has been a bit of controversy surrounding "exotics" in the last few years the sale has started calling itself an "Alternative Animal Auction." Over the years their lineup has included llamas and alpacas (tons of them!), emus, ostriches, rheas, bison, water buffalo, camels, birds (everything from canaries to cockatoos), wolf hybrids, foxes, various lizards and snakes, tortoises and turtles, alligators, caimans, prairie dogs, chinchillas, guinea pigs, various small furry critters, "pocket" pigs, pot belly pigs, cavies, bottle fed kids (baby goats), armadillos, sloths, lemurs, skunks, coatimundi, various poultry, elk, reindeer, deer, zebra, zedonks (zebra/donkey hybrid), mini donkeys, mini horses, and ponies.

I have bought animals there before--my Quaker parrot Yoda and Senegal parrot Solo came from that sale and I have bought a guinea pig and a couple of ducks for a friend that couldn't make it out.

Over the years that I have been going though, I've become very torn about the idea of this kind of auction and the ownership of many of these species in general. Many of these species have been domesticated for thousands of years--it's hardly a big deal to own donkeys, chinchillas, guinea pigs, or llamas. However, many of these species need a LOT of attention when they are kept as pets (parrots, for example), and more still should not, IMO, be kept as pets by any but the most knowledgeable of keepers with the best facilities. I don't think that monkeys and alligators should be impulse purchases.

That having been said, I do shy away from the idea of restrictive laws on animal ownership though.

What do you think? Should sales such as these be legal? Should people be able to own whatever kind of animals they want? If not, what sort of restrictions should be in place?

We have a mouse in the house. It is a really cute whitefooted mouse. It made a nest in with our frying pans under the stove last night, collecting cat hair to make the nest out of.

Two cats have been observing the building construction. The other two are not interested. None of the cats seem to try to eat this thing, it must have made many trips last night and one cat just watches it. Maybe they need a pet too.

This thing is really healthy, it wiggled out of my glove when I picked it up and ran up my granddaughters arm to escape her grasp the second time we tried to catch it. I know this isn't an exotic pet, but cats having a pet is kind of exotic.

As someone who has been deeply involved in the aquarium hobby, we get the same feelings. There are many fish you see for sale commonly that will get way too large for the average hobbyist's tank. No one should buy a common pleco or a pacu or a red-tailed catfish for their 10 or 20 g tank. But you see them in sale tanks everywhere, and you see every salesperson out there telling people they need an "algae eater" to keep their tank clean and making it sound as if the pleco will eat fish poo too. As if those plecs will eat feces as well as graze algae!

And then you have the responsible hobbyists who know better, but the trade never changes.

I too believe that some pets should not be kept in captivity. One should allow the animal enough space and mimic its natural environment as much as possible. Is the animal content to be alone or should there be two or even a group of them? Can the person financially afford such a pet/pets? There is much to consider before jumping into such a purchase. I hate when I see people buy these snakes that they know will get huge, yet when they reach a certain size, they don't want it anymore. Then why get it in the first place? Some people have let them loose outside. Good grief! They are not even in their natural homeland and environment and are set free to an unfamiliar climate. THINK before ever acquiring any pet, even something as simple as fish.

No matter what pet I ever owned, I researched them before buying them. Do not rely totally on the one selling them, do your own research!

originally posted by: Night Star
I too believe that some pets should not be kept in captivity. One should allow the animal enough space and mimic its natural environment as much as possible. Is the animal content to be alone or should there be two or even a group of them? Can the person financially afford such a pet/pets? There is much to consider before jumping into such a purchase. I hate when I see people buy these snakes that they know will get huge, yet when they reach a certain size, they don't want it anymore. Then why get it in the first place? Some people have let them loose outside. Good grief! They are not even in their natural homeland and environment and are set free to an unfamiliar climate. THINK before ever acquiring any pet, even something as simple as fish.

No matter what pet I ever owned, I researched them before buying them. Do not rely totally on the one selling them, do your own research!

I've been trying to tell that to my cats. They aren't supposed to keep wild white footed mice as pets. But they don't listen

a reply to: Night Star

What really gets me is the alligators. In Indiana it is legal to sell and keep them until they reach 5 or 6 feet, but after that you have to obtain a special license. So what happens is that many people end up just releasing them. There was one shot a couple hours from here a few years ago. A couple of kids were spearing frogs and spotted a gator. They ended up shooting it--it was 6ft and 150 lbs.

I rescued a macaw several years ago. I had large bird experience so I took her home with me to keep her from going to a clueless family with small children. They arent small child friendly. Her owner had died and she needed a home asap.
These birds need to stay in the wild. She is about 3' long from head to tail. I dont have the heart to keep her locked up. I feel really sad for her. She thinks Im her mate and demands a huge amount of time. Or she gets REALLY LOUD and demanding. Shes really friendly and lets me pet her, but she doesnt like anyone else, and gets really jealous when Im on the phone, or visiting with someone.

Her life span is 80+ yrs. She is 16 yrs old. I am 56, so when I leave this world, she will still have another 50 years. She could out live several more owners. These big birds are a huge amount of work, and they can be dangerous, there is a reason pirates where eye patches. I think a lot of people get these big birds not realizing what it requires. So, they get bumped from owner to owner. I have thought many times that I need to find her a new home, but she really thinks she is in love with me. And once you realize they are a person, and have feelings, it would be like ditching my kid. lol

a reply to: misskat1

Even having my realatively smaller birds (a white winged parakeet, a Quaker parrot, and a Senegal parrot) I cannot imagine having a larger parrot--Macaw, cockatoo, African Grey, etc and really admire anyone that can own them and keep them happy. My Senegal was the only one we have that we bought as a mature bird (13 years), we were his third home, and his issues have issues. It turns out that the woman we bought him from is quite the bird, dog, and horse flipper.

If the animal when fully matured could reasonably pose a threat to a five foot tall petite adult woman, than no, that animal should not be allowed to be kept as a pet. So no tigers, lions, chimps,pythons, alligators etc should be allowed to be kept as a pet.

I fully agree that really smart and or loyal animals like Parrots, Border Collies etc. deserve humans that can devote the proper amount of time to them, but realistically there are bigger problems to solve first such as outlawing puppy mills.

a reply to: rickymouse

Not worried about hantavirus?

Infection with hantavirus can progress to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which can be fatal. People become infected through contact with hantavirus-infected rodents or their urine and droppings. The Sin Nombre hantavirus, first recognized in 1993, is one of several New World hantaviruses circulating in the US.

I'd be setting traps if my cats weren't doing the trick. Letting a mouse crap all over your cookware seems like a really bad idea, but to each his own I guess.

In the United States, deer mice (along with cotton rats and rice rats in the southeastern states and the white-footed mouse in the Northeast) are the reservoir of the virus. The rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva. The virus is mainly transmitted to people when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus.
When fresh rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets containing the virus get into the air. This process is known as "airborne transmission".

White footed mouse you say?

It's fatality rate is only 38%. It is rare, but I wouldn't want to risk it. Just a heads up, though I have a feeling you're aware.

a reply to: rickymouse

I know this isn't an exotic pet, but cats having a pet is kind of exotic.

My money is on the uninterested cats . Lol . You know they are watching .

a reply to: Domo1

I know it has to go. we have been trying to live trap it or catch it with gloves,but if that doesn't work. We will have to set a regular trap. They love seeds and fruit so maybe a piece of peanut butter and jelly sandwich may work.

What is wrong with your state, that people are even allowed to sell things like sloths? Coatimundi?

I really have a problem with the whole "exotic" pet trade. As many here have mentioned, there are far too many morons out there, that think "hey, that sloth looks cool, I'm going to buy it". And have no idea what the hell they are doing.

It's always the animal that suffers.

I'm torn about the issue, when I see in America Kangaroos and Wallabies that need rescuing it makes me cranky because we don't have them as pet back home in OZ.

That said, I nearly bought two kids yesterday :O

IF I had the space for it, they need their own space and habitat, I'd love to have an Ocelot:



The thing is that it's a cat(I'm a cat person) that's the size of a midsized dog. It's semi arboreal. Needs tree like stuff in it's habitat.

a reply to: intrepid

WOW! I'd love one of those myself! What a beauty!!

a reply to: rickymouse

I would go the same route most likely. If they didn't carry disease and make a mess I would let a few hang out inside when it gets cold. Cute little buggers.

a reply to: Domo1

I think it is gone. We have a new washer and dryer being delivered today and I hauled the old ones out the other night and we haven't heard anything from him/her since then. It lived between the stove and washer and dryer. It must have been in the appliances when we brought them out.

What a job changing the washer and dryer, the wife said it was a good time to paint the laundry room. That little room has a real lot of trim and cabinets in it. It took eight hours to wash the walls, patch the holes, and paint the room.