Exotic Pets: Tigers

Tigers are felines which are extremely popular among pet lovers who have immense passion for exotic animals. At the same time they are also the most dangerous of all the exotic pets. In the first place, it is really difficult to get a permit for them to be kept as pets. And even if the owner gets the permit, they have to face other issues like finance, responsibility, threats, and regulatory issues so much so that even the local inspector drops by every now and then to inspect the animal and the living conditions provided by the owner. Although owing a tiger sounds impressive but it is more like building castle on clouds.

Potential owners shouldn’t get turned down, but they should very well understand the challenges they have to undergo during the whole process. They should work as a volunteer at a zoo which has adult tigers to understand in depth about what they are going to do.

Cubs usually like to cuddle and sleep with humans around. They can be fed with milk bottles like a human baby. They need to be taken out for a walk, frequently. They won’t complain if the owners keep other pets along with them. Tigers like to play wild games around the house. They attack a piece of furniture multiple times and drag them from one corner to other, because of their wild instincts of hunting. They will get companionship and would enjoy playing with each other, inside the house as well as outside. Problem arises only when the tiger outgrows other pets, as they start biting and attacking the weaker one. They should not only be moved out of the house, but also will require a bigger cage, if a smaller cage was built earlier. The expense for building a larger cage will be huge. When they grow, they need to be shifted to a cage which is at least eighty-seven feet long and thirty-feet tall. A small swimming pool should also be built for them, which they can enjoy in the scorching sun.

But when they grow, they become very heavy and the owner finds it difficult to take it outside for a walk as he will find it impossible to manage the leash with the animal’s weight on it. The animals will then begin to miss out the freedom and will sometimes get aggressive and start roaring a lot. To keep them occupied, the owner can place things strategically, so that the animal gets involved in the activity of sniffing out things and food. They can be given toys to play with, but they won’t last for long and should be replaced by new ones frequently. They even throw the toys outside their cage, which the owner should get it back for him to play again. When the owner leaves the house, even for a while, the animals should be securely tied within the cage. There are chances that they can break open and attack humans in the neighborhood.

After the passage of eighteen months, tigers shed their baby teeth and grow four inches canines. That’s when most of the owners freak out because although till then they had tamed the animal, but the wild predator will always dwell in the animal. The owners no longer go inside the cage to feed the animal, and even if they do, they carry a pepper spray along with them. Special protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety of people not only in the house, but around the house as well.

One of the most hectic parts is cage keeping. There are chances of algae growth which requires lot of scrubbing and water. The old hay should be thrown out, which makes really big pile and not to forget animal waste. The water in the swimming pools should also be replaced often. As they are fed with whole animals, the remains accumulate which should be cleaned as they will start decaying. Especially during the summers, maggots grow rapidly if even one cage cleaning schedule is missed.