There are a lot of animals that are just not suitable as pets, and often rightly so. They're big, they're dangerous, they're not domesticated, they aren't suited to life penned up, they need constant companionship, they have special needs that cost far more than the average person is willing to shell out... the list goes on. I'm perfectly fine with 'exotic' pets remaining outside the realm of personal ownership. I just want a dog, frankly. Still, I'm sure most pet lovers have at least entertained the idea of owning something more exotic at one time or another. If you had the resources, the time required, and the opportunity to properly rear an exotic animal, which would you choose? This probably sounds a little back country, but I'd honestly choose a raccoon. I absolutely love raccoons. They look cool, they're incredibly smart, and they seem like they'd have a lot of personality. They're also quite illegal where I live, and generally viewed as pests, so I doubt this pipe dream will ever be a reality - and I don't think I'd have the time or the resources to properly care for one anyway. Still, I can dream the dream.
I haven't even seen a real raccoon because we don't have them here in our country. It would be totally cool to own one. But for me, I'd love to own a tiger, if I am lucky. We have this former senator here and he owns one. His name is Chavit Singson and his pet tiger lives in his house. It is really dangerous but he has a lot of caretakers for the tiger. If only tigers love to be cuddled! Lol.
Big exotic pets could be very expensive to keep. Imagine keeping a lion in a cage and feeding it 90 pounds of meat every day . . . Nonetheless if I had the means the one exotic pet I'd want is a cheetah. They aren't "cute" but they aren't as dangerous as the other big cats.
I think there is a breed of a cat called Savannah that is from the line of cheetahs. I remember seeing a YouTube video of such cat running, and she is super fast! She also jumps higher than normal cats. She also looks like a cheetah but of course, a mini version.
Exotic pets not for me. I'll stick to cats and dogs. Exotic pets just doesn't do anything for me. I like dogs and cats for pets. Had pets all my life until I moved into an apt. I like the company of dogs and cats for pets. They are just fun and very kind little creatures to have as pets. I had not thought to get any exotic pets ever.
Since I was a little girl I've always wanted to get a kangaroo. Unfortunately I don't live in Australia, so it's illegal to have one. Maybe someday if I move I'll give in and get one to be my new baby. Until then, dogs are the way to go!
I have seen a raccoon before and they are cute/cool looking. There was a family who lived in the tree behind my house. My neighbor would regularly come out with his rifle to shoot at them. It does not seem like they would be pet like. They seem to keep their distance. I believe in letting nature be to live its destined life. So, I don't have a dream for any exotic pet.
The problem with people owning exotic pets is that they don't realize the hard work and commitment needed to raise an unconventional pet. So when they get tired of it, they release it into the wild, either fating it to a certain death or messing up the ecosystem by providing a new species (Burmese Python come to mind). However, if I had to choose, I think I'd get a meerkat. Not AS crazy as a lion or tiger but still pretty unconventional.
Raccoons are fairly social animals. I see them wandering around the neighbourhood quite often when I go out for walks in the evening, and more often than not they move around in units. I don't think they stay together for a really long time once their young get big enough, but they're capable of getting along. Though I have heard some nasty fights between raccoons in the evening, like any other animal. Regardless, as long as you give them space and some of their own possessions raccoons can apparently make fabulous pets. Also, in fairness, if a dude kept shooting at me I'd want to keep my distance too.
A raccoon is a pretty cute critter but as pets they can get in a LOT of trouble. Those dexterous fingers lack and opposeable thumb but they can still get into a lot more than a dog or a cat and they chew everything. Getting a permit for one isn't too hard in most states but the necessary raccoon housing and house-proofing to keep them from getting in trouble is EXPENSIVE. Also, because there is no approved rabies vaccine for them, if they ever bite a guest even by accident, they can be killed to do the test. I one met two pet skunks. They had been de-scented and neutered. They were wearing harnesses and leashes and seemed very happy to be carried around or walked by their people. I got to pet one and their fur felt so cool! The owners said that they needed a lot of socialization and attention to keep them friendly but they were perfectly willing to let a stranger (me) pet them gently.
A raccoon seems like an awesome pet to have but aren't they hostile to humans? I haven't encountered a raccoon ever since but my first time seeing one on a dumpster it seems like it's going to jump and bite. I once owned a spider when I was a kid. It's no tarantula or some really unique breed of spider, it's just a regular spider I found in our yard and at the time I was really fond of it. My mom would always urge me to throw it away but I refuse to do so until it laid eggs! At first I thought it was really cool cause I'd get to have a baby spider but once the eggs hatched my room was filled with tiny spiders and eventually we had to clear out my room just to get rid of them.
A peacock seems to be a nice exotic pet to have. They look colorful and attention grabbing as well. They don't seem to be dangerous either, so if it's not prohibited then I would like to have one.
A wild raccoon is usually wary of and hostile towards humans. They live near us rummaging in the trash but they're not friendly. It's best to leave them alone or scare them away by being loud. There are breeders who breed them in captivity though. The (expensive) babies are handled by people from birth and born from parents who have shown an ability to get along with humans. Since only raccoons who are adaptable enough to thrive as pets are bred, this selectively reinforces the genes that make them easier to tame. They're not domesticated yet but it is essentially the start of the process. There is a Russian scientific experiment on domestication that has been running for over 50 years, producing domesticated foxes. Hobby breeders are doing thet same sort of things, with varying results, on a lot of exotic small to medium pets. Not thigs like tigers but things that are easier to feed and house and less dangerous.
When I was a child, I actually wanted to have a python, those white and yellow albino ones and it would be called Banana! Of course, now I days I don't have the slightest intention of having a snake as a pet. I am perfectly happy with my dog and my cat! And it is not even because I do not like snakes anymore... I think they're gorgeous. But you would be taking them out of their natural environment, they are very expensive to take care of and I would be very horrified buying frozen rats to give the snake is a meal.
But aren't dogs produced by the same process? I mean by domesticating wolves right? So if we can do it on wolves (which probably is more dangerous than raccoons) then we can pretty much do it on the more tamed critters. But for the most part I think it's best to leave them alone since they're really not meant to be pets in the first place, although I wouldn't say no to a pet fox.
Yep. Their paws are the primary reason why I would probably never actually get raccoons, not unless I had a fortune and a lot of time on my hands. I once watched one expertly unlatch a trash can security device, knock the whole thing over, and rummage around in the contents, all within the span of maybe half a minute. They're incredible little devils, which is one of the reasons I like them so much. I've heard skunks make excellent pets, and I've seen many videos of them socializing with dogs and cats rather well on YouTube. But, yeah, getting rid of those scent glands is kinda mandatory.
I'm not supposed to post this but I will not name my friend who owns a boa. It is prohibited here to own such exotic pets much more animals that can be harmful to humans like snakes, lion, tiger, and other wild animals.There is a commercial area here that has several pet shops that sell exotic animals. When those animals are not sold after 2 months, the reduce the price and put it on sale. That big boa of my friend that eats a whole chicken every other day was bought for the price of a dog.
Yes. Dogs were produced from wolves with essentially the same process. Keep in mind that it took a VERY long time until dogs were reliably tame and an even longer time to create the different breeds. The captive bred raccoon, foxes, skunks, and similar critters are still at the beginning of that process. I don't believe in "meant to be." Sure we think of those animals as wild now...but humans thought of wolves as a danger and a predator for a long time. I don't have a moral stance on whether they should be domesticated BUT domesticated species often thrive when wild ones die off so it isn't all bad.
