Can You Own a Bobcat in Missouri?

It may comes as a surprise what animals you can and can't own legally in the state of Missouri.

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As the weather gets warmer, and we say goodbye to the snow and winter, It's the perfect time of year for me to take my little dachshund Murphy out for a walk. Don't have to worry about his paws freezing, and it's not too hot yet to have to worry about his paws burning on the pavement either. I have always owned a dog, but I think we have all thought about what it would be like to own an exotic animal, right? Well in the state of Missouri the law is pretty clear on what you cannot legally own as a pet.

According to the website www.animallaw.info the state of Missouri has few exceptions when it comes to exotic pet ownership, they say...

"...Missouri law states that no person may keep any lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, Canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, bear, nonhuman primate, coyote, any deadly, dangerous, or poisonous reptile, or any deadly or dangerous reptile over eight feet long, in any place other than a properly maintained zoological park, circus, scientific, or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, or animal refuge..."

So I guess that answers my question, No, you can't own a bobcat in Missouri unless you have one of the above mentioned exceptions. Makes you wonder though how hard it is to qualify a property as a "animal refuge" I mean we all watched Tiger King on Netflix last year during the pandemic, if that guy is allowed to own tigers and lions, it should be a lot harder to gain control of these animals that belong in the wild.