We all have had a dog or cat as pets in our lives that we loved and adored. But some animals are best left outside our homes and shouldn’t be kept as pets.
Some of these animals can endanger human lives, some just cannot adapt and thrive after being removed from their natural environments, and some are just outright destructive.
This article will tell you about some of the worst animals to keep as pets. This could be because the animals are harder to care for than you think, because of the danger they pose to humans, or because keeping them as pets is cruel to the animal itself.
4 of the Worst Animals to Keep as Pets
Primates
Primates like monkeys and chimps might seem like cool and fun pets, but there are several reasons why keeping them as pets is a bad idea. First off, primates can carry many life-threatening diseases like Ebola, rabies, salmonellosis, monkeypox, and many more parasites and viruses.
Primates are also highly intelligent creatures and keep becoming stronger and larger in size as they grow. They become harder to care for and manage overtime and possess staggering amounts of strength. Primates are known to attack and go on rampages without reasons or warnings. Primate attacks can be very dangerous and even deadly.
Most states have already banned the possession of primates as pets. However, people still keep them as pets in many places. These animals require high amounts of care, effort, and love to keep as pets. Even if you do everything right, you can still be in danger of getting attacked or getting infected with diseases.
Rodents
‘Pocket Pets’ like mice, chinchillas, hamsters, and gerbils might seem like the perfect pet for your child as they look so fluffy, small and cute. But these animals are usually very afraid of humans and do not like being handled or touched. While you could train them to appreciate and love the human touch, most of these animals are sold as adults in pet stores and are very hard to train.
These tiny rodents also need a surprising amount of care and effort about their size. They need special food, a special cage, bedding, a water dispenser, and exercise equipment. Many of these ‘pocket pets’ are also nocturnal. This means they like to be awake when you are likely to be sleeping. You’ll mostly find them sleeping whenever you want to pet or play with them.
Owls
In most states in the US, owning and keeping owls as pets is already illegal. Owls are nocturnal animals and are pure predators in nature. The amount of care an owl requires is a lot and hard to grasp, and most owl owners keep their pets in completely inappropriate conditions and environments.
When and if owls feel threatened, they can use their sharp talons and beaks to cause a lot of damage to humans and even be deadly to children. Owls are also carnivores, and you will have to store and freeze raw animal meat to feed your pet owl. Dealing with the flesh, blood, and leftovers is something not everyone can handle.
Reptiles
Reptiles like iguanas and lizards might seem pretty to look at and cool, but almost 90% of all these animals have salmonella and can be a real danger to your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 93,000 people get infected with salmonella through exposure to reptiles.
Reptiles are also very hard to manage and care for. They require constant UVA and UVB lighting, climbing and basking materials, heat, food, and medical care. All of this adds up to spending a lot of money to care for something that might give you salmonella!
