Wild Cats

Today in the United States, a tiger or lion cub can be purchased for less than the cost of a purebred dog. The ease of obtaining these large, dangerous animals has resulted in a flooded marketplace and tens of thousands of big cats living outside the accredited zoo system. Few people who buy big cats as 'pets' realize what they're in for when the animals get a little older. Each year, many big cats are confiscated by the authorities, or their owners give them up, but there are very few reputable sanctuaries able to take them. Euthanasia is often the only option for these animals, who have usually spent the beginning of their lives enduring abysmal conditions with inadequate housing, nutrition, or veterinary care.

Tigers are by far the most common large cats in captivity, despite their dwindling number in the wild. A male Siberian tiger may exceed 700 pounds and require over 100 pounds of raw meat a week; the captive care of the average tiger runs close to $10,000 a year. Lions pose a similar problem to misguided animal owners. The mid-size cats, like leopards and mountain lions, cost less to feed, but are more difficult to house, due to their better ability to climb and leap great distances. Tigers, lions, leopards, and mountain lions are all confirmed predators of human beings in their native ranges, and they are all the more dangerous when they are caged. In addition to the wild 'pet' trade, cats are also raised for their fur and body parts; spotted pelts are especially valuable, and tiger and leopard bones and organs bring big money from traditional medicine practitioners.

Smaller cats like bobcats, ocelots, or servals might seem easier to deal with, and a good alternative to the large species, but those who would treat them like housecats had better think again -- they may be small, but these cats can destroy a house in no time, scratching furniture and drywall, and urinating on every three-dimensional feature in the home. They also do not hesitate to bite and scratch human beings, and they generally do not get along with domestic cats.

Most wild cat species are small, and several are smaller than the average housecat. Illegal owners of small, exotic cats can easily hide their activities by claiming the animals are housecats, and most people, even animal control agents, are unable to tell the difference. Perhaps the most popular of these is the Asian leopard cat, which is bred to housecats to produce the Bengal cat, a popular breed. Leopard cats are every bit as wild as their larger namesakes, but they can be more easily contained due to their size, and it is unknown how many thousands of them live in captivity in the US. The tiny sand cat of North Africa and the Middle East is also popular in the US wildlife trade since it was first imported here in large numbers in the 1960s.

Even highly endangered cats like snow leopards and cheetahs have found their way into the wildlife trade. The more rare the animal, the higher the demand, and wildlife dealers will go to great lengths to provide their customers with any animal they desire, legally or otherwise. The beautiful clouded leopard of Southeast Asia is somewhat distinct among cats in that it is difficult to breed in captivity; it's highly endangered status makes it hard for animal collectors to obtain, but it is still smuggled from its home range to western countries, where it commands an exceptionally high price. Expensive or not, the clouded leopard boasts the longest fangs in relation to its body size of any cat in the world, and it is not an animal to be taken lightly.