A Man and his Pet Monkey. This photo was taken at Pet Kingdom in Las Vegas

In Sin city, anything goes. Drinking in public, prostitution, gambling, smoking in bars and ferrets. Wait, what? Ferrets? Yep, you may not know this but in addition to relaxed social norms in relation to public intoxication, Nevada is also one of only 20 states that allows people to buy and sell exotic animals. Though owning a pet tiger (like the one that was kidnapped from Mike Tyson’s house in the The Hangover) is rare, having a pet pot-bellied pig, chinchilla or hedgehog is becoming increasingly popular.  According to the employees at the Vegas pet store Pet Kingdom, by far the most popular exotic pet is the ferret.  One employee described ferrets as the “perfect combination between a cat and a dog”. My friend and I visited Pet Kingdom last Friday and played with several of the ferrets.  They were surprisingly cuddly and affectionate!  I’m seriously considering buying one.

Ferrets at Pet Kingdom in Las Vegas

Apparently this pet store has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, thanks to its close proximity to the strip and to Paris Hilton, who has been visiting the pet shop since she was a kid.  Here’s a clip of her visiting the pet store while filming an episode of “My British BFF”.

Related posts:

1. No Lions, No Tigers but Bear Cats, Oh my! My Adventure at an Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Nevada
2. Waking up in Vegas
3. Things to Do in Las Vegas: Visit the Arts District
4. Shop-a-holic Hell
5. Things to do in Las Vegas: Mob Museum