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Anyone got any unusual pets?

M

Misty Avich

Hellooooooooooo!!!
V.I.P Member
I have rats. I consider rats an unusual pet because there's very little you can find in stores specifically for rats. I usually end up getting parrot or guinea pig toys for my rats.

I used to collect moths and crane flies and keep them as pets, but after I learnt that keeping insects like that indoors is harmful for them, I don't do it any more. I take a large moth indoors to give it some motherly love, then I let them go free again outside.
 
When I was living in Darwin lots of people had pet snakes and they used to breed rats for food, so every kid in town also had a pet rat.

For the most part I prefer to be friendly with wild animals rather than tame them and keep them. Some animals are extremely social and enjoy spending time with humans, even if the humans don't feed them.

 
Ugh, I don't like it when people feed live rodents to snakes or other reptiles. :disrelieved:
I even get upset when I hear the crickets chirping in the pet store, because they're only there to be food for the iguanas and snakes. It really breaks my heart.
 
I had a client who kept their jewellery and other valuables in their tarantula tank!

It's about the time of year to be visited by moths and crane flies, but the weather here this year has been keeping them away. They usually just let themselves in! A couple of years ago I remember hearing that there were some pretty big moths on the go around the north east of England and I was visited by 2 of the biggest I've ever seen up here.
 
Misty Avich said:
Ugh, I don't like it when people feed live rodents to snakes or other reptiles. :disrelieved:
I even get upset when I hear the crickets chirping in the pet store, because they're only there to be food for the iguanas and snakes. It really breaks my heart.
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Reptiles have to eat, like the rest of us. I'm not entirely happy with the fact something has to die so that something else has to live, whether it's a plant or an animal, but that's how the planet Earth is. I heard some people have tried putting their cats on vegan diets and they suffered from severe malnutrition or died.
 
GrownupGirl said:
Reptiles have to eat, like the rest of us. I'm not entirely happy with the fact something has to die so that something else has to live, whether it's a plant or an animal, but that's how the planet Earth is. I heard some people have tried putting their cats on vegan diets and they suffered from severe malnutrition or died.
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I know...it's just upsetting to think about, especially eating the poor animals alive. I think I empathise way too much with animals, especially animal species I have owned, so I get anxiety whenever I think of a little rodent being eaten alive.
 
I used to have a mockingbird! But I rehabbed her and let her go. She lives in the neighborhood now. You can't put a mockingbird in a cage as they are too big and fly too much.

Have had mourning doves and a purple finch once in the past.

I'd love to have a large pony or small cob-type horse but so far no place to graze or stable it. They are probably my favorite animal, is horses, and I think of them as somewhere in between livestock and pets/companion animal. But it's not happening soon that's for sure, and probably won't do for a long time.
 
I have some kind of unusual breeds of dogs.
Dogo Argentino, (English) Pointer, Newfoundland, Portuguese Podengo, and Doberman (although Dobermans are a bit more common.)
 
I am, amongst some other things, a zoologist... I have had all sorts of 'unusual' pets during my life. Even as a wee child, I was keeping bugs, reptiles, and amphibians. Currently, I have two cats, an axolotl, some terrestrial snails, a bunch of isopods, a couple of millipedes, and an aquarium with snails and guppies.
 
My
Misty Avich said:
I have rats. I consider rats an unusual pet because there's very little you can find in stores specifically for rats. I usually end up getting parrot or guinea pig toys for my rats.

I used to collect moths and crane flies and keep them as pets, but after I learnt that keeping insects like that indoors is harmful for them, I don't do it any more. I take a large moth indoors to give it some motherly love, then I let them go free again outside.
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My niece likes rats I do not like them or mice either.
I like bugs but you cannot keep them so you just look at them outside.
I also like bunnies and chicks and ducklings
I would like to have some pet ducks.
And I really wish I had a horse sort of half horse and pony but I sincerely doubt I would be able to care for it.
And I have asked my dad about ilamas before. They are cute but I do not think he likes them.
 
Misty Avich said:
I have rats. I consider rats an unusual pet because there's very little you can find in stores specifically for rats. I usually end up getting parrot or guinea pig toys for my rats.

I used to collect moths and crane flies and keep them as pets, but after I learnt that keeping insects like that indoors is harmful for them, I don't do it any more. I take a large moth indoors to give it some motherly love, then I let them go free again outside.
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Where I live is the largest rat-free landmass on earth...rats are banned here.

As far as keeping craneflies in captivity, apart from preventing them from breeding, you are not doing them much harm, as their lifespan after they metamorphose into flies is extremely short...so much so that they do not even possess feeding apparatus.
 
lovely_darlingprettybaby said:
I think it is cruel but if u like it then it is ok.
As long as they are happy even if in my opinion they are happier outside.
But as an autistic you need ur joy even if it is having pet bugs
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I am genuinely curious as to why you imagine that it is cruel? Perfect temperature, ideal humidity, perfect variety and abundance of food and nutrients, zero predators, huge space...with exceptionally few exceptions, you cannot argue that they lack from the mental stimulation of an open world, and it's not like I am keeping flying species, like butterflies, that require open air.
 
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