We all know how special interest groups can blow things up, like the non-existent “Exotic Pet Crisis.” If you’ve heard some animal rights groups, you’d think that keeping exotic pets is cruel, dangerous, and even borderline treasonous! Before you buy that planner, consider that a high school student once made a compelling case for banning dihydrogen monoxide: Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it kills thousands of people each year.

Most deaths are caused by inhalation, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide don’t end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Dihydrogen monoxide is also known as hydroxyl acid, it is the main component of acid rain, it can cause severe burns, it contributes to soil erosion, it can cause electrical failure and decrease the effectiveness of automobile brakes, and it has been found in tumors removed from patients with terminal cancer.

This report was presented to 50 students, asking them what should be done with the chemical. 43 students were in favor of banning it, 6 were undecided and only one correctly recognized that ‘dihydrogen monoxide’ is actually H2O, tap water. how gullible are they you?

Banning my cat makes just as much sense as banning yours, and the results are just as heartbreaking for pet and owner. Are you ready for the truth about the “exotic pet crisis”?

• Exotic pets are not dangerous! One study showed that the risk of injury for owners of exotic cats was lower than the risk of injury due to a bite from a domestic dog. And every person who drives a motor vehicle exposes himself and his family to risk three times greater than someone who owns even a large exotic cat like a tiger.
• Most exotic pet owners are kind, intelligent people who love their animals and take excellent care of them. We love our pets like you love yours.
• Exotic animal bans result in beloved pets being confiscated, seized, and often killed. A lucky few live out their lives in cages under the care of strangers at zoos and sanctuaries. This is the dirty secret that animal rights groups don’t want you to know. Banning doesn’t help animals: it kills them!
• The ownership of exotic cats is already regulated by the US Department of Agriculture, the US Department of the Interior, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, CITES, the Law on Animal Welfare, the Endangered Species Act, the Lacey Act, more city, county and state regulations than you can shake a stick at, as well as existing animal welfare and public safety laws that govern both exotic animals as well as domestic ones.
• “You can buy a tiger on the internet for $100.00,” campaigners reluctant to research proclaim in horror. Just try ordering a tiger online, or even a serval. You will not succeed. This urban legend has plenty of replayability at cocktail parties and fundraisers to save cute animals from evil humans, but it’s sorely lacking in the reality department. Breeders have websites, but it takes a lot more than a mouse click to buy an exotic cat.