Tigers are felines which are extremely popular among pet
lovers who have immense passion for exotic animals. At the same
time they are also the most dangerous of all the exotic pets. In
the first place, it is really difficult to get a permit for them
to be kept as pets. And even if the owner gets the permit, they
have to face other issues like finance, responsibility, threats,
and regulatory issues so much so that even the local inspector
drops by every now and then to inspect the animal and the living
conditions provided by the owner. Although owing a tiger sounds
impressive but it is more like building castle on clouds.
Potential owners shouldn’t get turned down, but they should very
well understand the challenges they have to undergo during the
whole process. They should work as a volunteer at a zoo which
has adult tigers to understand in depth about what they are
going to do.
Cubs usually like to cuddle and sleep with humans around. They
can be fed with milk bottles like a human baby. They need to be
taken out for a walk, frequently. They won’t complain if the
owners keep other pets along with them. Tigers like to play wild
games around the house. They attack a piece of furniture
multiple times and drag them from one corner to other, because
of their wild instincts of hunting. They will get companionship
and would enjoy playing with each other, inside the house as
well as outside. Problem arises only when the tiger outgrows
other pets, as they start biting and attacking the weaker one.
They should not only be moved out of the house, but also will
require a bigger cage, if a smaller cage was built earlier. The
expense for building a larger cage will be huge. When they grow,
they need to be shifted to a cage which is at least eighty-seven
feet long and thirty-feet tall. A small swimming pool should
also be built for them, which they can enjoy in the scorching
sun.
But when they grow, they become very heavy and the owner finds
it difficult to take it outside for a walk as he will find it
impossible to manage the leash with the animal’s weight on it.
The animals will then begin to miss out the freedom and will
sometimes get aggressive and start roaring a lot. To keep them
occupied, the owner can place things strategically, so that the
animal gets involved in the activity of sniffing out things and
food. They can be given toys to play with, but they won’t last
for long and should be replaced by new ones frequently. They
even throw the toys outside their cage, which the owner should
get it back for him to play again. When the owner leaves the
house, even for a while, the animals should be securely tied
within the cage. There are chances that they can break open and
attack humans in the neighborhood.
After the passage of eighteen months, tigers shed their baby
teeth and grow four inches canines. That’s when most of the
owners freak out because although till then they had tamed the
animal, but the wild predator will always dwell in the animal.
The owners no longer go inside the cage to feed the animal, and
even if they do, they carry a pepper spray along with them.
Special protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety
of people not only in the house, but around the house as well.
One of the most hectic parts is cage keeping. There are chances
of algae growth which requires lot of scrubbing and water. The
old hay should be thrown out, which makes really big pile and
not to forget animal waste. The water in the swimming pools
should also be replaced often. As they are fed with whole
animals, the remains accumulate which should be cleaned as they
will start decaying. Especially during the summers, maggots grow
rapidly if even one cage cleaning schedule is missed.