there have been incidents of children getting bitten or killed by their parents' exotic pets such as pythons, boas, and tarantulas.

Would you ever consider having a poisonous/dangerous pet? Would it affect your decision if you had children?
If you think it is okay, why?

I would never have an exotic pet in my house. I prefer cats and dogs. Most exotic I'd go is tropical fish and none of the dangerous ones like lion fish.

My daughter had a newt when she was younger. We named it Gingrich. It died. That's as exotic as we get.

Alan Smithee wrote:

My daughter had a newt when she was younger. We named it Gingrich. It died. That's as exotic as we get.

No, I wouldn't. I don't do pets....much less 'exotic' ones.

I tend to associate "exotic animal" with "dangerous". The only pets I'd consider having are a dog, cat, fish or bird. Tarantulas, snakes, Llamas etc. etc. are staying at the zoo.

I don't believe I have ever entertained the idea of owning an exotic pet. And it's especially a bad idea with a child in the family. Because not all animals are sensitive to a child; in other words, some will attack a baby. So would an attack dog if it's a baby it doesn't "know".

Not worth all the effort into the extra cautionary measures.

I remember awhile back, there were a couple of stories of people owning huge boas and letting toddlers ride around on them. I actually found myself fighting a gag reflex when it showed the 18 month old sucking on the end of the boa's tail. Seems to me social services intervened until there "pet" was removed. Another time, it took 10 guys to remove a pet boa. The toddler had been riding around on it in the backyard.

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Another time, it took 10 guys to remove a pet boa. The toddler had been riding around on it in the backyard.

Oh, my word. That is terrible.

No, I would never have any sort of an exotic pet. Remember that horrible story about the chimp taking off that poor lady's face. That breaks my heart.

yeah, the chimp was on an episode of Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet. There was also an episode of a guy in Delaware who had 7 huge lizards in a one bedroom apartment. One accidentally bit him and he soon died from bacterial infection. Over the weekend, the lizards were hungry and ate half his body!

When I was younger I used to think about if I got rich, getting a chimpanzee or a couple of baby tigers. But anymore I don't even like having dogs around, the only thing I really like anymore is cats, they're very little trouble.


Though this reminds me of something I've often thought about, when Michael Jackson was alive and he resided at the Neverland ranch and he had his own zoo, I always found it very weird he had HUGE boa constrictors he would carry around his neck, but he was scared of dogs because they bite. What the hell?

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Though this reminds me of something I've often thought about, when Michael Jackson was alive and he resided at the Neverland ranch and he had his own zoo, I always found it very weird he had HUGE boa constrictors he would carry around his neck, but he was scared of dogs because they bite. What the hell?

As much as I love dogs, and don't like snakes, this makes a lot of sense to me. MJ probably had a dog freak him out at some point, and that just stuck. My friend has two boys that are 12 year old twins and the boys have three snakes (not crazy big snakes) and the one twin is deathly afraid of dogs because he saw his brother bitten by one when they were toddlers. So, the twin that wasn't bitten is afraid of dogs, and the other, who was bitten, likes dogs. My dog is four pounds, and that boy will not even come near him.

wow. amazing how things can affect us so

RedBedroom wrote:

As much as I love dogs, and don't like snakes, this makes a lot of sense to me. MJ probably had a dog freak him out at some point, and that just stuck. My friend has two boys that are 12 year old twins and the boys have three snakes (not crazy big snakes) and the one twin is deathly afraid of dogs because he saw his brother bitten by one when they were toddlers. So, the twin that wasn't bitten is afraid of dogs, and the other, who was bitten, likes dogs. My dog is four pounds, and that boy will not even come near him.

It doesn't make sense to me. My mother's been bitten by the 'oh he's nice, he doesnt' bite' dogs all her life, and she still loves dogs that she knows will behave, and still hates snakes with every fiber of her being.

Supernova wrote:

RedBedroom wrote:

As much as I love dogs, and don't like snakes, this makes a lot of sense to me. MJ probably had a dog freak him out at some point, and that just stuck. My friend has two boys that are 12 year old twins and the boys have three snakes (not crazy big snakes) and the one twin is deathly afraid of dogs because he saw his brother bitten by one when they were toddlers. So, the twin that wasn't bitten is afraid of dogs, and the other, who was bitten, likes dogs. My dog is four pounds, and that boy will not even come near him.

It doesn't make sense to me. My mother's been bitten by the 'oh he's nice, he doesn't' bite' dogs all her life, and she still loves dogs that she knows will behave, and still hates snakes with every fiber of her being.

Well, I have known types like your mom as well....they don't get spooked. Some people do, some don't. It is not about the type of animal or reptile, it is just how we feel about them. Our unexplained differences make life interesting.

My sis was bitten by a collie when she was 10. She grew up fearing dogs. She has even tried to raise dogs from a puppy, but when the dalmatian got too big, she was terrified so I took it. Then she had a teacup poodle---still terrified by the time it was two yrs old. Some people are just fearful after traumatic incidents.

wants2laugh wrote:

My sis was bitten by a collie when she was 10. She grew up fearing dogs. She has even tried to raise dogs from a puppy, but when the dalmatian got too big, she was terrified so I took it. Then she had a teacup poodle---still terrified by the time it was two yrs old. Some people are just fearful after traumatic incidents.

And that's odd because I think my mother's whole life for the span of about 40+ years was all just one traumatic incident after another and she's still somehow turned out to be one of the most normal people I've ever known.