Cats and dogs are yesterday's news, right? I mean, who wants to walk a boring old dog when you can show off a marsupial?
Or maybe you've been thinking that it would be great to walk around your neighborhood with a 6-ft boa constrictor around your
neck... yes, that will get you some attention. Perhaps you want to get exotic, but not TOO exotic. You can handle
a ferret or a chinchilla with no problem... right?
If any of that excites you, or if you answered yes to any of my above questions, you're not alone. Exotic pets
are quickly becoming the mainstay of the pet trade. Keeping them has become a fad; it's very popular to have an animal
in your possession that your friends and family have never seen before. In some cases, it's even considered fashionable.
Caring for an exotic pet can be an absolutely wonderful experience for both you and your new companion.
I built this website to help educate people like yourself about the types of things that should be expected from owning
such an animal. If there is one idea that I want you to retain after your visit here, it's this:
exotic = high maintenance
As far as you're concerned for the rest of this journey, the very definition of an exotic pet is a pet that
very high maintenance. You can't just stop by the pet food isle of your grocery store and pick up a bag of sugar glider
food. Nor can you bring home a baby iguana and expect it to sleep soundly at the foot of your bed. When you take
your ball python out in public, expect to get a lot of questions about your snake. Not only does the exotic pet owner
have to worry about the complete care of his pet, it's his responsibility to make sure that people who meet his pet are educated
about it.
In the left margin you will see the links to my pages. I have added several species, and will continue
to do so. Please keep in mind that my species pages are NOT intended to be a complete guide to the care of any exotic
pet. They are there to give you a better idea of what you might be up against if you were to purchase such an animal.
At the bottom of all these pages, I've included some resources where you can begin your research if you are still interested
in acquiring that particular species.
You will also see names in that margin. Those are links to specific stories about animals that I have
cared for myself, or animals that I have known. There are some good rehabilitation stories in there, along with pictures
and some sound bytes. Please be sure to check it out.
If you have any questions or comments about my site, please feel free to email me at
alika_9@hotmail.com. Be sure to write "comments on exotic pet site" in the subject line, so that I don't pass you by.
