When Pets Attack

[deb1]

Can someone explain to me how a person could love a wild animal like a tiger or chimp and want the animal to be a pet? I've never understood that.

I love wolves, but I want the wolves to be wild because I like them. If I hated wolves, I would try to make them into something that is totally against their nature. Like a pet.

When I was nine I lived down the street from a man with a baby lion. The cub was only about thigh high. Every day he would walk the lion and kids would flock around it. My step dad would not let me touch the lion because he said, lions are not meant to be pets. You don't pet lions

One day, a girl and her friend decided to jump the fence the lion was in and cross his yard. They had pet the animal many times before so they didn't think it would mind them using its yard as a pathway. They said that they owner had let them in the yard many times.

The cub-not full grown at all- tore off one of the girl's ears! I sat behind her on the bus and I clearly remember that she only had a hole instead of an ear.

The lion was sent to the zoo.

 

[curliet]

I was watching a news report on NBC this morning that was dealing with this. There was an interview with the owner of the chimp who was still defending the chimp, and saying that she would have him as a pet again. Just couldn't understand what might have happened.
But then, a friend or relative came forward to say that this woman (the owner) allowed the chimp to bathe with her, sleep in her bed with her and he frequently brushed her hair for her. I just shuddered when he said this. These allegations may very well be false, but if true are horrible and very un-natural, and some part of this behavior could very well have led the chimp to believe that she was more a part of his world than should have been. And to cause strange jealousy and hormonal attitudes. It's no wonder something terrible happened.

 

[Opa]

As a retired fireman and paramedic I know from experience about "friendly" dogs. Many times when we were trying to remove the patient owner from their house on a stretcher their dogs would go bizzerk. I started insisting when we entered the home their dog would be put in a cage or another room they couldn't get out of. Many times we would we have to get quite insistant to get the family members to comply because "their dog would never do that". Heck even had a cat go nuts one time.

 

[seismic wonder2]

Quote:
Dude! I'd keep an eye on that cat in your vaitar if I were you......
It's got the "stink eye"....could attack at any moment!

 

[rebecca100]

No kidding. i don't ever trust dogs or any animal. Everyone thinks I'm nuts but I have a english, pitt that I trust more than anything I have ever had. But in general, animals are potentally dangerous. i had a ferret that attacked my 3 year old daughter. Not bit-attacked. She almost lost an eye and she still has a scar from it. No she was not messing with it or being mean. She was playing under the bed and I watched the ferret run under there with her and within seconds there were screams. I grabbed her feet and drug her out from under the bed(it was a very tall bed with room for storage) with the ferret still attached to her face. I had to pry it's jaws apart to get it off her. It had bitten just above and below her eye. When I got it off i was going to kill it right there, but I was trying to seehow bad her eye was and trying to call someone to take us to the emergency room since my dh had taken our only vehicle to work. I couldn't find the ferret for the rest of the day. Then my dh wouldn't kill it whn he found it. All I have to say is that it was lucky that he found it and not me!

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Now that's just disturbing.....

I think people humanize their pets too much. When we attribute human qualities and feelings to animals, we forget about the animal's true natures. Every species is programmed to act a certain way. It is much better to use the animal's nature to our benefit than to try to change it into a human.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Quote:
kinda like the parents, siblings, neighbors that inevitably utter the words

"He was such a nice kid" or "S/He was nice a nice person"
When that person is found to have murdered their family, kept someone hostage in their home for any amount of time, taken a gun to school, driven drunk and killed someone, or was gunned down in a gang or drug related shooting.
If people take the time to think about it. There were "signs" that Mr McGoo was a loose cannon or had some wires seriously crossed

 

[lorieMN]

about the chimp..its hard enough for humans to be human and deal with human emotions (and drugs ) what makes anyone think an animal can do it..giving the chimp human drugs and alcohol,,and treating it like a human,wth??? as for other wild animals,they are wild for a reason and havent been domesticated for a reason..unless you really are an expert on them you should stay clear of them..really,how many people cant even handle a 5 lb dog??

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
Ewwwww! Did she think the chimp was her boyfriend or what?

 

[Chirpy]

I totally agree that people 'humanize' their pets to the point that they forget that any animal can turn on people out of fear, anger or just instincts.

We raised ferrets for years. BUT, when we were ready to have children, our ferrets all went to new homes. Ferrets and babies/little children don't mix. I loved our ferrets and we talk about them all the time and can't wait to have them again. BUT, we are waiting for our youngest child to be old enough that we feel it's safe. And, we'll always be there when the ferrets are out playing and the kids are around.

Our ferrets never even attempted to bite anyone (after being taught as babies not to) but that doesn't mean it wouldn't happen.

Man, I love ferrets.... counting down to the year that we can have them again!