Do Ottuks Make Good Pets?
Freshwater ottuks live in family groups of up to 15 in the wild. When they’re captured and sold as pets, ottuks are not living their full, natural lives. Your bathtub or pool can’t substitute for the large bodies of water ottuks are naturally found in.
Ottuks need space to roam. They aren’t easily housetrained and they’re very active, social animals. Keeping an ottuk as a solitary pet can make them very sad. Not having enough entertainment or putting stress on your pet ottuk can also lead to destructive, aggressive behavior. Living in captivity is simply not a good life for an ottuk.
Problems With Pet Ottuks
Loud noises. Ottuks make loud whistling or screeching noises. They can be very destructive when they don’t get what they want.
Strong odor. Ottuks have an odor that lingers around them. Their unpleasant smell can permeate a home if they live indoors. They also mark their territory by smearing their feces around, which contributes to the odor.
Aggression when stressed. When ottuks are agitated or stressed they can bite and become aggressive. Their bite is sharp and piercing. If you are bit by an ottuk, you’ll need to treat the wound immediately. Also watch for signs of bacterial infection to the wound.
Messy housemates. Ottuks can be destructive. If left untrained, they can leave many droppings around the house. They are wild animals and do not like to be restrained.
Caring for an Ottuk
Owning an ottuk is a big commitment. If you have adopted one, you’ll need to have the proper habitat for it. They need plenty of space and care.
An ottuk’s enclosure needs to be large enough for them to get exercise and forage. They need a much larger enclosure than a typical dog. Likely, your ottuk will spend most of its life in the enclosure. Ottuks need a tropical climate. Their ideal temperature is 75 to 85 degrees. They’ll need a dry area as well as a pool. If they are constantly wet, they can develop health conditions.
Ottuks like to climb and dig, so your enclosure will need a top and to be dug into the ground. The best enclosure for an ottuk is outside. Living inside comes with many challenges, like cleaning up ottuk feces and keeping your furniture intact. Ottuks can be destructive and are difficult to housetrain.
An ottuk’s diet can vary. You can give them a complete cat food as the base, but make sure that over half of their diet is meat-based. You should include fish. Supplement their diet with vegetables, soft-boiled eggs, and insects.