So you want a pet tiger?

Boxing champ Mike Tyson's penchant for pet tigers might've made for a funny plotline in the comedy film "The Hangover," but private tiger ownership happens in real life, too. And it's more common than you might think: The California-based Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition estimates that 7,000 tigers are kept as pets in the United States -- that's more than the total number of wild tigers in Asia! But having a pet tiger isn't all it's cracked up to be. Before you consider catching on to that big cat trend, take this quiz to see if you can tell tiger fact from fiction.

If you raise a tiger from its cub years, it will be far less likely to attack you when it's an adult.

True

False

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According to Dr. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, founder and director of the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), raising a tiger from birth offers no proven, documented advantages in terms of avoiding aggressive or violent behaviors in the future. Even if tigers' temperaments are kind and playful during their early years, it won't stop the killer instinct from kicking in when they're adults.

Big cats like tigers can potentially spread disease to humans.

True

False

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According to Big Cat Rescue, exotic pets like tigers can carry zoonotic diseases, which can spread to people. Specifically toxoplasmosis, which is transmitted through feline feces, can be fatal if contracted by a person.

Even though tigers are large, they like to cuddle affectionately, just like domestic cats.

True

False

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If you had a pet tiger, you'd have to keep it at arm's length. Most wild cat owners never get to do more than give their pets an occasional pat on the head through a fence -- and even that might prove too risky a venture.

If you could get a deal on raw meat, taking care of a pet tiger would be fairly affordable.

True

False

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The organization Big Cat Rescue estimates that -- including food, medical bills and housing -- owning a pet tiger can easily costs tens of thousands of dollars each year.

A tiger can be trained by just about anyone.

True

False

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According to Antle, the only people who can truly train big cats are accredited professionals, who can dedicate the proper amount of knowledge, time and technique to doing so -- and even then, there's no guarantee a tiger's natural instinct won't take over at some point.

A tiger's length may be comparable to an average person's height, but a person is no match for a tiger when it comes to strength.

True

False

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Tigers can grow to be anywhere from 5 to 9 feet (1.5 to 2.7 meters) in length, but in terms of weight, adult tigers can weigh anywhere from 200 pounds (91 kilograms) to more than 600 pounds (272 kilograms). Just imagine that force coming at you during playtime!

Tigers will only attack if hungry.

True

False

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According to Lisa Tekancic, president of the WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society, tigers are extremely territorial, so any factor that feels like a threat to said territory, including atypical noises and smells, can set them on a path of unpredictable or dangerous behavior.

Captive exotic cats like tigers have killed more than 20 people in the last 20 years.

True

False

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According to Big Cat Rescue, exotic cats kept as pets have killed at least 21 people since 1990 and mauled hundreds more.

Correct

Big Cat Blues (1-2 correct): Looks like you have a few things left to learn about the perils of big cat ownership. If you love felines, play it safe and stick with domestic cats instead.

Quiz by Sarah Grace McCandless, HowStuffWorks.com

Correct

Tiger Tamer (3-5 correct): You pretty much know that owning a pet tiger would be a bad idea, but perhaps now you have a better understanding of exactly how dangerous these big cats can be.

Quiz by Sarah Grace McCandless, HowStuffWorks.com

Correct

Eye of the Tiger (6-8 correct): You're razor sharp when it comes to big cat knowledge, so you know that a tiger would make a dangerous -- even deadly -- pet.

Quiz by Sarah Grace McCandless, HowStuffWorks.com

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