The Lynx: A Suitable House Cat?
The other day, while pursuing one of my favorite hobbies, answering questions pertaining to cats on a popular question and answer website, I ran across a question that upset me deeply. The asker wanted to know how to go about adopting a wild Lynx cat and make it a house pet. I wondered what might be prompting this question, and amazingly I simutaneously found an article highlighting a story online about the discovery of Lynx kittens being born in Colorado. I assume the asker did too.
Lynx kitten photo: Colorado Division of Wildlife/AP22 photos
While a little cub is enchanting and oh . . . ever so tempting . . . in my opinion however, these are wild cats and need to be respected and treasured just as they are. What is more concerning to me is that the beautiful Lynx cat, with their magnificently tufted ears and large padded feet are now listed as "threatened" on the endangered species list. Native to Colorado, their numbers were almost wiped out completely in the early 1970s from poisoning, trapping, logging and environmental development.
These said, an exciting announcement by the Colorado Division of Wildlife was made about the discovery of 10 Lynx kittens in the spring of 2009, and are the first babies documented in the state since 2006. Biologists monitoring the replenishment of the mountain feline are cautiously optimistic by their birth.
With the delicate and dwindling wildlife population, especially the low numbers of snowshoe hares, the Lynx cat's main hunting source, biologists have not seen any kittens in two years, so the arrival of seven male kittens and three females in five dens has been thrilling for them. Over 200 Lynx cats imported from Alaska and Canada in 1997 have been released in Colorado since 1999, but the actual census of the population of the Lynx cats in the state still remains unknown to biologists.
Lead researcher for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Tanya Shenk, said, "We hope this is an upturn. What's exciting about it is, there were enough lynx out there to get us through our first low," referring to the irregular population of Lynx cats which are tied directly to the population of the snowshoe hares. In order to produce successful litters of Lynx kittens, the snowshoe hare population must be able to provide adequate nourishment for the cats.
The best news is that rather than offspring from the imported Lynx cats, these kittens were born to two native Colorado Cats, and are third-generation Colorado Lynx, which demonstrates a "significant milestone of the Lynx re-introduction program."
Colorado Division of Wildlife lead biologist Rick Kahn said, "We are very close to achieving all of our goals for the lynx reintroduction. We have had successful breeding and we have had Colorado-born lynx reproduce. Our next goal is to determine if our level of recruitment is exceeding our mortality rates over a couple of years. We are very encouraged by the results this year and are hopeful that these animals will contribute towards a sustaining population for Colorado."
Do you agree that people shouldn't keep Lynx cats as pets? Please share your opinions by leaving a comment.
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Comments (16)
Amy July 22, 2009 3:00 PM
These beautiful felines are "not" pets and should not be considered as such. I hope that many more are born and continue to be wild and free.
Diana July 22, 2009 3:06 PM
Lynx are wild animals. They are not pets, and should not be subjected to being pets. The only possible reason to have a lynx for a 'pet' is if you are a certified wildlife rehabilitator and are fostering orphaned kittens to be released into the wild when they are old enough to able to survive.
Vicki July 22, 2009 3:07 PM
Personally, I think these animals should be left in the wild or a facility that is suitable for their environment. I do know that they are wild animals and in my opinion should be left in their own natural habitat.
jmuhj July 22, 2009 3:31 PM
In a word, "NO". Nondomesticated species do not belong in private hands. And while people ooh and aah over their cuteness, how about taking a drive to your local shelter, rescue, sanctuary or neighborhood streets and finding it in your hearts to adopt one or more equally cute and much more needy domestic cats desperately needing homes?
Iniki July 22, 2009 4:59 PM
Lynx are so very beautiful in the wild. We have them here. I say "NO" leave them where they belong, balancing the Lord's world.
Donna July 22, 2009 5:02 PM
NO! They're wild animals and you never know when the wild side is going to 'come out'...after you, your loved ones or your pets. They belong in the wild.
Ruth from England July 23, 2009 5:35 AM
Once upon a time all cats were wild and free,but then they were taken by people and domesticated but still lived cats lives. Since then they've had more and more of their freedom taken away, until now in some places they are prisoners who never get to smell fresh air,nibble grass,feel the sun on their backs or hunt for rodents, all the things cats like to do.All cats now, even the ones allowed outdoors, have to learn to obey rules, the rules that we humans make 'Man shall have dominion over all' How true ! Yet animals were on this earth before us.Sadly it has gone so far that it's now for the cats own good we neuter them, vaccinate them,and in some places have to keep them indoors always because of danger outside.
I say leave the Lynx alone, they are wild creatures and shouldn't be kept as pets just to satisfy someone's ego,so they can say 'Look what I've got and tamed'
Surely there are enough domesticated cats already needing homes, that no one has to take another creature from it's natural habitat and take over its life ?
fran from England July 23, 2009 5:52 AM
The Lynx is a wild animal and should be left to be so, offer protection by all means in the form of some sort of preservation order, but don't bring them into domestic situations. Bengals are being bred now quite prolifically, and they are as common as anything in certain counties. Man interfering with nature yet again. Why can we not allow animals to be just the way as nature intended especially in the case of wild animals. It saddens me when I hear or read of so many of these stories.
Stella Gaynor July 23, 2009 8:49 AM
No that kitten has wild instincts and what is breed into them stay with them. Remember the monkey that turned on the owners friend. The dog that took the baby into the woods. No it should not be a house pet.
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Barbara July 23, 2009 10:57 AM
No people should not be allowed to keep Lynx as pets. They are not domesticated animals and to be kept prisoners and subjected to human rules would be tremendously stressful for them. They would also be in danger of having declawing thrust upon them as domestic cats already have. I say leave them in the wild where they ought to be and just back off from all this desire to "own" exotic creatures.
Roulette System August 5, 2009 4:57 PM
I cannot believe this is true!
ael August 5, 2009 6:26 PM
All animals were wild at one point. That includes all dogs and cats and anything else we class as "domesticated" or "pets". Humans have tamed them. Who's to say now what is meant to be domesticated or wild.
Jessie from florida August 18, 2009 7:22 PM
well, a lynx is a wild animal and it should be kept wild. if you are trying to build up the population, perhaps you may want to. but for your information, you should use another way to try and rescue the lynxes. if you will imprison them, that will upset their balance of life. if all you want to do is help them, you should really try another way. if you find an injured lynx, you should really call somebody about your discovery. make sure you let it go. a lynx is wild, and wild it will always be.
Isaac September 1, 2009 1:22 AM
Efforts should definetly be made to breed these cats to support the dwindling wild population and i beleive that if people who have 'big cat' experience want to take part in protecting this species they should be allowed to do so. having said this i do NOT think that these cats should be kept as pets by the general public.
Tee October 1, 2009 11:44 AM
I have a highland lynx. Is this a wild version of the Lynx?
April November 11, 2009 11:06 AM
how many lynx are left in the colorado?
Rebby February 12, 2010 11:32 AM
FlagWith people steadily developing untouched land, building roads and highways, etc... where exactly are these cats supposed to live? The areas we have set as "wild" are narrowing down daily, and do we expect cats to live together, competing for food in national parks?
ReplyThe least people can do, is open up their homes, if a state, a county isn't willing to cut down upon its development.
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