Why can't I have a pet Snow Leopard?

[LynneSin]

I mean they get to be the same size as a big dog. I'd take good care of it and love it to death. Aren't these kittahs gorgeous?

Oh and we get snow in Wilmington- so my pet Snow Leopard would be happy!




Look, he just wants his belly rubbed!

[siligut]

1. Now I want one too

They are adorable.

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. It sounds like what you really want is a dog.

And some dogs have gorgeous spots.

[LynneSin]

3. No what I want is a Snow Leopard unless you can teach a dog to purr

and I would love to snuggle with my snow leopard and listen to her purr!

[Arugula Latte]

4. Nah, kitties are better.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. Why/how?

Cats don't want to have anything to do with you. They're not very social. They run off when you approach them. They don't want to go on walks or play games. They can't be trained to do all sorts of useful things. They don't study you and aren't fascinated by your every move like dogs are. They either shit inside the house or on the neighbor's front porch. They walk all over everything. Hairballs... yeuch.

I don't understand the appeal. Purring? I guess that's one selling point.

[geardaddy]

6. Maybe it's you.

:hide:
Maybe cats don't want to have anything to do with you.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. No, they never seem to. n/t

[RZM]

24. I've never liked cats either

Mostly become I'm allergic. But they seem to looooooove me ;)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Cats don't want anything to do with you?

Then what is this animal who right now won't get off my lap and keeps nudging my hand to make me pet him? What are these animals who follow me all over the house, who howl if they don't know where I am, and who sit on my feet or on my lap and just watch me constantly?

And I wonder what kind of animal it is who lives a couple of houses down the block but likes to hang out in my yard and comes running up to me whenever I step outside?

These animals are smallish, furry, with long tails and pointed ears and big round eyes with elliptical pupils. I don't know any dogs that look like that but they must be dogs because cats never do these things.

:eyes:

[Shagbark Hickory]

16. I've never seen a cat do that. n/t

you learn sumpin new every day, what can I say?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. You must not know very many cats.

That behavior is completely typical of the way pet cats interact with their humans.

[Shagbark Hickory]

20. Like I said, everytime I approach one, they haul ass down a storm drain or something.

[NV Whino]

30. I'd probably do the same thing if you approached me.

[pitohui]

13. my parrot purrs so you don't even need a cat for that

on top of everything is the health issue, there is a very high rate of allergy/asthma caused by cat dander

as for the snow leopard, i thought it was an endangered species anyway and should only be held by competent licensed experts in breeding and protecting the species

i believe there's a good reason cats shed and it's because they belong outdoors in their proper habitat

there are so many social species of pets, starting with dogs, many kinds of birds,e tc. that i just don't see the need for cats, although i won't stop someone from keeping a cat in their own home, it's their lungs...

[Shagbark Hickory]

18. Now parrots and other pet birds I can understand the appeal.

Big commitment though. Those birds live a very long time.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. Did you know that birds also can trigger allergies?

Feathers have dander, just like the fur of cats and dogs, and the dander can trigger allergies, including asthma, in susceptible people. There's also "Bird Breeder's Lung" http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/bird_breeders_lung.htm and psittacosis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacosis

People choose pets for various reasons, and if one prefers birds that's fine. I like them, and would consider a pet bird if I didn't have cats. But avoiding respiratory problems isn't a very good reason for choosing a bird for a pet instead of a cat.

[Arugula Latte]

22. Because

cats are cuter. They just are. Dogs don't purr -- they bark. That's annoying. Cats' fur is much softer and nicer. They DO play -- mine play all the time. Most cats are affectionate toward people, unless they were born feral. Dogs blow stinky air in your face and jump up and scratch you and/or get mud on you and are always sniffing peoples' crotches or butts. Like I said, annoying. I've stepped in dog shit exponentially more times than I've stepped in cat shit. Gross. Dogs are too obsequious. Cats are more interesting.

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Interesting point of view. Although not all dogs bark.

I still wouldn't trade the butt sniffing or the hugs for anything in the world. My dogs are trained to give people hugs. On command they will stand up on their hind legs and place their paws on your shoulder blades and give great hugs. Cats don't do that. Well maybe these wildcats but I think that's a bit dangerous.

[Taverner]

38. Or a Bengal Cat - great cats!

Bengals have the friendliness of a dog with that wild side like a cat

[Denninmi]

7. Well, there's that little question of eating people.

Not to mention the entire endangered species thing. They certainly are breathtaking, though.

Wild animals don't make good pets.

Fascinating work done with foxes in the Soviet Union concerning the genetics of domestication. It was discussed on a 'Nova' episode on PBS a couple of years back, that, as coincidence would have it, is being repeated next week:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/dogs-decoded.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_silver_fox

[mysuzuki2]

8. because when it grows up

it will eat your children.

[LynneSin]

34. and that's a bad thing how?

:hide:

[mysuzuki2]

37. it depends on the kids.

besides there would preobably be a lot of paperwork involved.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I think that kitten must be the cutest baby in the universe.

I really want to rub that soft, furry belly. :loveya:

[Bake]

11. Same size as a big dog ... that's big enough to EAT YOU ...

And sooner or later it would. And we'd hate to lose you!!

As Chris Rock said about the Tiger that tried to eat Siegfried (or was it Roy?), "That tiger didn't go crazy ... that tiger went TIGER!"

But I agree, the snow leopards are beautiful creatures!!

Bake

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Here's a guy who got a couple of pet snow leopards, not knowing

what they were:

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/news/2008-11/14/content_16768861.htm

[nolabear]

14. I sympathize, but I spent years trying to rehab castoff wild pets.

I've actually interacted with Snow Leopards (only once; they're very rare) and tigers and cougers that people tried to make pets of. They do everything the worst behaved cat you can imagine does, claw up the place, tackle you and tear your flesh, spray, rip around the house, and they are bigger than you think. I fell in love with big cats, but so many that came to us were malnourished, had been caged and left alone, had obsessive compulsive behaviors because of stress like licking themselves raw, And on and on. Half of our work was to return them to some form of cat-sanity.

I know how you feel. I really do. Maybe a job as a zoo docent or rehabber?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. Maybe something like this?

http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/volunteer/volunteer-info.html

This is a wild cat sanctuary in my area. I've thought of volunteering for them, maybe next year when I retire...

[ElboRuum]

21. Wild cats don't domesticate well?

:shrug:

[jmowreader]

25. You don't have a pet Snow Leopard, it has you...

Usually for lunch.

[DinahMoeHum]

26. As poet Ogden Nash once said: "The problem with a kitten is that. . . ."

"...eventually it becomes a CAT."

(And with a snow leopard, a mighty BIG CAT at that)

[struggle4progress]

27. Because there aren't any blue sheep or Asiatic ibex in Delaware for your pet snow leopard to eat?

I'm not really sure why that is, but some people think those sheep and ibex stay out of Delaware because of the high turnpike tolls

[LynneSin]

35. My neighbor has an annoying dog - I'm sure Snowy, my pet snow leopard would find that tasty

:hide:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. I have an annoying neighbor. Can I borrow Snowy for a weekend?

[LynneSin]

39. Snowy would like that. Just rub her belly afterwards

She likes that after feeding

[sakabatou]

28. Because they're still wild

And, I'm unsure of this, are endangered/threatened.

[Lasher]

29. Hmmm...

I think my neighbors' dogs killed one of my cats a couple of years ago. This could be a nice surprise for them the next time the pack romps through my yard.

Will they attack on command? I don't want them to eat any Jehovah's Witnesses, just scratch them up a little bit.

[CatholicEdHead]

32. Just get a Mac running OS 10.6

;)

[pink-o]

33. I got up close and personal with a snow leopard a few years ago.

Well, as up close as one can! I was among 4 others in the room and this couple ran a shelter for abused and ex Hollywood wild animals. They let us look at the leopard, but we couldn't approach it or make a sudden movement because they're notoriously skittish and shy of people. So amazingly beautiful, but untouchable.

I think I'll stick with my Bombay kitteh who's lovey and affectionate and better known as "lap fungus" or "the barnacle". I too disliked cats until I brought her home from the shelter. It took her about an hour to wrap me around her little talon, and make me into her willing human supplicant. But I can't object, she's furry and lush, and purrs like a motor. I think she lessens more stress than she causes, but I'm sure other cats do the opposite!

[dimbear]

40. You could have a snow cone. They're good. n/t