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Introduction 

You may have found yourself swooning over cute videos of pet beavers or tiny snakes online. While some of us appreciate them from afar, many of you think of owning one as a pet. 

Having an exotic pet isn’t as easy as it seems. Behind the cute videos and pictures are a lot of effort and care for their handling. 

So you must know what to expect in order to make sure that you are ready for this responsibility to ensure a healthy lifestyle for your exotic pet. 

To help make things easier for you, here are a couple of things that you should keep in mind before you buy any exotic pet. 

What to Do Before Purchasing Exotic Pets?

Wait for a second before you decide to impulsively own a pet by seeing posts like “Topflight Dubia Roaches For Sale” or “Baby Chinchilla for Adoption!”. Owning an exotic pet isn’t as easy as you may think. It takes a lot of responsibility and consistency from your side to take care of them. 

To help you assess if you are ready for that or not, here are a few points for you to check out. 

Research All the Way

The first and foremost thing you should do before owning any exotic pet is research, research, and research!

There’s more to an exotic pet than just their cute appearance. Unlike most domestic pets like dogs or cats, every exotic pet has unique needs and characteristics, such as its diet, movement pattern, where they come from, how big it can grow, how long it can live, probable diseases, social needs, etc. 

Choosing an exotic pet without knowing its handling and feeding techniques is a big mistake. 

Since their existence as a pet is unique itself, they need extra care and attention. This is why they should never be handled impulsively. Checking their legal status is also essential. 

Not all pets are allowed to be owned in every state. It differs from place to place. So before you try to own any exotic pet, check out its legal status in your state. 

Calculate Your Expense 

Apart from your care and attention, exotic pets require huge expenses. Their needs and demands differ a lot from common domestic pets. 

A rabbit cage, enrichment, and diet are similar needs to those for small dogs, but a large parrot would need a large cage, which can cost $500-$1000. Exotic pets’ veterinary care is also expensive; a safe bird exam can cost several hundred dollars, whereas a sick bird exam can cost $1000. 

In most cases, exotic pets have to be anesthetized or sedated for any surgery, checking, or handling. This regular use of anesthesia for physical exams and monitoring can be very expensive.

Most exotic pets require many expensive services. Even if the pet itself is cheap, its healthcare, food habits, living demands, etc., can pile up. So, consider getting pet insurance. 

It is crucial that you do your financial calculation before purchasing any exotic pet to keep it healthy. 

Pet-Proof Your House 

Having a suitable living habitat is vital for any exotic pets. These pets are not meant for regular human households, which is why they need a living space catered to their needs. 

You need to prepare a part of your home, especially for them. If you plan on keeping it in a cage, you need to make sure that it has enough bar strength and bar space suitable for the animal, escape-proof, and has sufficient protection from heat, cold, and rain(if you keep it outdoors). 

The cage should also be changed or modified as per the species and their growth rate. For example, baby iguanas are only 6 inches long, whereas an adult can grow up to 6 feet.

If you plan to keep your house cage-free, you need to pet-proof the room that it is kept in, like getting rid of wires, covering socket points, and removing any other risky appliances. 

It is important to prepare the animal’s housing ahead of time and ensure that their living conditions are appropriate for their survival so that your pet is automatically put in an appropriate environment upon arrival.

Think About the Long Run 

Think things through and prepare yourself for all the responsibilities. Having an exotic pet is a matter of great commitment and consistency. 

You need to mentally prepare yourself for all the effort and think out how this pet may affect your life in the long run. Whether you get married, move out, or go through any other significant changes in your life, you need to plan out how this pet will stay with you for the rest of its life. 

You also need to be ready for situations where your pet will not be fond of other people in your life. Your pet may be very affectionate towards you,

but most exotic pets aren’t that friendly or open to human interactions. So your exotic pet might be aggressive towards your new partner or friends. Thus, mentally prepare yourself for that kind of situation. 

Conclusion 

Owning any pet is a matter of great responsibility. You should never impulsively take one unless you are ready for it. It may not take much for you to get rid of them when you’re tired or unable to meet their demands, but it takes a huge toll on them. So before you buy an exotic pet, make sure you are ready for it. 

We hope our article helped you decide whether you’re ready for an exotic pet or not.