Weirdest Pets People Have Loved
You’ve heard the saying “a face only a mother could love.” This mantra definitely applies to some of the weirdest pets that people have called their own. While it is kind of cool to stray from the traditional dog or cat route and it would certainly be a conversation starter, there are some pets that you should probably think twice about before agreeing to own one. Take a look at some of the weirdest animals that people have owned as their pets and see which ones you’d want to adopt.
Pot-Bellied Pig
Admittedly, a pot-bellied pig isn’t one of the weirdest pets we’ve ever heard of, but a Canadian couple made the news recently in their fight to keep their beloved pig. The couple owns an animal shelter and created a petition to change some of the laws in their city so that they would be allowed to keep Sheldon, their pot-bellied pig. The image of a pot-bellied pig that you may think of is a huge pig that needs its own room in the house. This isn’t true in Sheldon’s case, though, as he only weighs 60 pounds. An Animal Services Supervisor contacted Sheldon’s owners about making an exception in her case, but the owners refused the offer, wanting instead to permanently change the law for other pot-bellied pig owners.
Stick Insect
If you have a thing for bugs, you may consider the stick insect for your next pet. These insects certainly fall into the weirdest pets category, but they are interesting to look at and are very low maintenance. You’ll just need a tall enclosure for them and may want to purchase a couple of buddies for it, as stick insects like to hang out together. If your kid isn’t quite ready for the responsibility of a dog and they aren’t afraid of creepy crawly things, the stick insect is a great option. They molt many times before reaching full adulthood, which can be a great teaching moment for younger kids.
Wallaby
If you’ve visited a zoo recently, you may have interacted with the kangaroo’s cousin, the wallaby. These marsupials aren’t just kept in captivity; some people call them pets. Potential owners should live out in the country or have plenty of room for the wallaby to hop around. You’ll also want to have fences surrounding your property that are at least five feet tall because wallabies have been known to escape their enclosures. Wallabies are considered one of the weirdest pets because they are nocturnal, so they’ll be hopping around all night, and they don’t house train easily.
Skunks
No, this is not a joke; some people actually want to own skunks. These animals are best known for the horrible odor they emit when agitated. The good news is that the glands which produce that smell are removed when the animal is around a month old. Once you get past the smell, skunks are actually sensitive, smart, and curious animals. Owners should be prepared to spend lots of time with their baby skunk so that the animals is accustomed to being cuddled and won’t be vicious when they grow up. If you’re a cat owner, a skunk may be an easy transition, as they can be litter trained. The down side is that only a few states in the United States allow skunks as pets. In addition, if you do happen to live in a state that does legally allow people to own skunks, you should really keep the animal its entire life, as pet skunks can’t be released back into the wild because their main defense mechanism, the odor they emit, has been removed.
What is one of the weirdest pets that you’ve ever heard of?
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