Could you domesticate a tiger?

hairyprincess · 06-07-2012 01:16AM

I'd love a tiger. I would gladly swap my children for a tiger

opinion guy · 06-07-2012 09:29AM

1ZRed wrote: »

I prefer the toyger. All the tiger in the shape of a cat. Sorted;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu31VyXlTzo

Crooked Jack · 06-07-2012 09:35AM

I doubt you could fully domesticate it, but even if you could, wouldnt domesticating it take away the very thing that makes a tiger so cool in the first place?

Irish Guitarist · 06-07-2012 09:49AM

Wild animals should be left in the wild. I used to watch a series (I forget the name of it) on one of the documentary channels about people that were attacked by their pets. In every case where someone was injured or killed it was their fault for being morons. I had more sympathy for the animal that was inevitably put down than I did for the idiotic people who thought it was a good idea to keep a massive animal in a room in their house or flat.

Dyr · 06-07-2012 10:04AM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You can for a little bit, One used to live in London, Christian the friendly lion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIZ0E8RKoE

Still make's me have to wipe dust out my eye, stupid dust

JerryHandbag · 06-07-2012 10:09AM

I'd prefer a hippo :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBmtaSW0qiI

gobnaitolunacy · 06-07-2012 10:11AM

There's a Tiger Temple in Thailand where you can get your pic taken and cuddle a fully grown tiger. I'd say they're drugged up to the eyeballs tho, never heard of a tourist getting a mauling.

Oranage2 · 06-07-2012 10:15AM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

There's a Tiger Temple in Thailand where you can get your pic taken and cuddle a fully grown tiger. I'd say they're drugged up to the eyeballs tho, never heard of a tourist getting a mauling.

And the tigers are more drugged up than Amy Winehouse.

Wibbs · 06-07-2012 10:23AM

Tame one yes, domestication takes much longer. Tame =/= domesticated. EG People who have birds of prey for use in falconry have tamed them, but they're defo not domesticated. Domestication brings certain changes in development, personality and outward appearance. Most of all it keeps the animal in a largely juvenile state. EG in dogs very basically a dog is a juvenile wolf that stays that way for life. People with lots of experience with dogs who have tried to keep wolves as pets found that as pups they're not that different to the more hyper working dog breeds, but as they grow this gets to be too much. Selective breeding over thousands of years took that out of them and gave rise to all the breeds we have today.

The wolf is the only apex predator we've successfully domesticated(the cat though a supreme hunter with few rivals at it's size isn't an apex predator and couldn't kill an adult human). The wolf is also one of the very few predators along with us that routinely takes down prey bigger than themselves. They also have a family structure similar enough to our own, so could fit in easier with us. A tiger is a very different animal in this regard. More solitary for a start. I suppose if humans were mad enough we could have tried to domesticate the lion as they have a family based social structure, but they're much more likely to kill members of their own families so that's a bad bet. Wolves rarely kill one of their own so are more trustworthy. You could domesticate foxes and coyotes alright, even though they're more solitary. They'd be more like dog cats kinda thing. A Russian researcher was able to domesticate arctic foxes but it took decades.

opinion guy · 06-07-2012 10:27AM

JerryHandbag wrote: »

I'd prefer a hippo :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBmtaSW0qiI

Every night she has her aromatherapy massage :pac:

Dravokivich · 06-07-2012 10:34AM

I've seen an article before of someone with a pet Bison. The thing is fúcking huge.

shrewdness · 06-07-2012 10:34AM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You can for a little bit, One used to live in London, Christian the friendly lion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIZ0E8RKoE

On my phone the picture on that video before I click play looks like the two guys are spit roasting the lion, that's taking being an animal lover a bit far.

Feisar · 06-07-2012 10:39AM

Crooked Jack wrote: »

I doubt you could fully domesticate it, but even if you could, wouldnt domesticating it take away the very thing that makes a tiger so cool in the first place?

300Kg's of hunter/survivor eating cold mince would be pretty sad in fairness.

I'm not at all deep or thoughtful but I never go to zoo's. The animals there are just a pale imitation of that they were supposed to be.

Oranage2 · 06-07-2012 10:43AM

Pretty funny louis Theroux documentary on the subject.

http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/louis-theroux-americas-most-dangerous-pets-video_da935051f.html

smash · 06-07-2012 10:52AM

I'd love a pet panther, or a leopard, or even an ocelot.

I'd settle for an Asian Leopard Cat or a Bengal Cat though.

06-07-2012 10:57AM

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

If domesticating a tiger is unfeasible what's the biggest animal you think you could have in your house?

I imported a wolf having read a book about a guy who owned one. The author in question even lived in Cork for some time with the Wolf. So it was an interesting book.

So I imported the same wolf type from the book (Alaskan tundra wolf - McKenzie valley wolf mix) and even gave it the same name as the one from the book.

What I can tell you about the experience is it is not easy - at all - and canines are relatively more predictable and less moody than felines so I could only imagine what living with a tiger would be like.

It keeps me fit though. I am up around 5am every morning to go for an hour run with him. In the evening I cycle for another hour - quite fast - to give him a full out run. I compliment that with Capoeira and brazilian jiu jitsu and swimming just to keep myself at a level of fitness where he will not decide to kill me for being weak

It is quite the motivator as you might imagine.

Unavailable for Comment · 06-07-2012 11:09AM

Cats have only been domesticated for 10000 years or so whereas evidence points to dogs being domesticated for at least three times that. Still according to the WWF there's more tigers in captivity in the USA now than survive in the wild so unfortunately it could be seen that domestication is getting to be their only hope of survival as a species.

Capt'n Midnight · 06-07-2012 11:11AM

We still haven't fully domesticated cats.
They tolerate us while we provide food and entertainment.

Primates also can't be domesticated. Adult chimps are plain nasty and will rip your face off on a very bad day.

Prehistoric man has domesticated most of today's domestic animals. IIRC since the Romans domesticated the rabbit all we've managed is the hamster, so don't get your hopes up yet.

Domestic animals tend to be smaller and lighter coloured than their wild relatives. Probably being a bit underdeveloped.

onne theory about humans btw, are roughly equivalent to a premature ape, the hair and facial bones haven't developed yet. So perhaps we are 'domesticated' too

Crann na Beatha · 06-07-2012 11:16AM

This post has been deleted.

MagicMarker · 06-07-2012 11:24AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I imported a wolf having read a book about a guy who owned one. The author in question even lived in Cork for some time with the Wolf. So it was an interesting book.

So I imported the same wolf type from the book (Alaskan tundra wolf - McKenzie valley wolf mix) and even gave it the same name as the one from the book.

What I can tell you about the experience is it is not easy - at all - and canines are relatively more predictable and less moody than felines so I could only imagine what living with a tiger would be like.

It keeps me fit though. I am up around 5am every morning to go for an hour run with him. In the evening I cycle for another hour - quite fast - to give him a full out run. I compliment that with Capoeira and brazilian jiu jitsu and swimming just to keep myself at a level of fitness where he will not decide to kill me for being weak It is quite the motivator as you might imagine.

Are you taking the piss?

06-07-2012 11:52AM

MagicMarker wrote: »

Are you taking the piss?

Nope. Should I be?

Wibbs · 06-07-2012 12:01PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Nope. Should I be?

If it's the chap and the book I'm thinking of T his at least wasn't a wolf(college lecturer, bought pup from some bloke selling "wolf pups" from a farm?). Wolf dog(husky) hybrid more like. Far too bulky to be a wolf. Ears were wrong, muzzle too short, head wrong shape, angulation of the joints off too.

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

So perhaps we are 'domesticated' too

A theory I'd defo go along with. Lots of interesting evidence to suggest it. Might also explain why we in turn domesticated other animals while all the evidence suggests we were the first humans to do so.

06-07-2012 12:09PM

^ Curious what you are basing the above on. Was it the photographs used on the cover of the book? If so then thats not the wolf in the book as far as I know - but stock photos the publisher used. There are some pictures from the author around the net but not many of them are so clear.

MagicMarker · 06-07-2012 12:15PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Nope. Should I be?

Pics or GTFO tbh.

06-07-2012 12:21PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

Pics or GTFO tbh.

Just as soon as I feel I have anything to prove to you I am sure I will

I do not however and I have no compulsion to put pictures of any of my family - of which he very much is - on the net.

The point of my post is to answer the OP that living with any animal - domesticated or otherwise - is not easy and should never be taken lightly - and given the differences between dogs and cats - and my own experiences with a wolf - I can only imagine that life with a tiger would be even more proportionally challanging than anything I have experienced from the canine world.

Anyway, screw the tiger. I would love to get a Lynx.

Wossack · 06-07-2012 12:22PM

1ZRed wrote: »

I prefer the toyger. All the tiger in the shape of a cat. Sorted;)

WANT

MagicMarker · 06-07-2012 12:24PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Just as soon as I feel I have anything to prove to you I am sure I will I do not however and I have no compulsion to put pictures of any of my family - of which he very much is - on the net.

Well done on being full of shít.

Immaculate Pasta · 06-07-2012 12:26PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Just as soon as I feel I have anything to prove to you I am sure I will I do not however and I have no compulsion to put pictures of any of my family - of which he very much is - on the net.

The point of my post is to answer the OP that living with any animal - domesticated or otherwise - is not easy and should never be taken lightly - and given the differences between dogs and cats - and my own experiences with a wolf - I can only imagine that life with a tiger would be even more proportionally challanging than anything I have experienced from the canine world.

Anyway, screw the tiger. I would love to get a Lynx.

Why are you reluctant to put pictures of your wolf up on here? Kidnap threats?

Also you can buy Lynx in most supermarkets nowadays. :cool:

06-07-2012 12:31PM

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

Why are you reluctant to put pictures of your wolf up on here? Kidnap threats?

Also you can buy Lynx in most supermarkets nowadays. :cool:

I am not comfortable putting up pictures from my private life in any way for no reason. It just is not me. I also have nothing to prove to anyone so if someone wants to doubt my claim thats up to them.

The point of my post does not require I do so either - which is simply that Cats are a little more difficult than dogs - as someone pointed out their domestication is much more recent - and wolves are much more difficult than dogs - so my guess... and it is only a guess... is that tigers would be proportionally more difficult again.

I have never been a cat person but there is just something cool about the Lynx. It is like a house cat injected with steroids and serious attitude and they just look cool. If I were going to relent to having a wild feline in the house I would be much more inclinded towards getting a Lynx than a Tiger I think.

Pherekydes · 06-07-2012 12:41PM

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

They're just big cats aren't they?

Think it'd be savage having one around the house (no pun intended). They look cuddly, are playful and come on who wouldn't want some of these relaxing at your feet while watching tele in your living room.

Do you have any idea how large a tiger can get? :eek:

Could you domesticate a tiger?

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