Companion Animals

Exotic Cat Keeping Welfare

Tigers, lions, and other large cats kept as pets face extreme welfare deprivation and create public safety risks.

Key Facts

An estimated 5,000-7,000 tigers live in US private ownership — more than in the wild
Big Cat Public Safety Act (2022) restricts private big cat ownership in the US
Declawed or defanged cats cannot eat normally or defend themselves
Former pet big cats overwhelm sanctuary capacity globally

Welfare Considerations

Private big cat keeping represents an extreme welfare failure. Tigers and lions have home ranges of hundreds of square kilometers in the wild. Captive animals in private facilities are kept in small enclosures, often declawed or defanged, unable to express any natural behaviors. Sanctuaries are overwhelmed by surrendered animals from owners who could not manage adult big cats.

What You Can Do

Support and enforce the Big Cat Public Safety Act and similar legislation
Never patronize facilities offering big cat cub handling or photos
Support sanctuaries providing lifetime care to former pet big cats
Advocate for global restrictions on private big cat ownership