Search Results Web results Keeping and Caring for Tigers as Pets

Tigers are not domesticated cats, nor as long as they be kept as pets, but many people still look after them therefore. It’s problematic to consider keeping a tiger or any big cat as a pet, yet thousands are kept as pets-more than are left in the open. If you’re still curious, some tips about what to learn about keeping these large cats as pets.

Behavior and Temperament
Tigers are large, strong, and dangerous cats. They be capable of remove a 500-pound antelope, are strong swimmers, and are very territorial. Male tigers will cover a territory up to almost 40 miles and females cover about 7 miles. Males mark their territories by spraying urine and feces and do not prosper with other males.

Although tiger cubs are small and cute, they’ll quickly grow up to be hundreds of pounds with several inch long canine teeth and claws that you’d like to not get scratched by. You can declaw a tiger, as they use their claws to walk, and removing their large teeth isn’t only inhumane, but it prevents them from tearing apart their food.

Once a Exotic Cubs for sale gets big enough to push you over, it’s probably an awful idea to be wrestling with them. Even their “play” bites can cause serious harm to or kill a person. Many tigers are trained to be around people and will go years without incident nevertheless, you can’t predict the behavior of an tiger. They remain wild animals in mind. Famous trainers have been mauled by their beloved tigers, even after dealing with them daily and for a long time. They are unpredictable and it is an enormous risk to be handling an adult tiger whether you are a specialist or not.

Housing
Tigers need a lot of secure space. They are able to jump, climb, and swim their way to avoid it of most enclosures. In the wild, they roam on several miles of land, something most people don’t possess usage of. A big plot (several acres) of fenced-in property with usage of ponds or small lakes, trees, and shelters is what a tiger needs to be safe from the world-and to keep us safe from them. Tigers have been known to escape from zoos and private properties and also have killed people since, in captivity, they associate humans with food. An escaped tiger is scared and dangerous-something no person wants roaming the streets.

One reason you will need such a huge enclosure is to provide enrichment opportunities. Tigers need to make use of their brains to catch things, play with things, jump, climb, and explore. A bored tiger can be an unhealthy tiger. Zoos often use large plastic balls that tigers will join in pools and offer hanging containers with food inside or areas to climb in and on. Tigers can and do get depressed and bored without enrichment.

Water and food
You often will imagine how much food a cat how big is a tiger will eat. Naturally, the amount will change with the species of tiger, but regardless, a good 300-pound tiger will eat a lot more than you as well as your house cat combined.

Tigers eat meat and a lot of it: antelope, gazelle, water buffalo, deer, fish, and really anything else they can get their opportunistic paws on make up a tiger’s diet. This obviously gets expensive considering they’ll eat about 10 to 15 pounds of meat, or 5,000 to 6,000 kcal, a day for over 20 years. That is clearly a lot of meat and money, not forgetting the vitamins and supplements that are needed to enhance the animal’s diet.

A commercially prepared meat mix (usually containing generally horse meat) and bones should be wanted to assist in nutrition and natural chewing, but studies show these commercial diets alone aren’t really just what a tiger in captivity needs. They’re usually deficient in taurine and also have too much vitamin A, and certain requirements of individual tigers vary depending on the season, activity, species, and other factors. You can see how it can be difficult to properly manage a tiger’s diet in captivity.

Common HEALTH ISSUES
Tigers have problems with lots of the same illnesses that affect house cats, such as distemper and rabies. It’s important to immunize a tiger against these common, and preventable, conditions.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a feline equal to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Unlike its human counterpart, however, FIV is totally curable with treatment. If not treated, FIV can weaken the animal’s immune system and make it susceptible to other contagious diseases.

Tigers are also vunerable to the a lot more serious feline leukemia virus (FeLV). This virus produces lots of other illnesses in cats, including anemia, chronic infections, and other cancers. FeLV can be treated, but if it develops into full-blown cancer it will always be fatal.

Legalities
Most states have restrictions on owning exotic pets like large cats, especially in heavily populated areas. You must check the rules locally before investing in a tiger. Many a well-meaning owner is becoming overwhelmed by the demands of looking after a tiger, and the chance of one escaping is serious indeed.

Purchasing
When you have a pet tiger or are seriously considering getting one, please remember the huge commitment of space, time, and money that they might need. If you’re struggling to properly look after your dog tiger, finding a fresh home for them can be extremely difficult.

According to Big Cat Rescue, a tiger cub reaches the top of the purchase price range for exotic cats, at around $7,500. The organization advises that it’s difficult to acquire a veterinarian generally in most areas able or willing to look after a tiger and that the overwhelming majority (98%) of big cats die within 2 yrs of being taken into captivity. Big Cat Rescue also advises that owners should be prepared to spend up to $20,000 for a cage sufficient to accommodate a full-grown tiger.

Similar Pets
If you’re attracted to tigers but don’t believe you are designed for all the demands, you may consider, other cats that are more manageable. If you’re looking for a unique pet, you might like to consider Norwegian Forest Cats or certain hybrid cat breeds.