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Very unusual pet

ElGatoLoco

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I thought to myself I've seen every web site or picture about sphynxes so let's read about a different animal. I don't know how or why but the sloth popped into my head.

I was amazed to see that many people in South America have sloths as pets. I read further and found that they actually make decent pets and can grow very attached to humans. They are no more dangerous to humans than any dog. The down side is they stink and let algae grow on their bodies as a defense mechanism.

Anyhoo, I was just wondering what you guys and gals think about pet sloths or any other exotic pet.

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susi794

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They also have enormous claws---not as weapons, but they're there. I think they are very cute. But, IMHO, cute doesn't get to be a consideration when attempting to domesticate a wild animal.
 

Sam lewis

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So is this going to be Butterballs next project? A sloth buddy!!!! LOL. His little head reminds me of half a coconut! (The sloth not Butterball LOL)
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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Many humans love the connection to animals so it makes total sense that some people would try to domesticate native wild animals. They are very cute. But I wouldn't want to take a swipe from their claws.
 

ilovemysphynx

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It is cute but I will do without the smell factor and the claws... I say let the wild stay in the wild and we can observe from a distance:Wink:
 

ElGatoLoco

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So is this going to be Butterballs next project? A sloth buddy!!!! LOL. His little head reminds me of half a coconut! (The sloth not Butterball LOL)

Heck no! I ain't allowing no stinky sloth in my house. I would like to see Butterball's reaction to one though.
 

Sleepyheadkitten

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I know people who own every sort of exotic- from anteaters to sloths. ALL of our animals were 'wild' at one point- cats and dogs did not become domesticated without our ancestors hard work (and is the cat every truly domesticated? Haha).

Sloths are cute, but there are two baby anteaters that were for sale that I want... Let me see if I can find the link again...
 

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Inferno12

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I read this post before I went to sleep last night and I had strange dreams that involved me holding one of these guys! Thanks a lot Mike!!!

I guess the lack of sleep the last 2 weeks has done a number on my brain :Dizzy:
 

ckutkuhn7

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After seeing the videos I'm sort of freaked out. I think the one baby sloth has lice.lol Just kidding...they are cute when they climb trees on TV. The one crossing the street reminded me of The Grudge a little bit. Would be cool to meet one tho so they wouldnt freak me out so much.
 

maxtmill

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They also have enormous claws---not as weapons, but they're there. I think they are very cute. But, IMHO, cute doesn't get to be a consideration when attempting to domesticate a wild animal.

I agree that the thought of an unusual or exotic pet is fascinating to me, as it is for most pet lovers, but I think that keeping a wild/non-domesticated animal is cruel. Many of them are illegal to import or own, & aren't sloths in the protected category?
 

Nair Bare

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Yes, wild animals look prettier and happier in the wild.

However, because I live in the north cold country and have never seen one in the flesh, I have always been fascinated with armadillos. That was until a professor informed me they can carry leprosy. Now I admire them from afar.
But then someone told me that armadillos are GOOD EAT'N .........if you cut off their legs (something about carrying leprosy again?) So now I picture in my mind, this poor armadillo laying on its shell back on a bed of lettuce, looking like a possum on the half shell. Hmmmm...can't seem to shake that sad image from my mind's eye.
 
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My Dad's side of the family is all from Texas. When my Great Grandmother moved to California, she brought with her this basket made from an Armadillo on it's back, nose to tail. It's hollowed out belly area was the "basket". She used to keep fruit in it and it sat on the kitchen table.

Freaked all of us kids out. We never would eat fruit at her house....
 

maxtmill

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Yes, wild animals look prettier and happier in the wild.

However, because I live in the north cold country and have never seen one in the flesh, I have always been fascinated with armadillos. That was until a professor informed me they can carry leprosy. Now I admire them from afar.
But then someone told me that armadillos are GOOD EAT'N .........if you cut off their legs (something about carrying leprosy again?) So now I picture in my mind, this poor armadillo laying on its shell back on a bed of lettuce, looking like a possum on the half shell. Hmmmm...can't seem to shake that sad image from my mind's eye.

:Laugh::Laugh:I am from the north, & when we moved south, I saw armadillos for the first time - only one live one - most of the ones you see are dead on the road, kind of like possums up north. When I mentioned that they were kind of cute, & might make a cute pet, everyone down here was disgusted-they are considered vermin here. Oh well...the closest I ever came to owning an exotic/wild creature was when I had my 2 Bengal cats. Absolutely STUNNING, but oh-so-wild. After the 4th generation from the wild asian leopard cat, they are registered as a domestic tabby. They were the wildest critters I have ever had, & after 2 years of destruction, I rehomed them with folks who were up to the task. In breed descriptions, I wish breeders would be more honest, instead of describing them as an "active cat"!!!!!!:Dizzy:
 

Bella07

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Well, when I first saw the picture of the sloth, I thought "sure I would own one."
Then when I watched the videos....no, no, no! I love all animals, but......ewwww, sloths aren't one of them as of this moment!

But, I have always wanted to own a lion or tiger---sure, I live in the city and it'd be crazy, not to mention illegal, but I would love it (I think!)
 

Inferno12

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But, I have always wanted to own a lion or tiger---sure, I live in the city and it'd be crazy, not to mention illegal, but I would love it (I think!)

In one of my many adventures at work, I was in Florida on a fire in 1998 and a house that we were doing some structure protection on had a cougar for a pet. It was declawed and it was swimming in the pool with the kids. We thought this was very odd so we asked them about it. They let us come up and pet it and it was HUGE. :Surprise::Surprise: It ate raw meat and they said it "had it out" for their youngest kid so they had to separate them. They asked us if we wanted to pet it and we did. We noticed that it was getting a little playful. We all backed up except for one girl who decided to go pet it again. You know how when a normal cat will grab your arm with its front paws and do bunny kicks while bitting you??? We it did this to her in the blink of an eye. She got out quickly but she had bite marks on her side. It really was just playing but now I see how things can go wrong in a hurry!
 

Sleepyheadkitten

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As a Savannah breeder, I'm going to bow out of this conversation before I step in it ;) I have found it odd for quite a while to own pets- of any domesticated persuasion- and yet have issues with GOOD exotic pet owners who treat their pets well. The good ones, just like the good pit owners, will never be featured on the news or sell magazines... But there are more good owners out there then bad :)
 

ElGatoLoco

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My Dad's side of the family is all from Texas. When my Great Grandmother moved to California, she brought with her this basket made from an Armadillo on it's back, nose to tail. It's hollowed out belly area was the "basket". She used to keep fruit in it and it sat on the kitchen table.

Freaked all of us kids out. We never would eat fruit at her house....

I'm in Texas and I see Armadillos dead on the street all the time. Armadillos can't see very well so they use their sense of smell to navigate. Poor critters can't smell an 18 wheeler barreling down the road. I've seen a few live ones out in the wild. It's pretty comical to chase them and watch them roll up in a ball.

Did you see the latest Dukes of Hazard movie? Sheevs made a helmet out of an armadillo because "an armadillo helmet can block even the best brainwave scanners."
 

Inferno12

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As a Savannah breeder, I'm going to bow out of this conversation before I step in it ;) I have found it odd for quite a while to own pets- of any domesticated persuasion- and yet have issues with GOOD exotic pet owners who treat their pets well. The good ones, just like the good pit owners, will never be featured on the news or sell magazines... But there are more good owners out there then bad :)

Very true. I have a friend that trains baboons for the movies and he is amazing with his monkeys. There is such a difference between people who respect and understand exotics and people who have them as a novelty!

His babies have been in murder by numbers, even almighty, commercials, and several others!
 

maxtmill

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Well, when I first saw the picture of the sloth, I thought "sure I would own one."
Then when I watched the videos....no, no, no! I love all animals, but......ewwww, sloths aren't one of them as of this moment!

But, I have always wanted to own a lion or tiger---sure, I live in the city and it'd be crazy, not to mention illegal, but I would love it (I think!)


-I guess that was my attraction to the bengal cat breed - so exotic & stunning!
 
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