Having a cougar as a pet

[WildRanger]

What do you think about these videos?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkO7be9Dn2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXpsbDA5nUQ

Could you imagine yourself having a cougar as a pet?

[hunnus2000]

Oh - hail to the NAW! 

[gmillerdrake]

I say this from experience. When owning a wild animal it’s not ‘if’ it’ll ever bite or maul you......it’s ‘when’. So, when these people are mauled to death I hope they don’t put the cougar down for behaving like the wild animal it is.

[Podaar]

I was just going to say, how many of you where waiting for Messi to just rip into that tiny woman?!

[DragonAttack]

Could you imagine yourself having a cougar as a pet?

Yeah, and then I married her

(don't forget to tip your waitresses.....)

[TAC]

Could you imagine yourself having a cougar as a pet?

Yeah, and then I married her

Ditto!

[wolfking]

I say this from experience. When owning a wild animal it’s not ‘if’ it’ll ever bite or maul you......it’s ‘when’. So, when these people are mauled to death I hope they don’t put the cougar down for behaving like the wild animal it is.

That's the sad thing, that's always the outcome.  Putting yourself in the situation, you deserve what you get.

[El Barto]

I think people look at this sort of thing the wrong way. The concern isn't the likelihood that an animal will resort to instinctive behavior, but rather the animal's propensity for carnage should it occur. I'm not sure what the difference is between owning one of these cats and a pit bull. They both pose a slight risk of going primeval on your ass, and should they choose to do so, they're both going to make a very ugly mess of you in short order. I don't think pit bulls are inherently dangerous animals. They're intensely loyal and unlikely to go off the reservation. My stepbrother's pit bull and I are fairly close. I like her, she's fond of me, and if the shit were to hit the fan there's nobody in the world I'd rather have on my side than that dog. I'm mindful of her potential for carnage, though. I'm aware of two different ways of shutting her down should the need arise. I think this is exactly the same way I'd view Messi. Lovely pet. Fun to be around. Amazingly loyal. Greater element of risk than, say, a snauzer or a lab. Something you should probably be mindful of.

[Architeuthis]

There are examples of wild animals as pets that never did turn on their owner. For example "Bart The Bear" never turned on Doug Seuss (his owner and trainer).  He was the huge Grizzly that played in the movie "The EDGE", and a few other movies.
Bears actually have a good track record of never turning on their owners. John Petrucci has never turned on Dream Theater.. 😁

[ErHaO]

Even if the animal does not attack it's owners, it always is a ticking time bomb in regards to friends and family. Even the calmest nicest wild animal can be totally the opposite to someone else. There is that horrifying pet Chimp story of mauling someone's friend, for example.

Ultimately, I do believe some people have a understanding bond with a wild animal to the point they themselves never will be attacked, but that is incredibly rare and there is no way of really knowing until the end.

So yeah, no people should own wild animals as pets.


Reading a wiki, this particular cougar is a small one and not comparable to it's male wild counterparts. But it is still a wild animal.

[gmillerdrake]

Shockingly......I was bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that I owned as a 'pet' for 6 years. I thought for sure we bonded and he was cool with being trapped inside a cage 

Now I get that some of these larger mammals can probably form 'bonds' and connections with their owners.....but, it's just not surprising to me when they do eventually tear into someone.

[MirrorMask]

Shockingly......I was bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that I owned as a 'pet' for 6 years. I thought for sure we bonded and he was cool with being trapped inside a cage 

Revenge is a dish best served cold. He spent years planning to take you down.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

[pg1067]

Could you imagine yourself having a cougar as a pet?

I always wanted a cougar...but not as a pet.

Also,

[gmillerdrake]

Shockingly......I was bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that I owned as a 'pet' for 6 years. I thought for sure we bonded and he was cool with being trapped inside a cage 

Revenge is a dish best served cold. He spent years planning to take you down.

    I've always said that. That he just sat there thinking to himself....."One Day.....one day I will get you"

[hefdaddy42]

Could you imagine yourself having a cougar as a pet?

Fuck no.

[wolfking]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

I always wanted to check that out.

[gmillerdrake]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

I always wanted to check that out.

Dude....it's fascinating but at the same time pretty brutal in the end.

[El Barto]

Shockingly......I was bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that I owned as a 'pet' for 6 years. I thought for sure we bonded and he was cool with being trapped inside a cage 

Now I get that some of these larger mammals can probably form 'bonds' and connections with their owners.....but, it's just not surprising to me when they do eventually tear into someone.

The differences between the brains of a snake, a cougar, and a dog are massive. Dogs and cats have rather developed brains. Snakes are almost entirely driven by instinct. Higher level mammals form bonds all the time. Sometimes with people and sometimes with other animals, both within and outside their own species. Snakes don't even regard their own offspring. I suspect that, at most, your snake recognized you as somebody who occasionally tosses him a mouse, and maybe not even that.

[gmillerdrake]

Shockingly......I was bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that I owned as a 'pet' for 6 years. I thought for sure we bonded and he was cool with being trapped inside a cage 

Now I get that some of these larger mammals can probably form 'bonds' and connections with their owners.....but, it's just not surprising to me when they do eventually tear into someone.

The differences between the brains of a snake, a cougar, and a dog are massive. Dogs and cats have rather developed brains. Snakes are almost entirely driven by instinct. Higher level mammals form bonds all the time. Sometimes with people and sometimes with other animals, both within and outside their own species. Snakes don't even regard their own offspring. I suspect that, at most, your snake recognized you as somebody who occasionally tosses him a mouse, and maybe not even that.

Oh yeah....completely agree. I don't doubt that Messi or some of these exotic pets 'love' their owners and have that bond....I think it's evident the ability is there for these 'smarter' species to have that level of relationship. As a lifelong reptile enthusiast who has owned an assortment of reptiles.....I've never once believed that they 'understood' anything other than when that lid/door opens I'm getting some food.

Reptiles are completely instinctual...period. I 'follow' a few reptile groups on instagram and twitter and I'm baffled at the amount of people on there who believe they've formed a bond or have a relationship with their ***insert reptile here***   I find reptiles to be beautiful and fascinating but have never once believed they had personalities or operated outside of instinct

[wolfking]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

I always wanted to check that out.

Dude....it's fascinating but at the same time pretty brutal in the end.

Yeah I roughly know the story.  The whole audio tape of the killing being faked is an interesting story too.

[TAC]

Reptiles are completely instinctual...period. I 'follow' a few reptile groups on instagram and twitter and I'm baffled at the amount of people on there who believe they've formed a bond or have a relationship with their ***insert reptile here***   I find reptiles to be beautiful and fascinating but have never once believed they had personalities or operated outside of instinct

I'm fascinated by all things alligators and crocs hence my Swimming With Crocs thread I started a few years ago.

And I can pimp that I graduated high school with Paul Bedard from the Gator Boys.

[kirksnosehair]

I say this from experience. When owning a wild animal it’s not ‘if’ it’ll ever bite or maul you......it’s ‘when’. So, when these people are mauled to death I hope they don’t put the cougar down for behaving like the wild animal it is.

I tell this to people who ask me about getting an African Grey parrot.  I've had one for 20 years and they make good pets, but they are not cuddly and friendly.  They're cunning, vindictive and manipulative.  They'll lull you into a false sense of security to the point where you let your guard down and then BAM they've opened a 1-inch gash on your cheek. 


Every time you handle or deal with a wild animal you are taking a risk.  Depending on the animal you may even be risking your life.  A full-grown Cougar can easily overpower an adult human and inflict lethal injuries within seconds under the right circumstances.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

I always wanted to check that out.

Dude....it's fascinating but at the same time pretty brutal in the end.

Yeah I roughly know the story.  The whole audio tape of the killing being faked is an interesting story too.

Never heard about it being fake. Werner (director) did listen to it but chose to not have it in the movie since he did regret listen to it himself, it was just too disturbing. You can see him reacting to the tape in the movie. Say what you want about that but I can understand someone not wanting to share a horrible thing like that. Recreating something like that in a movie is one thing but to actually hear someone getting mauled to death by a bear is another thing I feel.

[gmillerdrake]

I say this from experience. When owning a wild animal it’s not ‘if’ it’ll ever bite or maul you......it’s ‘when’. So, when these people are mauled to death I hope they don’t put the cougar down for behaving like the wild animal it is.

I tell this to people who ask me about getting an African Grey parrot.  I've had one for 20 years and they make good pets, but they are not cuddly and friendly.  They're cunning, vindictive and manipulative.  They'll lull you into a false sense of security to the point where you let your guard down and then BAM they've opened a 1-inch gash on your cheek. 


Every time you handle or deal with a wild animal you are taking a risk.  Depending on the animal you may even be risking your life.  A full-grown Cougar can easily overpower an adult human and inflict lethal injuries within seconds under the right circumstances.

Barry....I worked with a guy years ago who owned a few exotic birds. And that dude would show up with a new gash or cut almost weekly. Deep, penetrating cuts too....not little scratches. And he would just be like "Yeah, Gizmo got mad about ______" or whatever like it was no big deal.

I've always been fascinated by the birds like the African Grey's, Macaws or the Amazon Parrots....came close to buying a Blue Fronted Amazon in my early 20's when I worked at a pet store. Then I learned the life span of most of them    They'd outlive me! Plus, the care and upkeep seemed pretty demanding.

I love bird watching and keeping my feeders full and what not....but don't think I'll ever pull the trigger on owning one of the exotics.

[hunnus2000]

I say this from experience. When owning a wild animal it’s not ‘if’ it’ll ever bite or maul you......it’s ‘when’. So, when these people are mauled to death I hope they don’t put the cougar down for behaving like the wild animal it is.

I tell this to people who ask me about getting an African Grey parrot.  I've had one for 20 years and they make good pets, but they are not cuddly and friendly.  They're cunning, vindictive and manipulative.  They'll lull you into a false sense of security to the point where you let your guard down and then BAM they've opened a 1-inch gash on your cheek. 

Well I've got a 10lb Min-Pin that is every bit as cunning and manipulative but would never gash my cheek. He sits in my lap looks me straight in the eyes as saying - 'can I have my treat now?' I'll stick to the traditional pets thank you very little. 

BTW - somebody mentioned pit-bulls. Pits can be really good and loyal family dogs if brought up correctly meaning raising them from a puppy and really giving them a lot of attention as they develop. They aren't the smartest breed from what I understand.

[wolfking]

The documentary Grizzly Man comes to mind.

I always wanted to check that out.

Dude....it's fascinating but at the same time pretty brutal in the end.

Yeah I roughly know the story.  The whole audio tape of the killing being faked is an interesting story too.

Never heard about it being fake. Werner (director) did listen to it but chose to not have it in the movie since he did regret listen to it himself, it was just too disturbing. You can see him reacting to the tape in the movie. Say what you want about that but I can understand someone not wanting to share a horrible thing like that. Recreating something like that in a movie is one thing but to actually hear someone getting mauled to death by a bear is another thing I feel.

Maybe I just read punters opinions on it.  I'll check the movie out one day.

[kirksnosehair]

I think people look at this sort of thing the wrong way. The concern isn't the likelihood that an animal will resort to instinctive behavior, but rather the animal's propensity for carnage should it occur. I'm not sure what the difference is between owning one of these cats and a pit bull. They both pose a slight risk of going primeval on your ass, and should they choose to do so, they're both going to make a very ugly mess of you in short order. I don't think pit bulls are inherently dangerous animals. They're intensely loyal and unlikely to go off the reservation. My stepbrother's pit bull and I are fairly close. I like her, she's fond of me, and if the shit were to hit the fan there's nobody in the world I'd rather have on my side than that dog. I'm mindful of her potential for carnage, though. I'm aware of two different ways of shutting her down should the need arise. I think this is exactly the same way I'd view Messi. Lovely pet. Fun to be around. Amazingly loyal. Greater element of risk than, say, a snauzer or a lab. Something you should probably be mindful of.

I get what you're saying but I don't think the Pit Bull comparison is a very good one and the reason is there is a MASSIVE difference between a domesticated pet and a wild animal.  Pit Bull or not, a domesticated pet was far, far less likely to maul someone out of the blue.  Wild animals on the other hand can be set off by some of the most mundane shit you can imagine.   

[El Barto]

I think people look at this sort of thing the wrong way. The concern isn't the likelihood that an animal will resort to instinctive behavior, but rather the animal's propensity for carnage should it occur. I'm not sure what the difference is between owning one of these cats and a pit bull. They both pose a slight risk of going primeval on your ass, and should they choose to do so, they're both going to make a very ugly mess of you in short order. I don't think pit bulls are inherently dangerous animals. They're intensely loyal and unlikely to go off the reservation. My stepbrother's pit bull and I are fairly close. I like her, she's fond of me, and if the shit were to hit the fan there's nobody in the world I'd rather have on my side than that dog. I'm mindful of her potential for carnage, though. I'm aware of two different ways of shutting her down should the need arise. I think this is exactly the same way I'd view Messi. Lovely pet. Fun to be around. Amazingly loyal. Greater element of risk than, say, a snauzer or a lab. Something you should probably be mindful of.

I get what you're saying but I don't think the Pit Bull comparison is a very good one and the reason is there is a MASSIVE difference between a domesticated pet and a wild animal.  Pit Bull or not, a domesticated pet was far, far less likely to maul someone out of the blue.  Wild animals on the other hand can be set off by some of the most mundane shit you can imagine.

Domestication is not binary.

While all dogs are domesticated to a degree, they've essentially been bread to be our pals, they still retain the basic instincts that they've been instilled with. A golden retriever that has never even caught wind of a sheep before has an instinctive knowledge of herding. The same applies to your bull terrier family of dogs, which has been bred to kill pests and engage in sport. We just don't pay so much attention to the former because nobody cares if your shelty starts herding the kids around the house.

On the flip side, both of those cougars were fairly well domesticated, as well. One was rescued from a zoo, and the other was orphaned and bottle raised by the owners. While the instincts are still there, I don't gather that either one has the foggiest clue what it's like to live in the wild. Humans, I would guess, are all they've ever known.

In general you may be correct, but given the circumstances with the two cougars, I'd say they're very similar.

[kirksnosehair]

uh, none of that in any way negates the fact that there is a MASSIVE difference between a domesticated pet and a wild animal, but ok

[El Barto]

uh, none of that in any way negates the fact that there is a MASSIVE difference between a domesticated pet and a wild animal, but ok

Good. It wasn't intended to. The point was that those two cougars in the video are essentially domesticated pets.

[splent]

The BUHBUHS

I would totally do this.

[kirksnosehair]

uh, none of that in any way negates the fact that there is a MASSIVE difference between a domesticated pet and a wild animal, but ok

Good. It wasn't intended to. The point was that those two cougars in the video are essentially domesticated pets.

No, they are NOT domesticated AT ALL.  They're wild animals that were brought up as domesticated pets.  Again, MASSIVE fucking difference.  Domesticated animals have had hundreds, in some cases thousands of years of selective breeding to enhance the best traits and subdue the less desirable ones.


These animals have undergone no such selective breeding.  They could turn on their owner for the most innocuous things. 


Don't take my word for it, just watch an episode or two of Tiger King for chrissakes.  You cannot consider an animal like this domesticated because they've undergone no selective breeding or extremely limited selective breeding.  At best they might be two or three generations removed from actual wild animals.  In other words, they're still wild animals.  Completely unpredictable and very, very dangerous.

[kirksnosehair]

Here's a good article that explains what I'm talking about
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/domesticated-animals/

[El Barto]

Don't take my word for it, just watch an episode or two of Tiger King for chrissakes. 

Yeah, I'd just as soon not if it's all the same with you. Besides, Roy Horn is a better example.

You make a valid point. I'd ask, though, do you think all of the negative traits have been bread out of the American pit bull terrier? That's where I began my point, and I still think it's valid. Like Montecore, there are plenty of dogs that have been known to go off the reservation and maul people for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Some dogs seem to have a greater propensity for it. In both cases you're relying on the animals fondness and familiarity for you to overcome instinctive aggression.

Also, I'm not entirely sure you can selectively breed out instinct.