Originally Posted by hotlips

For the record, I sometimes applaud the attention that PETA brings to abuse, but they are too extreme for me to support as well.

And yes, harmless coloring of an already-domestic pet isn't the same thing as taking a wild animal, rendering it unable to survive in the wild, and keeping it as a pet. The problem is that most people are incapable of making a lifelong commitment to that animal, and what happens when they lose interest for whatever reason. People abandon domestic animals all the time "because they're moving" or their "son got bored"...with a wild animal you've modified, it can never have it's life back, it's just too late once you realize it was a bad idea after all.