Thinking about a pet?

I was reading about one of our endangered species, the Ocelot, in today's newspaper. I was flipping through the paper and what caught my attention was a striking photo of this beautiful cat. They are about twice the size of the average household cat. They are sleek, powerful, gorgeous and get to be about 30lbs once they reach adulthood.

They mainly live under the leafy canopies of South American rain forests, but can also be found in Southern Texas.

They feed primarily on rodents, but also on other small prey such as fish, snakes, lizards and insects. These cute little guys are active for about 12 - 14 hours a day, so you better be ready to play! They are primarily nocturnal, guessing they do their best thinking at night. *smiles*

Unfortunately they are becoming extinct and unless mankind can help them, they will eventually no longer exist. Most mothers can only produce 1 - 2 kittens per litter, so the it's becoming more and more difficult to protect this beautiful cat.

So you want one for a pet now? Well, they are not the easiest wild cats to raise. Owning an ocelot puts limitations in your life that differs from owning a domestic cat. A commitment to raising and breeding an ocelot cannot be taken lightly. As kittens, they are like the normal domesticated kitten, they like to play and keep near the owners. They sometimes throw their own temper tantrums if left alone to play independently. They even whine.

A carefully raised ocelot can be a very affectionate animal. They will play ball or rope with you...Some just want to suck on your fingers and sit in your lap and purr. They are content with that. (They are also usually bottle fed as babies)

Ok, the breeding part - be aware. Once they are paired up with a mate, they become less interested in their human owner. Once the female is in heat, they growl, roll, become more affectionate, and call loudly in search of their mate. They don't necessarily become more aggressive, but they might become more stand-offish.

You'll need to keep them in a cage if you cannot watch them. If you leave them in your backyard, expected climbing and digging. If you train them young, you can let them have free roam of the house too. They love water, and diving for toys in the water - so kiddy pools are perfect for them. You need to make sure what kind of toys you are tossing since they tend to swallow small things like tennis balls, legos, kongs, etc. So perhaps a few more trips to the vet's office than normal;).

Researching a wild cat is always a good idea and more importantly, hands on work to see if you are able to raise a wild cat before you take one it. It's not just taking care of the ocelot when it's a baby, it's a lifetime of 14 years that you need to dedicate to it.

Hmmm, I want one, err two.

They grow up to be beautiful as you see in the photo below: