Gila Monsters In MT? Are Some Pets Too Wild?

Call me crazy...

But I think there are just some things that shouldn't be considered pets. By now, you've probably heard about the 34-year-old man who was bitten by his pet Gila monster and died. It's an extremely venomous reptile that, if it doesn't kill you, can cause very long and excruciating pain.

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I don't know if there are many pet stores in Billings that specialize in reptiles, but even if there were, these animals wouldn't survive well in our climate. Nonetheless, there are a lot of people who have snakes and lizards. I can see owning a small chameleon, but not exotic mammals and reptiles.

Really, who needs to own an alligator? And what do you do with one when it outgrows its enclosure? Some people even have lions and things! We had a woman visit the studio once with a pet monkey. That thing took a dump in one of the studios, and the smell stayed for days.

I know it's a free country, but the risks of owning an exotic animal can be serious for both adults and children, including disease and paralyzing bites. It may sound cool or be a good conversation starter, but it could cause major problems for a family.

I have a cow I'd love to make a pet out of, but they don't make couches big enough for her. Oh well!