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Amy Elliot-Meisel

Academic Advisor at Roosevelt University

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Should You Keep Exotic Pets?

June 9, 2022 by Amy Elliot-Meisel Leave a Comment

The popularity of keeping exotic animals as pets has grown in recent years. With popularity of shows like Tiger King, however, many people are also now aware of the dangers of owning exotic animals. As of 2016, about 13% of households in the United States owned an exotic pet, but is it really a good idea?

Amy Elliot-Meisel is an experienced professional in academic advisory services. She currently serves as a faculty member at Rush University. She is also passionate about fostering shelter animals and animal welfare. Today, she shares some things to consider before purchasing an exotic animal.

One major point to keep in mind is the welfare of the animal. There are five components to animal welfare. Animals should:

  • Be given a suitable diet
  • Live in an environment suited to their needs
  • Be free to engage in regular patterns of behavior
  • Live either with or away from other animals, depending on their social needs
  • Be protected from suffering, disease, injury, and pain

If you are considering owning an exotic animal, you need to really think about whether or not you can provide these things for that animal. Be honest with yourself about this and really think about what it would take for you to provide all of these things. You will also need to keep in mind laws regarding exotic pets in your state.

What pets are considered exotic?

The list of exotic animals is extensive. Generally speaking, any animal that is non-domesticated or common to own could be considered exotic. Essentially, anything that is not a cat, dog, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, farm animal, etc is exotic. Exotic animals could include anything from common pets such as small reptiles or hedgehogs all the way to big cats or wolves.

Filed Under: Animal Care Tagged With: Amy Elliot Meisel, Animal Rescue, exotic pets, Fostering Animals

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