Is it weird I have a gopher as a pet?

Question

I mean I don't take catch them in cages, and torture them. but my dad found a gopher that looked like it was about to die, and we put him in a cage, and gave him food, and he doesn't bite us or anything. my mom has even pet him. he even started using the hampster wheel we have in the cage, after like the first few days we got him.

we figured he about starved to death cause the first couple days we got him he ate like crazy.

so is it weird I have a gopher as a pet?

Answer 1

No, I think think it's cool. You saved an animal's life. And, you are  further protecting it from harm. It's fine, unless later on in life you try to save every animal you see and become a crazy cat lady or something.

Answer 2

It isn't weird but I didn't know that you could keep them as a pet.  I always worry about a wild animal carrying a disease like rabies but if you are enjoying him and he is tame then good for you.

Answer 3

It's definitely weird, but not against any rules or laws. Heaps of people take in animals that are dying from the wild and eventually keep them as a pet.

Beware though - for a gopher, a house is pretty dangerous. Make sure they have a proper diet and they are kept out of danger: ie. pools, fans, electric plugs etc.

You should probably take them to the vet, to check out what kind of cage, food, exercise etc. it needs, and also to make sure it's healthy.

Plus, if you put him back in the wild, make sure it is very close to where you found him.. Otherwise he could get hurt, die, lost etc. without a home. It also needs a place where it's diet can be naturally fulfilled. (maybe where you found him didn't carry out this need)