My feelings on the keeping of exotic cats as pets is made clear in this week's article:
Big Cats as Pets - a bad idea What do you think? Many people argue that they are providing proper homes for these animals, or that they are helping to save a species by breeding and raising these animals for the pet trade. At present there is no federal legislation concerning the keeping of exotic predators as pets, although many states outlaw it and it is illegal for private individuals to transport such animals across state lines for sale or breeding purposes.
Still, the trade in exotic pets is getting larger every day, and is extremely lucrative - some estimate that illegal trafficking in wildlife is second only to drug trafficking in profitability.
Next week's article will address this issue from the standpoint of public safety, but for now, let's talk about the humane aspect of it - is it okay to keep this kind of animal as a pet, as long as it hasn't been taken from the wild?