# Caracal as a pet. WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 18, 2023, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305 "2023-09-18T10:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/41 "2023-09-19T14:57:46Z")
The genetic difference between the Domestic Cat and their Wild Cat ancestor is very small. Only 7 genes if I recall correctly. Among the changes is a meow that sounds more baby human like. A longer intestine to accommodate eating more human food. Legs are a bit shorter and coats much more varied in color. Dogs changed from Wolves far more. I think the article said 25 genes. Dogs have been around 30,000 years and cats only 10,000. Additionally we heavily bred dogs for thousands of years and only started selective breeding of cats less than 200 years ago. Dogs are partners in a tribes. Cats are companions that just hung out with us. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/42 "2023-09-19T15:00:52Z")
I knew someone who kept Servals. They were friendly to their owners, and one let me pet it, but I would never have one as a pet. If one got pissed off at you, it could rip you to shreds. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/43 "2023-09-19T20:48:08Z")
**PKBites** , How do you know all this negative shit about caracals and the people who keep some of them? I think you’re just being a cop, and echoing the common American prejudice about keeping unusual and exotic animals as pets. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/44 "2023-09-19T21:08:13Z")
There are (multiple!?) instances like this [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LYCqUaUr4DM/hqdefault.jpg "friendly puma is cuddling in bed with man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYCqUaUr4DM) where somebody rescues a cat from the zoo or other bad situation but it cannot be rehabilitated to survive on its own. I think it’s OK as long as we are talking about a genuine rescue situation involving people who are equipped to take care of them (e.g. you can’t just keep a wild cat cooped up in an apartment; they need proper nutrition and exercise etc) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/45 "2023-09-19T21:12:48Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > the common American prejudice about keeping unusual and exotic animals as pets. It’s hardly a prejudice. Very few people are prepared to do such a thing properly; and it’s cruel to the animals when they aren’t. There are occasional exceptions, nearly always involving people trained in wildlife care for the particular species they’re housing, and animals who are unable to be released into the wild. But as a general rule, it’s neither an intelligent nor a kind thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/46 "2023-09-19T21:17:45Z")
I remember a couple of cases in which people kept a chimpanzee at home until the animal violently attacked someone. [This](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)) is the Wikipedia article on one such case from 2009 in Connecticut. The human victim lost “9 fingers, nose, eyes, lips, and mid-face bone structure and received significant brain tissue injuries.” Perhaps not every domesticated chimp or caracal ends up attacking someone, but I still think that you’re better off with a dog. Or a domestic cat, if you’re into that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/47 "2023-09-19T21:39:28Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > **PKBites** , How do you know all this negative shit about caracals and the people who keep some of them? I think you’re just being a cop, and echoing the common American prejudice about keeping unusual and exotic animals as pets. The problem is that there are a lot of selfish, irresponsible Americans who purchase an animal without doing proper research on the animal’s needs. This can end badly for all. I don’t have a problem with people who are qualified, able, and willing to give an animal a suitable home and fulfill the animal’s needs. Unfortunately, not everyone meets that standard. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/48 "2023-09-19T22:54:05Z")
[mistake] ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/49 "2023-09-19T22:56:17Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > How do you know all this negative shit about caracals and the people who keep some of them? I think you’re just being a cop, and echoing the common American prejudice about keeping unusual and exotic animals as pets. Yeah, just look at Pablo Escobar’s hippos…total success story all the way around. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/50 "2023-09-19T23:10:33Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I don’t have a problem with people who are qualified, able, and willing to give an animal a suitable home and fulfill the animal’s needs. Unfortunately, not everyone meets that standard. Heck, there are a lot of people who can’t/won’t take proper care of ordinary domestic animals, let alone an exotic that requires specialized skills. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/51 "2023-09-19T23:14:16Z")
You did get a laugh out of me. It was a perfect response. Best of luck. I got lucky. Married 26 years. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/52 "2023-09-19T23:21:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The only wild cat which takes well to being a pet is the Asian Leopard cat, and even then they are bred in captivity for 3-4 generations before being sold as pets (Bengal cats). They are crossed heavily for multiple generations with domestic cats. The idea is to get wild cat looks (and some slightly wild-type behavior), with more domestic cat behavior. The results are…mixed. I know we have had or currently have people who own bengals and/or savanah cats (the same process only with multi-generation serval/domestic cat hybrids), so I don’t want to shit on them too heavily as pets 😉. But I wouldn’t own one. They’re absolutely beautiful and have some interesting behavioral features. But aside from the fact that they ten to be ridiculously expensive, they on average still have more behavioral issues than regular old domestics. Yes, yes - yours (generic yours) are perfect little angels. But many are not and one of the hardest genetic predilections to break is inappropriate scent-marking via urination. That can be an issue even with domestic cats. It is worse with hybrids and often intractable and insolvable with wild cats of any sort. > [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > How do you know all this negative shit about caracals and the people who keep some of them? Everybody knows about the negative shit with caracals and some of the people who own them. Anecdotes abound. Non-domestic animals make piss-poor pets. Though to be fair that’s a misnomer - as above the predatory ones that naturally scent mark will piss pretty much everywhere. Pet foxes for example will happily piss on your furniture, your rugs, your clothes, their toys, your head and each other - it’s an expression of possessive ownership. Frankly caracals are probably worse than many exotic cats. Not only are they purportedly rather more aggressive than many other wild cats, but they are just a little more genuinely nocturnal than many as well. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/53 "2023-09-20T00:13:30Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I know we have had or currently have people who own bengals Yes. we had one. And he was an f3, so closer to the wild. And he was one of the most laid back affectionate cats we have ever had, with the exception of our Maine coon mix. He also wasnt expensive. Basically the breeder didnt like the fact that his markings were muted, so he wasnt going to be bred. So we got him cheap with a promise not to breed him. He did have some throwback features, like a pelt, the occipital ridge, etc. In general bengals, other than being _very_ active- are not known to have any more behavior issues that any other breed of cats, so you are quite wrong. In fact the Siamese is the one breed people complain about. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/54 "2023-09-20T00:29:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In general bengals, other than being _very_ active- are not known to have any more behavior issues that any other breed of cats, so you are quite wrong. Eh, dueling [anecdotes](https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/education/species/hybrid-domestic/what-is-a-hybrid-domestic/). That one was plucked at random, but I trust shelters/sanctuaries that have to actually deal with surrenders on a regular basis over the sunny pronouncements of breeders and breed enthusiasts. Which is not to doubt your own experience or that many bengals (and other hybrids) can’t make good pets. My old boss’s son had an apparently very well-behaved bengal as well. They’re certainly out there. It’s just that it’s a bit more of a genetic crapshoot than usual and you can be taking a risk of getting…well, not a dud. But a more-difficult-than-usual pet cat to manage. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/55 "2023-09-20T00:36:09Z")
The videos I’ve seen of the snarling caracal on my YouTube feed seem to be Russians. There’s also one with Russians and a pet black panther (?). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/56 "2023-09-20T01:48:16Z")
Or that guy in Ohio a while back. (Or Joe Exotic and his human menagerie, for that matter.) > **[2011 Zanesville, Ohio animal escape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Zanesville,_Ohio_animal_escape)** > > The 2011 Zanesville, Ohio animal escape occurred on October 18, 2011, when the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm released multiple exotic animals before committing suicide. 48 animals were subsequently killed by law enforcement. > Muskingum County Animal Farm was a private zoo located in Zanesville, Ohio, United States. > The animal farm had been repeatedly reported for inadequate and unsafe housing for the animals, as well as insufficient water and food. Neighbors had previously complained ... ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/57 "2023-09-20T02:51:28Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Additionally we heavily bred dogs for thousands of years and only started selective breeding of cats less than 200 years ago. Dogs are partners in a tribes. This is why I don’t think cats domesticated humans by killing rodents for them. Humans already had rat terriers and those guys are relentless and untiring. I think they came because humans made tasty garbage and being all cute and sweet and purring caused tasty treats to happen. They just killed rodents for fun. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/58 "2023-09-20T03:38:10Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Pet foxes for example will happily piss on your furniture, your rugs, your clothes, their toys, your head and each other - it’s an expression of possessive ownership. Foxes stink. Even when they haven’t pissed on anything they have a very strong odor. They are also cute as hell. They are the only wild animal I’m tempted to keep as a pet. As an outdoor pet. Because they stink. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/59 "2023-09-20T04:00:57Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Foxes stink. Even when they haven’t pissed on anything they have a very strong odor. They are also cute as hell. They are the only wild animal I’m tempted to keep as a pet. As an outdoor pet. Because they stink. - [And they giggle.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gx_jRfB-Ao) (This sanctuary takes in surrendered pets and rescues from fur farms). ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305/60 "2023-09-20T04:27:31Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > **PKBites** , How do you know all this negative shit about caracals and the people who keep some of them? I think you’re just being a cop, and echoing the common American prejudice about keeping unusual and exotic animals as pets. When you learn how to read go back to the OP. There are dozens of videos out there of these things growling and hissing at their humans. The so-called humans don’t help matters by fucking with them. But the cats growl and hiss no matter what either way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caracal-as-a-pet-wtf/990305.md?page=4)