This has been bugging me for about a day and since this really is my blog (I do tend to forget about that) this is probably the best place to unleash. I mean... it is titled "Waffle's Rant".
So here's the thing, don't buy yourself an exotic pet. Don't do it. There is a reason people keep cats and dogs. Its because they are USEFUL and they actually like people because they've been DOMESTICATED. Now I know you're wondering about your rodents and your birds and your herps and to some extent those are okay in my book because a wide variety of those have been domesticated to some extent. However if you want a pet I would still encourage you get a cat or a dog because they've got a thousand years on rabbits and parrots and what-else-have-yous.
I don't think people really understand the whole 'domestication' thing. Its where over THOUSANDS of years an animal becomes accustomed and molded to living with humans and working with them. You take the nicest wolf/wild dog and the other nicest wolf/wild dog and breed 'em together and breed the nicest pups with the next nicest pups and so on and so forth until you get... a DOG! The same goes for cats. You breed the qualities you want into an animal. You do that enough and you've got a domesticated animal. Because cats and dogs were bred to work for and with people they've become 'pets'. There are other domesticated animals like cows and sheep and goats and chickens and pretty much any farm animal. But those were raised for food, to be easily managed compared to their wild counterparts. Its easier to deal with a chicken then a wild pheasant but its much easier to work with a dog then a chicken.
Dogs and cats have a purpose. They've been bred for companionship, for guarding, for hunting, for mousing and probably some other things I'm forgetting. While most dogs today are for companionship we still have to deal with what they've been bred for. Dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, etc. So here's what I'm confused about: exotic animals.
My friend wants to get a FOX. A fox. An animal that a few generations ago WAS HUNTING MICE IN YOUR BACKYARD. Now I'm not saying that someday foxes won't become wonderful house pets but why risk it now? Why bring something into your home that will most likely have unfavorable instincts still in its system? Dogs will pee on your floor when threatened, cats still will puke wherever the hell they feel like puking. Its in their DNA, its programed in their heads to act like a cat or act like a dog. So you can only assume that a fox is programed to act like a fox.
And the kicker? She's pregnant. She wants to bring a FOX (augh, how can I stress this enough) into a house (that's not hers) and then bring a BABY into that home (that's not hers) WITH A FOX. I'd be worried if she was getting a dog or a cat but I don't think she gets the WILD ANIMAL part of the fox deal. She's seen a few clips on youtube of these semi-domesticated foxes and thinks they're cute and stops with that. I don't think people fully understand that any animal you let into your house becomes your responsibility for the next ten plus years. That means you have to find an animal who suits your lifestyle and that you can provide everything that animal needs. I don't think anyone can expect a fox to live in somebody's basement and be happy. I don't think you can have a fox in your house and have it be safe for you or your soon to be here child.
Does anybody out there have experiences with these pet foxes? It sounds SO shady to me and I would never get one unless I was willing to dedicate my life to domesticating them. It also sounds so mean and unfair to the fox to try to keep it as a pet... Augh, what do ya'll think?
