Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Small Mammal Pets/61/en

8. Why is it not good to make pets out of small mammals taken from the wild?

Diet

Wild animals do not eat the same foods as humans or domestic animals. It may not be possible for you to feed them what they need. If they do not get proper nutrition, they will not remain healthy.

Legal Concerns

It is illegal to keep wild pets in many localities. If you capture a wild animal and try to keep it as a pet, you may very well be breaking the law.

Not Abandoned

When people find baby animals that are apparently abandoned and attempt a "rescue," they are usually only interfering with the animal's life. In the vast majority of cases, the mother is nearby, and will return to it. Taking the baby animal in no way rescues it at all.

Releasing

Many people believe that when they get tired of their wild pet, they can merely release it back into the wild. However, if the animal was in captivity from youth, it will not have learned any survival skills, making this move a death sentence for the animal. Further, the animal's diet will necessarily have to change which will cause digestive problems. Remember, wild animals and domestic animals do not eat the same foods. This animal will hav undergone two major dietary shifts - the first when it was captured, and the second when it was released.

Proper Care is Nearly Impossible

It is nearly impossible to meet all the requirements a wild animal needs for survival. Many wild animals require specialized care in facilities staffed by highly trained professionals. A wild animal will almost never develop affection for its owner, and because it is wild, can turn on its keeper in an instant, causing serious injury, or possibly even death.

Babies Grow Up

Baby animals grow up. They are not usually as cute when they are fully grown, and most people greatly underestimate the strength of an adult wild animal. Given the change, it can easily overpower a human being. As they grow, their appetites grow too, and can often be accurately described as voracious. An adult wild animal can eat you out of house and home!

Disease

According to the Humane Society of the United States:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discourages direct contact with wild animals for a simple reason: They can carry diseases that are dangerous to people, such as rabies, herpes B virus, and Salmonella. - http://www.hsus.org