they make great pets once domesticated.

*Tamed.

Domesticating is a process that involves breeding to select for domestic traits. It's what we did to cows, dogs, and horses. Somewhat for cats, though to a far lesser degree.

Taming is teaching an individual animal how to behave (at home). It's what we generally do with birds, rats, etc.

When you take a wild animal and work out a way to live in a human house together, that's taming. If you're lucky, tame animals will teach their offspring how to be tame too.