Regardless of the reasons well-meaning people give for keeping a wild animal in captivity, wild animals do NOT make good pets because:
It is illegal to keep wildlife without a permit. There is no such thing as a “wildlife pet permit” in Texas. If caught, the animals will be confiscated, sometimes destroyed by officials, and you can be fined.
Wild animals have special needs. Not only is it difficult to find veterinary care but wild animals also require special food and caging.
Wild animals need to be with their own kind. A baby wild animal raised by itself will not know how to interact with other members of its own species. It may be cute now but will grow up to be a wild adult, possibly becoming aggressive and dangerous in captivity. Being imprinted on people will hinder its survival in the wild. Each year we receive numerous “ex-pets” that have become too difficult or are no longer cute and cuddly. Unfortunately, they were not taught the proper skills to survive in the wild. Some can be rehabilitated over time, but often it is too late, and the animals must either be euthanized or destined to a life in captivity.
Wild animals carry diseases. Parasites and diseases can be carried by wildlife and transmitted to humans, especially children, and domestic pets These can be serious and even fatal.
Wild animals belong in the wild. Wild animals become very stressed in a captive environment. They are born with wild instincts and deserve to be free to act on those instincts the way that nature intended.
