Atypical pets

[flightdoc09]

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Totally random, but I've been going down YouTube and online rabbit holes watching videos of people with what I would consider atypical pets. Aside from the people with bobcats, and tigers, and bears, and stuff, I've been seeing stuff like raccoons, and otters, and they look like so much fun.

I know atypical is subjective, as some would think snakes and spiders are atypical as well. But I'm thinking more in terms of warm blooded fluffy things that you can meaningfully interact with.

What all have you seen?

 

[oliversacks4thewin]

Totally random, but I've been going down YouTube and online rabbit holes watching videos of people with what I would consider atypical pets. Aside from the people with bobcats, and tigers, and bears, and stuff, I've been seeing stuff like raccoons, and otters, and they look like so much fun.

I know atypical is subjective, as some would think snakes and spiders are atypical as well. But I'm thinking more in terms of warm blooded fluffy things that you can meaningfully interact with.

What all have you seen?

Not a vet, but previously involved in zoo research and have worked with otters. They are sooo stinking cute. Trust me. You don't want them as a pet.

 

[pp9]

In private practice, off of the top of my head I’ve seen emus, ostriches (both younger ones), flamingoes, various small exotic cats, water monitors, a capybara, etc. got many calls from owners begging us to see their dying primates, bigger cats, fully grown ratites, etc but there are limits most clinics have in place for safety reasons. I worked ER in Florida where it’s far too easy to get nearly any exotic animal you could want.

Now I’m full time zoo and see all of these and more lol.

 

[flightdoc09]

Not a vet, but previously involved in zoo research and have worked with otters. They are sooo stinking cute. Trust me. You don't want them as a pet.

Why's that? I saw them swimming with a guy in their backyard pool and just playing with all the pool toys.

Also, baby goats!

 

[oliversacks4thewin]

Why's that? I saw them swimming with a guy in their backyard pool and just playing with all the pool toys.

Also, baby goats!

Again, I'll defer to my much more learned colleagues but they are hyperactive, prone to destroying everything in sight, they smell bad (their diet is mostly fish, after all), their marking territory behaviors are rough, to put it mildly, and they are sooooo loud.

Edit: I remember the zookeepers we worked with on the project taught us about the sounds and how to recognize when the otters were telling us "get out" of their space. Those "cute sounds" in those types of videos could be signs of distress. Leave them to the places where they belong; where they have tons of space and ability to just be otters.

 

[genny]

I know atypical is subjective, as some would think snakes and spiders are atypical as well. But I'm thinking more in terms of warm blooded fluffy things that you can meaningfully interact with.

I think the rarest I’ve seen was a kinkajou. Those people never got to go on vacation because no one could watch their pet.

 

[pp9]

Why's that?

Exotic/zoo species are really demanding creatures. The internet makes it seem like a pool, toy box, whatever is all they need but in reality the vast majority of privately owned zoo species are getting deficient care. Usually diet and behavioral management are sorely lacking. Those videos don’t show that otter’s crappy diet, the fact that the owners house is probably trashed, the fact that they might be driving three states away to see the one vet willing/able to provide medical care (edit: if the animal is getting any medical care at all…).

The average person can’t even meet the needs of a pet bird, and there are joe schmoes out there that have chimps, tigers, etc living in their basements. These animals are not domesticated, they haven’t been bred over hundreds or thousands of years to be content to live in a house like a dog has. Hell, there are some species that don’t even do well in zoos, where it’s our job to meet their needs 24/7. I think some owners, especially the ones that have money to burn, can construct suitable habitats and get their animal a good diet and veterinary care. 99.9% cannot. As such, you end up with morbidly obese inbred tigers living in chain link enclosures the size of a small bedroom, chimps that kill people, ratites with bendy bones because the owner didn’t know that they can’t live off of chicken feed, etc. it’s a really sad reality for these animals and internet videos have made the problem so much worse.

 

[_rae_]

Why's that?

Otters, like a lot of wild animals, can be dangerous. We had a river otter at the Audubon education center I volunteered at and there were only two people on that property trained to handle it. They have an impressive bite force for their size, sharp teeth, and are typically territorial. While uncommon, they can also carry and transmit rabies.

We were walking early in the morning on Rialto beach while on vacation and startled a sea otter. It was incredibly to see one, and thankfully this guy was just interested in getting his breakfast and getting away from us, but it was one of my few wildlife "oh ****" moments. Definitely slowly took some steps back to give him space. They can get bigger than you think they can, too.

 

[flightdoc09]

Otters, like a lot of wild animals, can be dangerous. We had a river otter at the Audubon education center I volunteered at and there were only two people on that property trained to handle it. They have an impressive bite force for their size, sharp teeth, and are typically territorial. While uncommon, they can also carry and transmit rabies.

We were walking early in the morning on Rialto beach while on vacation and startled a sea otter. It was incredibly to see one, and thankfully this guy was just interested in getting his breakfast and getting away from us, but it was one of my few wildlife "oh ****" moments. Definitely slowly took some steps back to give him space. They can get bigger than you think they can, too.

But check this little bugger out!

 

[_rae_]

But check this little bugger out!

It's a baby. Of course it's cute. But when that "little bugger" reaches over three feet long, hits sexual maturity, and is isolated despite being a social animal, it will be significantly less cute more destructive, and more dangerous.

Sorry, this isn't going to be well received here because a layperson has zero business owning an animal like that (and a google search of him suggests he doesn't treat his animals great in general....).