These Cute Quokkas Do Not Make Great Pets

Yes, Quokkas are plum cute and adorable looking but they are wild animals. You can't keep them as pets!

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Quokkas are a protected species in Australia, and keeping them as pets is illegal without proper permits and licenses. There are other reasons why they would not make good pets. Living in an enclosed environment could cause health issues for them, and they are used to eating native plants where they live. They also may carry diseases that humans could pick up.

It's easy to see why someone might want a Quokka as a pet. They have come to be known as the happiest animals on earth because they are always smiling.  Their “smiles” are actually due to the shape of their mouths. They also open their mouths and stick their tongues out to keep cool! They are friendly creatures so it's easy to see why we think they are smiling at us.

Wikipedia has this to say about Quokkas..."Quokkas have little fear of humans and commonly approach people closely, particularly on Rottnest Island, where they are abundant. Quokka behavior in response to human interaction has been examined in zoo environments. One brief study indicated fewer animals remained visible from the visitor paths when the enclosure was an open or walk-through environment."

Quokkas are marsupials and are related to kangaroos and wallabies but they hop like rabbits. They sleep similar to bats but not hanging from trees. Their heads rest on their feet when they are napping or resting. 

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You can always visit a zoo or wildlife preserve to get a look at the cute Quokkas and take a quick selfie.

Tips for taking Quokka selfies:

1. Let the Quokkas come to you rather than chase them
2. Early morning and early evening are the best times for photos with the little cuties
3. Don't touch the Quokkas!

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The Animal Fact Guide has a brief description of the Quokka and this describes the Quokkas' habitat..... The island of Rottnest near Perth, Australia, is the primary home of the quokka, a type of marsupial. Quokkas have round, compact bodies that are 40-54 cm (16-21 in.) in length. They are covered with short, coarse brown-grey fur and have small rounded ears and a black nose. An early Dutch visitor to the island, Willem de Vlamingh, mistook the  marsupials for large rats when he arrived in 1696. He named the island “Rattennest” (Dutch for “Rat’s Nest”), which was later adapted to Rottnest.

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Read About Other Animals That Do Not Make Good Pets...

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Anybody can have a cat, dog, or goldfish. But why not think outside the (litter) box? It seems exponentially cooler to have a tame capybara or a pet cuscus. Or so say users of a popular online forum in answer to the question, "What non-domesticated animal do you want to have as a pet?" Most of them know their choices are unlikely or even illegal. But it's fun to dream.

10 Animals People Wish Were Pet Material But Sadly Aren't