# Canadian Aquarium and Terrarium Animal Keepers Association (CATAKA)



## Web Wheeler (May 13, 2006)

I've not posted on GTA very much because I'm mostly keeping reptiles now, but I still have a few angels, crayfish and CRS swimming around.

I'm posting now because I believe the future of the aquarium and terrarium hobby may be at risk due to aggressive lobbying, questionable science and scare tactics by powerful animal rights organizations who would like to put an end to our hobby, as recent events (H.R. Bill 2811 and S. Bill 373) in the U.S. have demonstrated. While recent legislation is mostly focused on the reptile hobby, I believe the aquarium hobby will be the next target on the animal rights agenda.

Already the roots of the attack on the aquarium hobby are growing in organizations like the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, whose position on aquarium animals is as follows:

http://cfhs.ca/files/cfhs_exotic_pets.pdf

Of course, you don't see any reptiles on the "List of Acceptable Species as Pets", but what's disturbing for the aquarium hobby is that under "Aquarium Fish" only captive born fish are "acceptable", and there's no mention of any freshwater invertebrates or marine corals as being "acceptable".

I would like to propose an association of Canadian aquarium and terrarium animal keepers to represent Canadian aquarium and terrarium hobbyists in the press and legislative matters, to create and provide educational materials on aquarium and terrarium animal care and to develop responsible standards concerning the keeping of aquarium and terrarium animals.

While there is a Canadian pet industry advocacy association, called PIJAC Canada, there is currently no hobbyists-based advocacy association in Canada. As recent events in the United States demonstrate, a Canadian hobbyists-based advocacy association is urgently needed to allow Canadian aquarium and terrarium enthusiasts to have a say in matters which affect their hobby.

I've also taken the additional steps toward organizing such an association by starting a website here:

Canadian Aquarium and Terrarium Animal Keepers Association (CATAKA)

and a Facebook page here:

CATAKA Facebook Page

I welcome your comments, and please invite all your Canadian aquarium and terrarium animal keeping friends to join!


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

Great to see you're still around, Web.

Good luck with the group.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

thanks for posting this... will take a look at the site and facebook page


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

Web. Hat's off to you. In all the years i have known you this doesn't surprise me in the least. I will be sure to join and support the cause in any way i can. 

Come on people. The future of our hobby is in our hands. Stand up and take charge.


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## fish_luva (Nov 24, 2009)

I just joined the website myself and support it.....spread it around as a general posting, i'm sure others would join.....
Cheers!!!!
sheldon


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

*For urban dwellings, the following captive born species are appropriate as pets or
companions:
Dog, Budgerigar
Cat, Canary,
Guinea pig, Pigeon,
Rabbit, Other common cage birds,
Mouse, Aquarium Fish (captive born),
Rat, Psittacines, ((PARROT))captive bred)
Gerbil, Finches (captive bred),
Golden hamster, Ferret
Chinchilla*

(From Web's link)

Anyone who would organize a list that has RATS as an acceptable pet, when rats can easily escape and become pests (there is a well known colony of escapee/liberated hooded [ie, the kind sold as pets] rats in down town Toronto.. or at least there used to be) but not list snakes-- when there are almost no snakes available in the pet trade which can survive a Canadian winter or out compete native species.. Is quite frankly, a moron. Please forgive my language.

Sure, maybe a 22 foot reticulated python is not the best possible thing to have in your basement-- given that if it escaped it could potentially attack your neighbors cat/guinea pig/small dog, but what's going to happen if your ball python gets loose? If it goes outside it'll be toast by October. If it goes into a neighbors house the worst it'll do is eat their rat/mouse -- and as we've just established those can become invasive species anyways .

Also, as those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time know, with the exception of some extremely long standing truly domesticated species- ie, koi, you can't captive breed past X generations and get a quality fish. It just doesn't work. You need wild blood in there.

Someone needs to put an end to ridiculous BS like this. The only things that logically should be illegal as pets, to me, are as follows:

~~Venomous animals which represent a risk to their owner or to other persons or animals if escaped or mishandled-

ie, NOT most tarantulas, most scorpions, lionfish.

YES venomous snakes, highly venomous difficult to see animals, like black widow spiders.

~~Animals which represent the threat of physical harm simply due to their large size and power

ie, large cats (tiger, lion, cheetah, lynx), large crocodilians, common and alligator snapping turtles (there just aren't enough people smart enough to safely handle a caiman or an alligator snapper. Sure, they exist, but they are in the minority)

~Animals or plants which represent a genuine threat to the environment if released (excluding goldfish.. I mean, come on.)

ie, large asian carp, zebra mussels

~~Animals that are just plain ridiculous to have in a city though they are no real threat

ie, deer, roosters, flamingos

Also I'd like to say that if you took two random people, blindfolded them, and put one in a room full of 10 hamsters 10 ferrets and 10 gerbils, and the other in a room with 10 ball pythons, 10 cornsnakes, and 10 leopard geckos, and told them to walk around, the person in room one would be bitten several times, painfully. The person in room two would squish several reptiles and come out unscathed. In other words, animals ON the list pose a much larger threat, should they escape.


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

Preach!

I think I might like you.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Brian said:


> Preach!
> 
> I think I might like you.


Thanks  
Just voicing my opinion.


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