why is it easier to own a wild cat than a wild dog as a pet?

Question

some people own tigers,lions,leopards,black leapords,cougars,bob cats,links,but i never heard of people who have a wolf,fox,hyena,african wild dog,as a pet and they are all wild animals.

Answer 1

I'm tempted to say that you've never heard of people keeping wolves as pets because everyone who ever kept a wolf as a pet was eventually killed by the wolf! I'm sure that's not true, but in actuality I have never heard of wild cats or wild dogs being kept as pets, and it would definitely be highly inadvisable to do either. These are wild animals and they are predators. A domestic situation doesn't provide those animals with what they need to thrive, and it can turn dangerous for the owner because these animals are instinctively agressive.

Answer 2

We have a different relationship with cats and dogs. Dogs are partners and help hunt etc. As such we become the alpha pack member. Their superior. Wild animals will often challenge that position eventually. Cats never accept us as pride members. We are a source of food, water, etc. but not a fellow cat. Therefore they do not gain anything like a higher pecking order by challenging us. They simply get less food. Therefore considering our relationship it is more dangerous to keep a wild dog as a pet dog than to keep a small wild cat as a pet cat. Large cats are a different story as they tend to eat their owners if they get hungry. (They actually do)

Below is a story I typed up after a vacation and saved it for times like this. It is a true story.

While on vacation I went to Reptile Gardens. One of the exhibits was a cage of alligators. I cannot remember the exact wording but I will give you the gist of the story that I like to call the 'Dumbest Man in the World'.

Have you ever watched the 007 movie where he runs across the backs of some alligators at a 'gator farm'? Apparently that was not supposed to be in the movie originally! The owner of the gators talked the director into filming while he (the owner) ran across their backs. Reluctantly the director agreed. The man only got a few feet before a gator moved, he fell in and was badly mauled. Upon getting out of the hospital he went to the director and said, "I know exactly what I did wrong and this time I can get it!" After much pleading the director again Very Reluctantly gave him another chance. This time he made it far enough across that the director could at least use it in the film.

Upon getting out of the hospital the second time the owner sold the alligators only to be eaten three month later by his newly purchased pet tiger!

True Story!


BTW Hyenas are not dogs. They are more closely related to weasles. And many people keep wolves or part wolves. They are even more common than big cats.

Answer 3

I've had both. I've had wolves, foxes, Carolina Dogs(North American Dingos), and New Guinea Singing Dogs, and I've had cougars, leopards, bobcats, and African jungle cats(Felis chaus). And of course, I've had, and still have-regular domesticated dogs and cats.

Generally speaking, dogs are easier to own, if by that you mean easier to control. That's because most members of the canine tribe are social animals, and have an instinctual social heirarchy that is actually pretty close to that of humans, with a dominant animal or pair of animals, and most of the others being genetically related to them-an extended family, if you will. Most cats, in contrast, are loners for the most part, and cats just don't do that "obey the leader" thing too well, as anyone who has a cat, of ANY kind, will tell you! Cats have that Frank Sinatra attitude-"I did it MY way"! There are also a lot more contagious disease issues with exotic cats, and many of the vaccines used to protect their domesticated cousins actually cause more problems. I lost a leopard to a common house cat disease-Infectious Feline Peritonitis, contracted from a stray domestic cat. Most wild canines can be safely vaccinated with available dog vaccines. Actually, there a quite a lot of people with wild dogs as pets, much moreso than cats, but the cats, especially the big cats, get more notoriety because they're more risky to keep, simply because of their size and the fact that they are CATS. With ANY exotic animal, though, there is a huge committment, in terms of time, hard work, and money. You cannot live your life according to YOUR wants or schedule, but according to THEIRS. Having a wolf or a bobcat is not like having a Lab or Persian that you can drop off an doggie "day care" or a boarding kennel while you go on vacation. In that respect, having any sort of wild carnivore is far more challenging than having their domesticated counterparts.

And by the way, hyenas are NOT members of the dog family. They are more closely related to mongooses and civets, which actually makes them more closely related to CATS than to dogs, in spite of their looks.

Answer 4

It is all a matter of preference. The cats that you've mentioned all look "fashionable" (looks good...), while the dogs aren't. And I wouldn't say that it is easier to own wild cats compared to wild dogs. From what I know, most wildcats are given to shelters and zoos once they become adults because their owners can't handle them. Both wildcats and wild dogs have certain tendencies that are innate to untamed creatures, and it is all a matter of preference, someone might handle the habits of a tiger better, and someone might be able to handle a wolf's habit better. But either way, I wouldn't want to own any wild animal; they belong to the wild and not in my backyard.

Answer 5

By "easier" do you mean legally, or the care you need to give the animal?

You would need permits to keep any wild animal. Some are easier to get than others.

Some places even require permits to keep hybrid dogs (wolf/dog or coyote/dog mix).

As far as caring for a wild animal in captivity, to properly care for all of the animal's needs - physical (room to move about, proper diet, proper shelter) as well as their psycological needs (privacy, same-species companionship, lack of boredom, etc.) - you need a lot of acreage, a lot of money (proper food and vets experienced in exotic animal care do not come cheap), and a lot of training. A wild animal is not something that anyone should ever keep just as a pet. And the wild dogs are just as difficult as the wild cats to care for properly.

Two places you may enjoy reading about are the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN (http://www.wolf.org/wolves/aboutus/aboutus.asp) and the Pine County Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone MN (http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/Archive/2007-01-07_STarticle_BurdenOfBigCats.pdf)

I am sure if you contact either of these places, they will explain to you the reasons these animals should never be kept as pets.

Answer 6

People who have ever kept wild cats as pets have ended up giving away the animals to a place like a wildlife refuge. It wouldn't be easier to have wild cat. They are more carnivorous than dogs. Haven't you seen how sharp the teeth are? Besides, bobcats could have a house cat as sushi.

Answer 7

I've know a person who owned a half wolf. Maybe big cats are cooler. Besides, a wolf looks like a dog, but is more dangerous than a dog, so why not just own a dog?