Can Tigers Really Be Pets?

One of the other things I'm deeply in love with and fascinated with are tigers. I religiously follow most tiger documentaries and shows on Nat Geo and Discovery. I wish I was princess Jasmine of the Walt Disney movie 'cause she has a pet tiger. They are the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen in my entire life. A dream that'll probably only remain a dream is having a pet tiger.

Owning a tiger involves a lot of factors. Firstly, you need to have a lot of money....because you need to have a house with huge area around it...lot of land and that's expensive nowadays. Secondly, you first need to find a vet that deals with tigers and their medical bills, in case there's a problem, is mighty high. Thirdly, you'll end up spending a lot on tiger food. Fourth, you'll probably need to higher a trainer to train your mighty cat. Fifth, perimeter fencing and a strong cage. Sixth, procedure and gear to safely move a tiger to any place say a hospital or something. Seventh, complete all formalities with the law and animal rights activists. Lastly, say goodbye to vacations...you can never really tell your neighbor to pop in and feed your pet tiger after all!

Though a lot of tigers lead suburban lives, it's really a gamble after all. They are wild animals after all, the world's most feared predators. It'll take generations and probably an evolution for tigers to become actually tame. You need to be on guard with a tiger no matter how trained it is or how much love you might've given it. After all the predator instincts are as natural to them as it is for us to see. If you ever happen to crumble or fall or faint in front of a tiger, no matter how well trained it is, it will go for you. Training them is also not easy. Most trainers begin training at the age of 1 and trying to train them using food alone is like a suicide mission, where there's no food you're finished! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to train them and this is not possible by an individual or even a team of 2 people. You probably need a fairly huge team comprising minimum of 5 people. They are manageable till the age of 3...it'll probably tear your curtains and chew your prized center table though. After that they begin to develop into the powerful creatures they are meant to be and you need to be more wary every waking moment with them around.

And yes. You can't feed a tiger everyday. They don't get food in wild everyday and their digestive systems are not designed to handle daily intake of food so around 2-3 days in a week are kept aside as fasting days. As far as I know, their diet comprises mostly of meat. But the zoo at Mysore actually feeds the tigers with one hen per week!!!!!And their kept in such cramped cages!!!! Tigers love open spaces, it's healthy for them and it must be provided.

Owning a tiger is probably something I would do at some point later in my life. It's definitely not feasible now. However, while discussing this with my sister, she asked me one question which really made me think. She asked, "Is it really fair to keep them as pets?". It was like a ton of bricks fell over me. If you look at it one way, it is unfair. They are not supposed to be tamed... it'll be probably be happier living in the wild and using its innate skills to the fullest. Nor can you suddenly change your mind and release your pet grown tiger into the wild because it will die. Tigers bred in captivity have to be trained under the tough conditions they will face in the wild to survive.

But then again, they are endangered...maybe this way we can really take care of it but only at the cost of endangering our own lives. Tigers are no doubt beautiful but it is a lethal beauty they possess. The best thing probably would be to make sure they are safe in wilderness. Maybe it really is inhumane for making these animals into something that they are not meant to be and then punishing them for doing what it is supposed to do. What do you think?

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