Yuki is a human-sized dog who currently resides at the Shy Wolf animal sanctuary. Yuki is 87.5% Gray Wolf, 8.6% Siberian Husky, and 3.9% German Shepherd. Therefore, although he does have some domestic dog DNA, he is mostly a Gray Wolf. Yuki was too much for his previous owner and is now unavailable for adoption, which is reasonable considering his ancestry and large size. This decision is a respectable one made by the sanctuary because Shy Wolf houses 20-100 wolves at a time, so they specialize in accommodating the behavior of wolves. Owning a species that very closely resembles a real wolf will be extremely difficult for the typical pet owner, and requires special care that only a place like Shy Wolf can provide.
It is easy to see the allure of owning a wild animal. It is fascinating to own an animal that is usually seen only in the wild. They are so different from the typical pets that people usually have. However, it is because of these unique traits that can make them unsuitable for people to own. Many people do not realize this when they scroll through pictures of adorable exotic pets on social media.
@juniperfoxx is an Instagram account with 2.7 million followers run by a person who owns a pet fox. The account is filled with pictures of the adorable animal, which attracted many people. With the many followers came the many comments saying “I want one”. The owner was quick to respond with a lengthy caption saying how “Foxes are not like owning a dog or cat”. She brings attention to the extra precautions needed in caring for these animals as she explains how they are “destructive, [and] they will destroy things in your house”, and how they “do not always ‘potty train”, resulting in a very skunky odor. Keep in mind when watching cute animal videos online that the person in the video may be a wildlife expert who had to get a lot of training to care for these animals.
However, if you are seriously considering housing an exotic animal, it is vital to…
- Do a lot of research. Keep in mind that exotic pets can be dangerous, difficult to care for, and have very complicated needs both in terms of their health and their mental wellbeing.
- Consider your daily life and determine whether the caretaking of the animal fits into your schedule and lifestyle.
- Ask yourself if you have the money to buy whatever it needs. Exotic animals require special necessities and expensive veterinary care.
- See if you are following the laws in your area. Some states may consider owning a certain animal legal while others do not.
- Be prepared to make a lifelong commitment. This is true when getting any pet, but especially relevant to exotic pets. It’s more difficult to find second homes for exotic pets, and many exotic pets are sadly abandoned by their owners once they realize how complicated caring for them can be.
Many people get exotic pets when those pets are babies and don’t realize how large or unmanageable those animals can become. For example, minipigs are pets that many people want. They envision a pig the size of a teacup that is cute and cuddly. On the contrary, the director of The Pig Preserve, Richard Hoyle, says “There are 15 to 20 breeds of mini pig, and all of them are 150 to 180 pounds at full size,” These mini pigs are called ‘mini’ because they are smaller than the average farm pig (around 600 pounds), but are still pretty big. Therefore, if a person wants to adopt a pig, they must understand they will be adopting a 150-pound pig that will not hesitate to eat anything in sight.
Whether it’s a pig, a fox, or any other animal that is not typically kept as a pet, a lot of time and research must be spent in learning about any potential exotic pet. There are myths about these animals that may be spread just to get people to want these wild creatures, so it is vital to fact-check and make sure your schedule works around theirs.