May 23, 2005

Tigers, as well as other big cats, do exist as pets in the United States. Some people keep them legally, while others are breaking local laws. It all depends on where you live. So you could be living next door to a big cat and never even know it. Is that a problem? It could definitely be a problem for the cat that gets stuck with a person who either doesn't know how to or doesn't have the money to take care of a big cat. It could also be a problem for you if the person doesn't provide the right type of housing to contain a big cat. While there is no epidemic, news stories about big cats discovered in basements, small cages, and even sometimes in apartments are not rare. Devil's advocate here though - your neighbors probably have plenty of other things that could kill you, and nobody is talking about banning most of those things. Your life is in your neighbor's hands probably more often than you'd care to admit. Big cats stand out because they are unusual, and ban advocates will say that people have no need to keep big cats. The problem is that many big cats have a need to be kept ... somewhere. The US has a surplus of captive big cats, and they face the same ugly euphemism as surplus house cats - euthanasia. The score is the same for cats of all sizes; we do not have enough shelter space to house them all. A ban would intensify the demand for shelter space and ultimately lead to more cats being put to death. So if not a ban, then what about the cats living under neglect or in inadequate housing? These are the cats who really need the shelters. Why not set some good solid standards where big cats can live in places with adequate housing and care, but where you'll never have to worry about seeing your neighbor walking a pet tiger down the street.

PS: Should people be able to breed big cats for sale? I feel another survey topic taking shape...