Can you have an Ocelot as a household pet?

[angel]

I was on an app on Facebook, and I came across an ocelot. So I went on Google images and looked up an ocelot, its like a cat, its cute. I know that just because an animal looks cute, doesn't mean its dangerous. Thats why I would like to know if its aloud as a household pet. You probably have to have a permit for it, but I wanna know for sure first, before I go out and get one.
Okay, thank-you everyone who answered.

[Dee]

No no no! You should NEVER have an exotic animal as a household pet, even if it's legal where you live. Exotic animals are forcefully taken away from their mothers as babies to be sold as pets. Often, the mother will be shot and killed for her fur. Not only that, but no matter how capable you are, it is unlikely you will be able to are for a wild animal. You'll not only make its life miserable, but inadvertently advocate the poaching and trade of these creatures. If you truly care about animals, you would never get a wild one as a pet.

p.s. If you really want an ocelot, why not get an ocicat, bengal cat, or a savannah? They're domestic house cats, but are bred to look like their wilder cousins: http://www.google.com/images?q=ocicat&um...80&bih=907

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&...80&bih=907

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&...80&bih=907

[MichaelJ]

First off It's ENDANGERED as are almost all spotted cats so leave it where it belongs...in the wild.Also it's nature is wild and as such it's not the best "pet".and i know people have kept many wild cats and they coo about how snuggley they all are...until the day they aren't and are destroyed as a result..leave this cat where it belongs... in the South American Jungles

[maewkaew]

I think it is still considered a protected species under the Federal Endangered Species Act, and is illegal to own in the USA. also there may be state / provincial or local laws that would apply to your location. If it is legal where you are, they might require you to build a very secure enclosure with outside run.
Yes they are super cute, but just because an animal is cute does not mean it should be a pet. They used to be legal to have as pets and from what i have heard some of them turned out affectionate but some others turned extremely aggressive and many of them even if they were not violent, had a major habit of spraying urine so they couldnt be kept indoors. Even in places it is legal, it is a big responsibility and may never truly be tame. Also if it ever gets out, someone who sees a wild cat loose might shoot it .

Why not just get an OciCAT? It's a purely domestic cat but spotted like an ocelot.

Or how about a Bengal? that has some wild ancestry from the Asian Leopard Cat but most of the Bengals now are many generations from that. They're very energetic and playful and smart but theyre domestic and a lot more suitable as pets than an ocelot.