Crocodile tears: Animals that should not be kept at home
alexander savina
The question is whether in principle to start animals, controversial - especially considering that none of them from the very beginning lived with a man. Yes, animals that, like many domestic cats and dogs, have never been independent, will be more difficult in the wild; animals whose lives are threatened can also be better with humans. Deciding on a pet, in any case, you should assess your strength: will the animal be comfortable with you, can you provide proper care and pay a lot of attention, will it be active enough and will not become lonely.
With exotic animals it is still more difficult: in principle, it is difficult for a person without special knowledge to care for such a creature on their own, but many people do not give up trying - although in many countries it is prohibited by law. In Russia, they are also trying to introduce the relevant law - but so far to no avail. The animals that should not be kept in captivity (first of all wild) have a few common features that make it worth thinking twice whether you are ready to care for them: the animal may be crowded in captivity, the temperature in your apartment may not fit , he often needs complicated care, there may not be a veterinarian who knows how to handle him, and much more. If these arguments are not enough for you, we will talk about ten animals that should not be kept in an apartment - and why.
Jerzy
Almost everyone to whom the hedgehog wandered to the dacha plot, thought about keeping it for himself - but these animals are unlikely to love you the way you would like. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, and they are unlikely to communicate with them during the day; but at night they can easily prevent sleep, because they will make noise. There are a lot of myths around hedgehogs: in fact, they cannot be watered with milk, and they don’t eat berries or mushrooms - they are predatory animals, and they need a balanced diet, which also includes insects, for example.
Another difference from the "ideal" pet - hedgehogs hibernate, and for this they need a place with a temperature no higher than five degrees. In a warm apartment, the hedgehog will not be able to hibernate, and some owners use it - but do not think that this can make the pet more “comfortable”: it is very harmful for the beast.
Primates
Few animals look as touching as a tiny marmozette - but it, like other primates, definitely should not be kept at home: it is dangerous both for the animal itself and for its owners, besides, it is difficult and expensive to care for them. At the thought of a domestic monkey, many people imagine a tender, cheerful animal that you can hug and stroke, but this is not so: when primates grow up, they often become aggressive. At the same time trying to pacify them cruelly - this behavior is natural for them.
In addition, primates need a company of other primates - communication with humans or with other animals will not replace it. Monkeys mark a lot of territory - the owners are often not ready for this and, in order to keep the apartment clean, animals are locked up for a day in a cage (we think it’s not necessary to explain why it is inhuman). The English non-profit organization RSPCA, which sharply opposes keeping primates as pets, notes that "domestic" monkeys often experience rickets because of poor nutrition and lack of light.
Sugar possums
Australian flying squirrels, or sugar possums, are small marsupials that are often kept as pets: the Internet is full of ads for their sale. But having a house of possum is not the same thing as a dog or a cat: sugar possums are not domesticated, they are not used to a person and are unlikely to love the owner. For example, possums actively mark the territory, and often their owner - this is not very similar to how we imagine a relationship with a pet.
Australian flying squirrels are nocturnal animals. Although some owners believe that they can be transferred to another mode, they are not adapted to the daylight - so the animal will surely make noise while the owner is sleeping, or the owner will have to live in a different rhythm. Possums are used to living in large groups and in the trees - even a large cell and a company of a couple of relatives can hardly replace them fully. Many people do not like the fact that possums need to be fed with insects, but the animal can get sick without a proper diet.
Crocodiles
We think it is not necessary to explain that it is dangerous to keep a crocodile as a pet - but this is not so rare. If the size, aggressiveness and the fact that the food of an adult should be 5% of its own weight does not scare you, you should at least think that it is difficult to keep it in an apartment. The animal needs a spacious terrarium with water - at the same time, the partitions must be three times longer than the crocodile and twice as tall as it is, so that it cannot move through them. More than half of the terrarium should be filled with water, but at the same time the crocodile should have the opportunity to go on land and comfortably turn around. These animals are very sensitive to temperature: the temperature of the water should be 26-29 degrees Celsius, and air - 29-33 degrees.
The conditions in which the crocodile lives should be as close to the wild as possible, and the crocodile itself in captivity remains a wild animal: he can get used to the fact that you touch him, but he is unlikely to like it - and the owner must always be alert to do not accidentally suffer.
Owls
Owls have become popular pets with movies and books about Harry Potter. True, many owners later abandon them, despite the fact that poultry are not adapted to life in the wild.
Few people think about how to keep owls: they need a spacious aviary, the ability to fly, as well as the capacity in which they can swim. Owls are predators that feed on small animals, such as mice or chickens (they are often fed live to the bird), and after feeding the bird, food remains must be removed. Owls do not live in flocks, so they are unlikely to make friends with you: they do not like being held in their arms, and they don’t like to be among several people. In addition, they have a sharp beak and claws, with the help of which they tear up their prey - because of them the host may suffer.
Feline
Most of us (for obvious reasons) would prefer to have a regular cat instead of a tiger or lion cub. But wild cats still meet as pets - for example, two years ago boxer Floyd Mayweather was presented with a tiger, and a domestic lion cub can be seen in an ordinary Russian apartment. It is important to understand that a lion, tiger or cougar will never become completely domesticated: even in the most peaceful animal instincts can wake up at any moment.
One of the most famous stories of this kind is connected with the Soviet Berber family: for a long time the lion King lived in their house, starring in the film “The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia”, then the puma also appeared, and after King's death the family started another lion, King The second. It ended sadly: the lion killed the son of the family, Roman Berberov, and inflicted severe injuries on his mother Nina Berberova, and the police officers who arrived at the scene shot him and puma. According to the most common version of the story, the animals began to fight, and the boy tried to separate them and suffered.
Squirrels
Squirrels have been popular pets for several centuries - however, now their attitudes have changed: they are increasingly seen as pests, although this does not stop many protein lovers.
Squirrels are known for their complex diet (for a rodent to have a complete diet, not just enough nuts and special food - you may need cones, twigs, berries, and much more), they need a lot of space (if you let them go for a walk around the apartment, they can be crippled, easily spoiled , tear the wallpaper or gnaw the cable, and in the cage they can be cramped), they mark the territory a lot, wake up early, make noise and bite painfully - so what is happening around will hardly resemble a Disney cartoon.
Snakes
Snakes are often brought up as pets. There is nothing wrong with settling the homes of a harmless snake. The situation with exotic species is much more complicated: they can be dangerous for their own owners and often escape from the terrarium, so they need to be closely monitored.
Many species of snakes adapt well to captivity and can even moderately attach to the host — for example, associate a person’s presence with food. True, the behavior of snakes bred in captivity is not much different from the behavior of wild snakes - so you should not count on amazing results. In addition, snakes are difficult to care for, and it is especially important to ensure that their diet is complete: most often they need to be fed with small animals, while not all snakes are ready to eat thawed carcasses instead of live food.
The bats
Bats are wild animals that are relatively rarely kept at home because they cannot be tamed. Keeping bats in an apartment is difficult: they are nocturnal animals, and they need to communicate at night.
In addition, bats are aggressive and can painfully bite - it is also dangerous because they can be carriers of various diseases. These creatures need to be fed with insects, and do it better with thick gloves and tweezers so that the animal does not bite you. The fact that the bat can not be accustomed to the tray, we think, and so it is understandable.
Iguana
Iguana can be kept at home - but it is a capricious animal, and not everyone is aware of how much effort and money it will take to be comfortable in the apartment and to keep the pet healthy. Iguanas need a spacious terrarium (with age, the reptile becomes larger) with an ultraviolet lamp, bark and clean water - you need to maintain a special temperature regime and high humidity in it.
It is necessary to strictly follow the feeding schedule and ensure that the reptile is on time in the dark. Raising an iguana requires a lot of patience, but perhaps in the end it will not get used to you and will remain wildly. In addition, males often sharply react to women during menstruation - this should also be taken into account.