And I thought I was a cat lover:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ns-tigers.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ns-tigers.html
I agree, snakes do not show emotions. But IMO they can bond to people, and they do understand different things. Not to the extent of mammals of course.Originally Posted by carolinalima
Also, IMO these are very different from snakes in the sense that they do bond to people quite strongly, understand and show emotions...
That is exactly what I was thinking. Siegfred was lucky to survive that attack.Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45
Look why happened to Siegfred and Roy - they raised their tigers from babies, and they were attacked by them. The problem is that you HAVE to remember at all times they ARE wild, and to respect that. When you don't, tragic mistakes happen!
The same holds true even with feral kittens who have been domestcated. Archie and Mehitable are more affectionate than the normal housecat, but it's all on their terms. Mitty has no problem smacking me with her claws if she doesn't feel she is getting the proper respect. They have a lot of their wild instincts still. Much as I would love to have a friendship with bigger and wilder cats it would take a very special person to live with them, and I doubt I'm that special. Is she? I hope so, time will tell.Originally Posted by Snake_Lady
Snakes, tigers, cougars, monkeys, etc. all have one thing in common.... they are wild animals (doesn't matter where they are born). People best learn to respect that fact, and the danger they can impose.
Well, some of this is true, but not all. Treating these cats like house cats is not ridiculous at all. My (wild) cats, if that's what we want to call them, are treated the same was as our domestics and bond the very same way. They are not really wild, because they were born and raised in captivity. Our so called domestics still have all the same instincts as my large cats do. However, being a large cat, especially my cougar, you must understand the power and strength these cats have. Most injuries and or accidents are from rough play and NOT being attacked or bitten from the cat thinking we are prey. My cougar for instance, never looks at me as prey. His love and bond with me is much stronger than any cat I have ever owned. My bobcats and cougar have the same mentality as my domestics and in fact, my bobcats are highly protective of my domestics. They want to eat, play and sleep just like my domestics, but yes, they do play rough.Originally Posted by Plebayo
I'm glad you commented Snake_Lady.
I feel the same way. I know there is a forum member here [amberthebobcat] with wild cats. I however do not believe in owning wild animals and making them into pets. I could see this woman having a sanctuary where they live OUTSIDE in a natural setting with human interaction but I think it is ridiculous to treat them like house cats.
I've seen it be a total disaster with wolves, and wolf hybrids living in the home. It's definitley not for every body, but I personally feel wild animals are more beautiful in the wild doing what they are supposed to do.
Also regardless of snakes vs. big cats, yes wild animals can bond to people but they are STILL WILD. Having a relationship with a wild animal is not even comparable to a relationship with a domestic pet. Especially with a large cat or a wolf, they are still the predator and you can still easily become the prey regardless of your relationship. Domesticated animals depend on us for everything where wild animals have a totally different mentality whether they are raised in captivity or not.
Not true at allLook why happened to Siegfred and Roy - they raised their tigers from babies, and they were attacked by them. The problem is that you HAVE to remember at all times they ARE wild, and to respect that. When you don't, tragic mistakes happen!
That was not an attack, according to them themselves.... The Tiger tried to protect him by carrying him out by the neck.Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45
Look why happened to Siegfred and Roy - they raised their tigers from babies, and they were attacked by them. The problem is that you HAVE to remember at all times they ARE wild, and to respect that. When you don't, tragic mistakes happen!
... a bit OT, but Sigfried and Roy had their tigers performing on a Las Vegas show, with the tiger standing on a suspended disco ballOriginally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat
Not true at allThey were not attacked. Here is what had happened. Siegfred was in the middle of having a stroke while on stage. His tiger could sense something was wrong. (As I stated, our big cats are very protective of us) The tiger made an attempt to move Siegfred to safety by grabbing him by the back of the neck, just as they would their own cub. However, unlike cats, humans do not have the neck capable of supporting this type of action and that is how Siegfred was injured. He was not attacked and his tiger still lives with him today.
You raise some very intelligent thoughts. Most dictonaries define it as similiar. Non-domesticated, living in their natural environment, exhibiting uncontrolled behaviour, and the like.Originally Posted by Keycube
This story got me to thinking, what exactly makes an animal "wild"? The two things that come to mind are,
1. Not being socialized with humans, and
2. Having to fight for its survival (food).
It would seem as though having regular food intervals would make the socialization part a hell of a lot easier, particularly once the kitties realize that humans are the ones doing the feeding, eh? And if they're given the space to roam and have some semblance of "freedom", it seems they wouldn't have any claustrophobic desire to lash out and free itself from any "bondage".
Why I personally fear for this woman, is because she is appearing to NOT be practicing safety. That is why I believe that her large cats are way more dangerous than my large boas. I will not argue the fact that my snakes are dangerous..... yes they are. But I am NOT irresponsible enough to do half of the things she does with her cats.Why do you think that that tiger is any more dangerous than some of the big boas you have?
I don't think comparing a bite from a pet cat, to fullgrown tigers is fair at all. Sure, pet cats have bacteria that can cause infection....but they lack the size and strength to do even close to the damage a tiger could. Just because they are both felines, raised with humans, does not make an equal comparison.But.... There are risks in all animals - as we know, a simple bite from our kitty cats can put us in the hospital for many days... If not treated... It can be lethal...
Now, let's put the numbers - how many people have been attacked/hurt by the big cats they raised since little, and how many people have been hurt by their kitty cat?
Living with this many cats I agree completely. No matter how loving they are (and they are) it's totaly on their terms. One seems to see me as her kitten and will pin my arm down to groom me, her brother at still wants a mama and will wake me up at night trying to nurse in my hair. Those two were feral rescues, and the rest aren't quite as extreme, but it's still the same principal. I am allowed to share their lives, but they do not belong to me.Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat
It has also been proven that our domestic cats really aren't domesticated after all. They have learned to live with humans, not the same way that dogs were domesticated.