If you're a responsible pet owner than this isn't meant for you. Sadly, not all of us are responsible pet owners. My mission in today's nature weekend post is to talk about what an exotic pet is and what exactly is our responsibility as an owner. The definition on wikipedia for an exotic pets is as follow:
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.
So that sounds pretty good to me. As you can imagine, there are a whole mess of animals that could be thrown into discussion. Most of my animals qualify as being exotic. On the other hand my brother's dogs hardly qualify at all. To whom do we have a responsibility to as an exotic pet owner?
Good question? I think first and for most, we are responsible for the animal itself. Second, we are responsible for knowing the laws in our communities. We are responsible for the safety of the ecosystems in which we live. Our neighbors are also to be considered as far as responsibilities go. Of course our safety and the safety of others also need to be considered. Sounds like there is a heap of responsibilities. It's pretty serious if you ask me.
Okay so we are responsible for the animal, right? Right! This means, that you had better think before you buy it. First thing to consider is can I afford this animal. Often, this really isn't the case but it could come down to that. You need to research this animal out. Things I take into consideration are 1.Size of the animal, 2.Venom, 3.Food, 4.Housing, 5.Habitat needs. 6.Safety. Okay so let's talk about size of the animal. I have several animals that will get to be 8 to 9 inches across. Small potatoes when you consider how large some constricting snakes can be. It important to know how large an animal is going to get. It doesn't make much sense to get an animal if you can't provide adequate housing for it. If you don't have room why have the animal. In my case, I look the venom of the animal. I don't want an animal that can kill me with one sting or one bite. Sure, they might be a pretty animal or give me bragging rights. My safety comes first as well as the safety of anyone around me. Food, it's important to consider the food that you're animal will eat. You need to consider where you're going to buy the food for your animal and how much is that food going to cost. My spiders get crickets and I know that I can get crickets at the local PetsMart. I also need to make sure that I'm giving fresh water to my animals. Depending upon the age of your animal when you bought it, you need to really look at your ability to house it. For my baby tarantulas, what they are in is fine but eventually, I have to take into account their adult size. It wouldn't be bad to plan for that adult size when it comes to housing that animal later. I might need a ten or fifteen gallon tank which means, I am going to need the space for that tank. Along with housing, it's important to know a little bit about their needs. Not all of my animals require the same kind of habitat. The amount of humidity needed for a Pink-Toe Tarantula is different from those needed for a Desert Hairy scorpion. I'm also not going to house them on the same exact substrate or even use the same kind of decorations. Safety, this one is important. I cannot stress this one enough.
Safety must be important to every single exotic pet owner out there. You have to consider your safety, your family's safety, and the safety of anyone who visits your house, not to mention the safety of your neighbors. To many people do not take this serious, I have one rule that I always follow. Unless you are an adult, you do not hold my tarantulas. For that matter only a small handful of people have held my tarantulas. I like that way. By having that rule, I protect myself as well as those around me. My tanks are always shut. I only open them when I want them open. A final rule that I have is that when I do a show with my animals, no one but me and my assistant are allowed to open or touch my tanks. It's as much for the animal's safety as it is for my safety. Safety should always be on the mind at all times. You should know what your animal is capable of and then plan for that. Better yet, plan for the worst case scenario.
I left out something from my list. What happens when you no longer want that animal? Hopefully, when you buy you're animal your committed to it, and you won't choose to get rid of it. BUT in this day and age of job losses, it's important to know where to turn. Find out what your choices are and then make plans for the day when you might have to say goodbye. Just some food for thought.
Accidents are going to happen. They can happen to anyone but remember, it's the job of the owner to lessen those accidents.
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