General Requirements For Private Ownership

Tiger

Check out our Model Regulations that are available to Local and State agencies that are interested in implementing jurisdication regarding wildcats.

Here you will find some guidelines to owning an exotic cat. Please don't be fooled into believing that it will be any less work that having children! It is not for everyone. Don't make the mistake of believing that if you can't endure for the lifetime of your cat, you will be able to place it at a zoo. This misconception is what gets a lot of exotic animals euthanized because they are very hard to place. Zoos are full to capacity and also have strict requirements on the animals that they acquire for studbook breeding purposes and AZA (American Zoos and Aquariums Association) regulations. Compounds like Wild About Cats have to rescue some, but there are simply not enough sanctuaries for them all. Therefore, taking into consideration that many people are determined to get a cat no matter what they are told, and that many people are capable of being responsible owners, we always advise on captive husbandry. We would rather that these people were educated properly on care and handling, rather than dictated to that what they are doing is wrong. This is for the sake of the cats that did not ask to be born into these situations. If after reading through this information you would like to know more about captive wild cat husbandry and whether or not it is for you, go to the links provided at the end of this article.

Enclosure. Enclosures are not cheap to build. The strength and size of the structure will vary depending on the species of cat. The following example is for a large cat (over 100 lbs.). You will need a 500-1000 sq. foot cage preferably. Considering they will be spending at least 20 years in this small space, obviously the bigger the better. It needs to be made of minimum 9-guage wire, preferably cyclone fencing 9-guage. It needs to be at least 8-feet tall with a ceiling. It will need a denbox. Usually constructed of 3/4 in. plywood or stronger, 4' x 8' x 4' tall. The door into the box will need a slider or guillotine door that can be operated from outside the cage to trap the cat inside so that you (and others when you are not home) can enter the cage to clean and feed. The back of the denbox should have some sort of hole to "bait" the cat into it, then you slide the slider shut and lock it. The main entrance to the enclosure should be double-gated. Where you go into one door, close it behind you in an entryway area, and then open the second door into the cage. Otherwise, the cat will have a direct line to get out. Some cats (tigers, leopards, jaguars, bobcats, fishing cats, etc.) love water and should be provided with a pool. This pool should be flushable with plumbing so that you will be able to clean it. Many cats like to use them to eliminate into. The enclosure needs to have good drainage or be on a slope so that there is no standing water when it rains.

Licensing. You will need to contact your state wildlife agency for state requirements. Also check your county government for information on licensing and zoning. And if you are within city limits, you may need city agency licensing also. On a federal level you will need a U.S.D.A. license issued through APHIS (Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service). They will have an inspector come out and see your enclosure prior to approval. Through them you will need to keep records of diet, vet care, and have annual inspections (also subject to "drop" inspections throughout the year) prior to renewal. They also require that your vet make at least biannual visits. The other regulating agency is U.S.D.I. (U.S. Dept. of Interior). They require licensing on endangered species only.

Diet Requirements All wild cat species need fresh meat to survive. There are two main commercial carnivore feline diets made for captive cats. One is Nebraska and one is Breeders Choice. The price and availablility varies depending on where you are. You can call Nebraska for prices and pick up points at Central Nebraska Packing 1-877-900-3003. Proper amounts to feed daily is 1%-3% of the cat's body weight. These commercial diets are in a hamburger-like form and are frozen into 5-lb. rolls. As a cub, they will eat more because they are growing (5% body weight) and will need extra calcium (powder form or chicken necks) for bone growth. These diets are primarily horse meat. Horse is a lean meat and most resembles their natural prey. Too much beef acts as a laxative. A benefit to commercial diets is preparation. It's no fun to be butchering an animal every few days and it's very hard work. Another benefit is that the entire animal is used. The hide, hoof, bone, etc. is all in the diet. Including zoological vitamins and minerals. People that try to make their own diet often may not get the measurements right or proper balance. Health problems due to improper diet are very common and expensive. However, the disadvantage is that the consistancy of the commercial diets aren't always liked by the cats. They like the texture of bones and hide and that also keeps their teeth clean. So it is a good idea to cut it with whole chickens. An example would be to use 50% chicken/50% Nebraska and sprinkle some additional zoological vitamins on the chicken. If a non-commercial diet is used, zoological vitamins should be added. There was one called Chaparral Vitamins, but they have gone out of business. There is another one called Oasis Vitamins at 1-800-682-0359. Another very important aspect to diet is fasting. Wild cats do not eat every day. Their digestive tract is not designed to constantly be at work. It is much healthier for them to give it a rest once or twice a week. We fast on Sundays. Some times we fast on both Sunday and Wednesday and simply feed more on the days that they are fed so that the weekly intake is the same.

Exotic Veterinarians. This you will need to check on for your area. If you ask domestic vets locally, they can refer you to one. You should definitely use a vet that has experience with exotics. I have known cats that died because of inexperienced vets. They require unique vaccination programs, anesthesia, etc. You will need to locate a vet first, because U.S.D.A. will need information on them before they license you.

Cougars are a popular breed in the pet trade and completely over-represented. We highly encourage spaying or neutering cougars, bobcats, lions, and tigers (if not of traceable lineage valuable to an organized breeding program). If you are considering not spaying your female cougar, you must listen to this recording of a female in estrus. Be prepared to listen to this endlessly for weeks at a time!

Training and Safety. The most important information you will need is on handling and training. This comes from experience. No matter how tame your cat, he can kill you if you do the wrong thing. Your behavior is very important to safety. Raising, handling, and training a young cat properly will make or break your ability to handle them after the first year. And even then there's no guarantee that they will be handlable upon maturity. Check yourself to be sure that walking and petting your cat is not the reason that you are getting one. Handling them for one year as a younster is not worth having to house and feed them and not being able to touch them for the next twenty years. Yet this is always a possibility, even if you do everything right. You must be prepared for the fact that you may not be able to handle your cat at all except maybe a quick careful rub through the fence. More often than not, this is the case. These are wild animals! Domestication takes thousands of years, not a few generations. See if you can volunteer somewhere that has big cats to learn all you can about behavior (yours and theirs). It may save your life, someone elses, and make for a happier cat. Also for safety you should get a CO2 fire extinguisher (not Halon) to keep next to the cage. If there's ever an attack or excape, a blast of CO2 is harmless but will spook a cat enough to get away or direct them where you want them to go. Even though the enclosure won't take up much room on your property, it will be nice to have that large buffer zone around your cat. Several acres is preferred. You do not want it visible to the public. If it is, build a wall. Once word gets out, people will come. Out of sight, out of mind. If they are tempted they will approach the cage and stick their fingers in, get bit, and sue you. Always have locks on both cage doors. Unfortunately it is not uncommon that angry people that don't approve will give you problems and/or poison or shoot your cat if they can get to it. You must have a perimeter fence on your property.

If you would like more information regarding captive wild cat husbandry for the private individual go to the Exotic-Catz.com and/or Feline Conservation Federation websites. You can also go to the Monkey Madness site to look up the laws in your state.