What's eating THAT guy? Oh, his pet lion, Bongo.

Recently, I came face to face with my newest pet peeve: People who wish to purchase or obtain wild or exotic animals for the purpose of having one as a pet. Oh yeah. Now, when my mother was a child, her father had a lot of dogs. Not all at once but over the span of her adolescences. One of their canine friends was, in fact, a wolf. This particular creature wasn't purchased or gained through connections. He actually followed mom home one evening as she rode home on her bike. He was cool enough and they kept him around. Strange but true. Swear. Whatever.
With the exception of Sigfried and Roy or exotic animal trainers, no one, NO average joe could present me with a valid and logical explanation as to why they want or NEED such a bizarre companion. I like to blame, who else, the Disney Empire. Thanks, Balto.
Don't get me wrong. I love animals, except snakes (even though they provide a special niche in the animal kingdom). I adore them. And I find such gorgeous predators as the wolf or cheetah or tiger to be awesome. And who doesn't love monkeys and chimps? Funny as the day is long. But, come on. That's the only reason anyone would really want one; because they're cool. I'm not saying it's not ok for kids to want strange and exotic pets. Imagination is a great thing. It's when these kids grow up and turn into irrational adults that I start to get irritated. Worse off, there are these people who actually go through with their childish desires and GET one. Then they wonder why all their other pets and children (Lord knows they have them) start disappearing. I mean, people around the world try to protect their children and livestock from vicious, WILD predators and some jaggoff in Whatsit, USA wants to open his home to a wolf. "Oh, we'll get a cub. That way, he'll be raised to be tame." BULL. That freaking wolf comes from generations of feral mentalities and urges that no training manual and living room kennel can suppress. Not even deer can be completely tamed, and they're retarded.
And what makes you, Joe Schmoe, so qualified of an individual to have such a pet? HUHMMM??? You work for an American based company doing something that comes nowhere near what could be considered animal training, and you want to bag a cheetah for the family Christmas card. You know what? Go ahead. Get your cheetah or wolf or  chimp or whatever. Be THAT guy. Just be sure to keep it indoor so all the inevitable carnage can be soaked into your carpet and not disturb the neighbors and their measly dog who's presence doesn't pose a constant threat on their lives and communities.
GAH!