Girl Gamer

I.M.H.O. - 'Kinectimals' A Safe Way To Own a Big Cat!

By GG-AngelThanatos 1 year, 7 months ago • 7 Comments

Kinectimals is a game for the XBox Kinect system that allows you have a virtual big cat cub as a pet. Geared at children but appropriate for the whole family, gamers can name their “pet,” teach him/her new tricks and even run it through an obstacle course.

You may not know this, but the trade in REAL big cats as pets is a huge problem in the U.S. For example, there are an estimated 2x the amount of pet tigers in Florida alone, as compared to the mere 500 or so left in the wild!

The makers of Kinect love animals, and hopefully kids will want to learn more about their beloved make-believe pets outside of the game. If you’ve seen the demo, the first thing you notice is how CUTE these babies are! The second thing you notice is that the cats listen and react to you much like a dog does. You can have him/her imitate your actions or just come up to the screen for a good petting.

The game is adorable, but I also hope it helps to bring an end to people’s desire to own the real thing. Much like all the abandoned Dalmations after watching 101 Dalmations or ducks, chickens and rabbits after Easter, there will always be that good-intentioned individual who wants to make their kids happy but doesn’t understand the long-term commitment.

Big Cats Make Bad Real-Life Pets!

Kinectimals is cute and definitely a safer alternative to owning a big cat. This alternative is fair to the animal and MUCH less expensive or dangerous to your family!

This is a bobcat killing an adult deer. Your child is a much easier target.

(Picture source: Big Cat Rescue)

I think that most parents will chock this up to a cute, family-friendly game. Great! It’s a lot more expensive to own and care for a big cat than one might think. Also, statistics show that a sad 98% of exotic pet cats die in the first two years. Those who don’t are bound by instinct -that means spraying on everything, even if the cat is spayed or neutered. Cats are unpredictable by nature and often attack their owners. Small children and sick or weak humans make natural prey that big cats can’t resist, no matter how much they like you. Even an attempt to play with you will result in serious bodily injury, since human bodies can’t handle the same force and weight as a big cat. Siegfield and Roy are a great example of this!

Keep it in the Game

I encourage gamers to use Kinectimals as a great, PRETEND alternative to the real thing. If you encounter a real exotic cat being kept as a pet, please do the right thing and report it. You are entitled to a CASH REWARD for helping to prosecute animal abuse.

Collect locations, photos, etc. and post them at 911AnimalAbuse.com. You can also report abuse directly to the USDA, local authorities and the press.

Special thanks to the makers of Kinectimals for the alternative and the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL for not only giving these animals a second chance at life, but fighting to change laws and protect the voiceless innocent.

You can visit them at BigCatRescue.org and watch videos of their big cats, learn how you can help, etc. on their YouTube channel.