Guest Author - Denise Lacazette

When you own an exotic pet you have a responsibility for their well-being. Their well-being includes physical and mental care. This week (April 16, 2006) in Texas several exotic animals (bears, tigers, boars, macaw) were seized because of legal violations. The animals were housed in cages too small (barely or unable to turn around, stretch out, or exercise) and no drinking water readily available. Additionally there were no toys or other activities for mental stimulation. Many of these animals were kept 9-30 years in this condition. The animals and cages did appear clean and they were separated from each other so no harmful interactions could occur between the species. It appears there was some thought to their care, but not enough.

Whether an animal is domesticated or not, if you keep an animal for personal enjoyment, business (performing), or breeding you have a responsibility to treat that animal legally and morally appropriately. The legal requirements are the minimum values assigned to keeping animals. Morally you should strive to provide better than the minimum required. Many of the exotic animals kept as pets have long life spans and you need to take into consideration the quality of their lives while in your care. If you cannot provide better than the minimum care for your pets you need to consider placing them in a situation that can.

Some of the questions you need to ask yourself when providing a home for an exotic animal are:

> What is the cage used for? Is it only to sleep in? How many hours a day/night does the animal spend there? Is there enough room to exercise? If not, where/how will the animal get exercise? Some animals, like tarantulas, need less space rather than more, but they are the exception rather than the norm.
> What kind of mental stimulation should I provide for my animal? Does it play with toys? Chew for entertainment? Dig? Enjoy color or music? Hide? Forage?
> Does my animal like to bathe? Can it do so at will or does it need to be scheduled and special arrangements made?
> Is fresh water available at all times?
> What would my animal do during its active hours if it were in the wild? Can I provide anything similar for it to do?

The question you should finally ask yourself is "if I was wild and had to live here for the next XX years, would I be happy and thrive here?" All animals do not deserve any less than a resounding "yes". Learn about the history of your exotic pet in the wild. Think outside the box and be creative with their environment. I grow tropical plants and bushes in my tropical animal cages. I also grow fruit and vegetables from my animal's native lands in my garden. The things you can do as an exotic pet owner to provide a good life (quality of life) for your pet are only limited by your imagination.