Keep the wild in your heart, not in your home.
Make no wild creature a pet.

Southwest Wildlife strongly advocates this principal. Although that baby animal is cuddly and appealing, it eventually grows up into an adult wild animal.

Knowing this will ultimately happen, some people with wild or exotic pets attempt to surgically alter the animal in an effort to make them less dangerous or destructive. For example, canine teeth may be pulled or the animal may be de-clawed.  Once an animal is mutilated in such a manner, it can never live successfully in the wild.

Another effect of raising a wild or exotic animal is that it will imprint on humans. When an animal has imprinted on a human, it has learned to depend upon humans for food and shelter instead of learning how survive in the wild. It also means that the animal is likely to approach humans in an effort to fulfill its needs instead of learning to avoid humans.  A wild animal that approaches humans fearlessly is likely to be perceived as a threat to human safety and be captured or destroyed.  Once an animal has imprinted on humans, it can never live successfully in the wild.