Tai’yonna Phillips
Mrs.van der Kaay
Eng.1 Hon. 1B
13. Dec. 2016
Argumentative Essay
“Exotic” Ideas
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept within human households which is generally thought of as a wild species not typically kept as a pet. Keeping wild and exotic animals as pets threatens public health and safety within and outside a community. Some people argue that exotic animals shouldn’t be allowed to be kept as pets because the negatives strongly outweigh the benefits of having one. Owning a wild animal is arguably cruel to the animal in a way that owning a domestic animal isn’t. In fact, owning an exotic pet can be extremely expensive and the average pet owner cannot provide the care they need in captivity.
Housing,
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In the article “Do You Really Want a Baby Tiger?”, the author states “A wild animal is never 100 percent predictable. An animal that has behaved one way for many years cannot suddenly change. Domestication is not something that happens in one or two generations: it takes hundreds or thousands of years (Lewis).” Exotic pets have a specific environment and climate that they are supposed to adapt to instead of living as a caged animal inside of someone’s home.
Many may argue that exotic animals should be allowed as pet because people find them controllable when they are immature. According to “Do You Really Want a Baby Tiger?”, “Most people who own exotic pets find them irresistible-and manageable-when they are small (Lewis).” However, soon enough an adorable cub becomes a powerful adult. Wild animals are wild, even in captivity and are strong enough to be dangerous even without meaning to cause harm.
In conclusion, despite best efforts to educate the community and pass legislation banning ownership of exotic pets, people do continue to buy and care for them. Owning an exotic pet is expensive, time consuming, and a huge responsibility. People shouldn’t be allowed to own an exotic pet but if they are thinking about owning one, they need to take a great deal of careful consideration for themselves, their surroundings, and the animal