A pet with a difference.
Dogs and cats are the pet of choice for the majority of Australian households, with birds and fish closely behind.
Of the bird species kept as companions, the most popular are budgerigars, cockateils, canaries and the lovebird species.
Often the idea of something a little more exotic appeals, sometimes after seeing a television program featuring an exotic pet. However, Australia has very strict laws on what animal species may be imported into Australia so gerbils and hamsters, while popular pets in UK and USA, are not available in Australia.
Miniature pigs are a popular pet in USA and often appear on television programs seen in Australia, but a true breed of miniature pig is not available in Australia. The variety usually kept in USA is the Vietnamese Potbelly pig which is a prohibited import. Breeders of pigs in Australia have selected breeding stock to allow them to reduce the size of the pig but when it grows to be an adult pig it will still be a substantially sized and powerful animal. Most local councils will not grant permits for a pig to be kept, even in some rural areas.
Many of Australiašs wildlife species are very appealing and the thought of keeping them as pets may appear to have merit. However, most of these species have specific dietary needs not able to be fulfilled by home-cooked diets or by buying a can form a supermarket. Without their special diets these species may become very ill and/or die.
Many of Australiašs native animals are nocturnal which means that they are asleep during the day and ready to party at night. It may be very difficult to get a good nights sleep while your nocturnal pet is active, but it is also very unhealthy for the animal to be deprived of sleep during the daylight hours so that it can interact with you. It is also difficult to make arrangements for the care of these species during holidays. Some of the species also make quite sociable pets while young, but when reaching maturity their personality changes and they may be more difficult to live with.
Australia also has some very strict laws on keeping native animals as pets, and these vary from state to state. Most require a licence, which can only be obtained after you prove that you have sufficient knowledge and the correct housing for the species.
Many varieties of Australian parrots are difficult to keep as pets due to the noise they create and special diets required. Lorikeets need a nectar-based food, which results in very liquid faeces a problem for those people who choose to keep one of these colourful and very entertaining birds in the house. Again, may councils have restrictions on the types or numbers of birds, which may be kept as pets.
There are very dedicated owners who obtain the required permits and are able to successfully keep native animals, but for many owners the responsibilities and difficulties soon overwhelm the novelty of the pet. The pets cannot be released into the wild due to them having developed a reliance on humans for shelter and food