Pets and Pests

what you say is some right, but the taking of wild animals is wrong.
ill just speak for my self and most reptile keepers.
all my snakes are cb which is captive breed.

not captured. long time the stock there from was wild.

and these days taking wild isnt right and most is ileagle.
and when i had a parrot she would show affection, there not as dumb as some think.


and if the good reptile keepers dont keep the breed going how many will be extinct as to there area is gone mans cutting trees etc.

I have had parrakeet's since I was a kid, we have had two of them get out, My Mother left the back door open and our pet came home. When I had my Pretty get out I did the same thing and she also came home. I keep fish, and like Mark say's they are smarter than people think. My Oscars recognize us and watch what we do! I have their tank set up by my PC and they watch as the screen changes They also beg for food! When I had a salt water tank, My Lion Fish wouldn't eat for anyone but me. If your pets are taken care of I see nothing wrong with keeping birds and fish, or snakes for that matter. Monkeys and other animals I think is another story as is the keeping of big cats. Just my opinion

... pets are not "captured from the wild". Your domestic dog does not resemble the wild dogs from which it was bred. My domestic kitties do not resemble their wild ancestors. Although my current pet kitties were "captured from the wild" as they were rescued strays, they are not "wild cats". I keep them indoors at all times, and they do not wish to go outside. They do enjoy the "video games" I set up for them in the form of finch and hummy feeders outside the window Some say it is not right to keep a cat indoors, others believe just the opposite. But IAC, my cats are happy. If I go to a pet store to buy a parakeet or a snake or a fish, they are not captured from the wild, they are bred. As Glenda related, I've known many whose pet birds have returned upon getting out of the house. Love? Well, I had a "pet bird" for a summer in high school. I had an avocado tree I kept near the window of my bedroom. One morning I accidentally opened the window w/o putting the screen down, and that bird came inside to sit on my tree and sing to me. Did it just about every day I opened the window for it that summer.

Guess what I'm trying to say is I understand and agree with your feelings on wild animals. But if one is opposed to the breeding of animals to keep as domestic pets, one has to be consistent and believe it is wrong for all pets.

Evie

I've known pit bulls that are very sweet and loyal. Some are mistreated and taught to be mean. It all depends on how you raise them.

I have what I call my vicious dog. She is dobie, rhott, and pit bull. She will lick you to death. She and the cat sleep on my bed together. She will chase him when he runs but just look at him when he walks by.

Staffordshire Terriers are the same breed and you don't hear too many of them attacking people. Men get pit bulls, ruin them, and think that makes them tough guys.

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When it comes to having something around that is loyal, unjudgmental, trusting, and doesn't care how I look, I'll take a dog. Even more, there have been and are some that I like more than some people.

I also like cats, but can't have one because my daughter and granddaughter are allergic to them. I do enjoy the time I spend with my son's cat (and his 2 dogs.)

There are dogs that are nuisances and some are mean, but I don't blame the dogs- just their owners. I once had a neighbor who was stupid enough to put his woodpile against his fence. His dog would climb out by using the logs. When she came home, he beat her. Who the heck would want to come home? But she did.

Another neighbor raised cougars, supposedly as animal lovers. But it gave them a welcome excuse to strut around. macho style, with guns on their hips. The wife was indicted for embezzling from the Humane Society. Some animal lovers.

I've known people who own Rottweillers, Dobermans and Put Bulls just because they think it looks macho. They chain them to a tree, throw some food and water into dirty bowls. And the dogs get blamed when they go bonkers?

Parrots bred in the US are good pets. My daughter's family had an African Gray. It got along well with the dogs, and picked out it's favorite kibble from the dog bowls. But parrots live for a LONG time, and can become depressed and anxious when not given enough attention.So folks should do a lot of research before getting one.

Just as they should before getting a pure bred dog. Different breeds have different needs, and different health problems and buying one just because it is popular at the time can give you grief. They should be bought from reputable breeders (and all backyard ones are not!) Those in pet stores come from puppy mills. You don't want any part of that.

Being a mutt does not necessarily mean "more healthy". Mine is a mutt. He has esophageal problems, and has had surgery for a torn ACL. He also has allergies.

Mark has researched the care of his pets. But many who keep reptiles do not. They do not provide the proper housing, or keep it clean, for instance.

When I was taking Anatomy I, we were to kill and dissect a guinea pig. Now, I had one as a pet, so refused. The Sister and I got into a quite a discussion, as I believe that animals can have souls. (I still do- so don't try to talk me out of it!) It took a lot of work to bring up that "F" in Lab.

And, yes, I think it was wrong for cosmetic companies to put chemicals into the eyes of rabbits to see if it hurt. I think most are now free of animal testing.

I think I'll go give my dog a hug now.

Angeline


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We had boxers, various mutts and a german shepherd. Cats came later. My mother did not work outside the home so someone was there most of the day. I loved the animals as a kid. The shepherd was my dog, or so I thought and I'd take him for walk on a long tether through open fields. He'd go nuts just to be free but otherwise was on a long steel chain with a stake in the ground. I thought nothing of it. As an adult, I had no pets until I married and two cats came with the deal. There was no getting out of it. They have since died and we have had no more though the kids clamored for an animal in the house. It was only as an adult that I understood the responsibility of pet ownership. This was after having neighbors whom I felt never should have them. I know some will disagree but I disapprove of putting dogs in cages. I know these are fashionably known as "crates" but the dog, I must think, sees them as cages. The lady next door kept Westies. She's a single mom with kids gone away and a schoolteacher. She would ask us to watch her dogs while she was gone on vacation but, since we both worked and the kids were in school, this meant the dogs had to keep our hours. These dogs were kept in cages all day. All we could do was let them out in the AM and PM for a few minutes and put them back in the cage as the lady did not let them have run of the house when she was not there. She was too cheap to board her animals and would leave them in this sort of care for a week or two at a time. Dogs are pack animals and really can go berzerk when the master is gone too long. During one of her absences, her dominant male went psychotic after she was gone more than a week and bit my son very badly when he went to let them out and feed them. I was sickened by how these dogs were treated. They are not toys to be taken off and put back on the shelf at the whim of an owner. They are not there to take on walks so that you can meet other dog owners of the opposite sex. They are not to make you look good when out. They depend on and bond with their masters and you should not get a pet just because you want one because they want you too and they want quality time with you. If you can't provide that, grow plants instead. My rant...