Whitney Marin is 17 years old and a high school senior in Cape Coral, Florida. Jada Pinkett-Smith would play her in a movie because Jada would make Whitney seem funnier than she really is.
Exotic Animals Don't Make the Best Pets
There are several factors to consider when getting a pet, especially an exotic one. Cost and cuddliness are up there on the list, but so is safety. While it’s obvious having a pet lion or alligator is a bad idea, having a sugar glider or hedgehog might be just as dangerous and ill-advised.
Despite their appeal, exotic pets, including hedgehogs, have been known to carry diseases that can be harmful to humans like roundworms, ringworm, scabies, rabies, and dermatomycosis (a skin disease). In 1994, exposure to an African Pygmy hedgehog was related to an infection of the Salmonellosis, a rare type of Salmonella.
But Jasmine Wolfe, a senior at Ida S. Baker High School and loving owner of an African Pygmy hedgehog named Piki Poko, doesn't agree that her exotic pet is a danger to anyone. “She doesn't have any issues except that she bites sometimes. Not in a vicious way, just in an ‘Oh, is your finger food for me?’ kind of way,” joked Jasmine.
In addition to zoonotic infection, the ownership of an exotic pet can also endanger the animal. 18-year-old Cape Coral resident Sarah Winston worked for the Santa Barbara Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant for a little over a year. “We didn’t have many exotic pets come into the office, but we simply couldn’t treat the ones that did.” Sarah explained that some animal’s needs are better suited for a zoo than a regular veterinarian. “A woman came to see us about the rash on her sugar glider's stomach, but the vet didn’t know what to tell her other than to wash the area and contact an exotic pet specialist or a zoo.”
Sarah continued, “Having a pet, much less an unusual one is a big responsibility. Not being able to care for its needs can hurt the animal and having to spend a lot of money in treatment can be a major problem for some people.”
In addition, the removal of these animals from their natural habitats to be sold in pet stores and by breeders is a threat to our ecosystem, and pet owners who no longer want their pets are likely to release them into the wild, which is unsafe to the animal and the surrounding community. There are laws in some states that limit the sale of certain animals as pets.
As cute as they are, exotic animals are just not suitable house pets.
What Can You Do?
Learn more about being a responsible pet owner:
- Buy from a responsible breeder or adopt.
- Bring your dog to cheer up hospital patients.
- Prepare your pet for an emergency.
