What is the best pet animal (excluding cats and dogs) you've ever owned, and why

1. 88

   Jason Marovichposted 11 years ago

   What is the best pet animal (excluding cats and dogs) you've ever owned, and why?
   
   Cats and dogs are common household pets, but we want to hear about your other type of favorite pet.  Please keep answers confined to your personal experience with the pet you describe.  (Not looking for a description of an animal, but a description of YOUR animal).

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2. 39

   ChristinSposted 11 years ago

   We had an angora rabbit once, he was really fun.  He hopped all over the house and was very affectionate - a real lap baby.

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Amazing.  I'm learning today how many people make house pets of rabbits.  I had no idea.

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3. 78

   Silva Hayesposted 11 years ago

   I have two to tell about.  When I was a child, my father brought in a tiny baby squirrel, pink, hairless, eyes still closed.  We fed him with an eye dropper.  We named him Junior and he lived with us for 3 years before becoming wild.  He was charming, funny, adorable, and one of the best pets ever.
   
   I wrote a hub about another pet we had, Pinky Joe.  I rescued him from the jaws of our cat.  He was a peach-cheeked lovebird and he was so full of love and affection (also mischief and comedy).  We enjoyed our time with Pinky Joe and cried ourselves sick when he died.  He is buried under a huge old crepe myrtle tree in the backyard and still lives in our hearts.

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Beautiful answer, Silva Hayes.  Squirrels seem so skittish, once they're in the wild, but it's fascinating to hear they'd behave like a pet if raised by people from early life.

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      Michelle Keiperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I lived with a friend who had a flying squirrel, the poor thing was not happy.  They finally released it.

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4. 76

   Nettlemereposted 11 years ago

   
   
   Jack my Mynah bird ranked highly, he was hand tame and would come when called. Once someone left a door open and he flew outside but I found him and he came back to me when I called him. He was very engaging and would catch food in mid air if you threw it for him.

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      Melissa A Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like a great pet. I wouldn't mind having one of these.

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      starrkissedposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Very cool!!

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   3. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If that's Jack in the pic, he was a very handsome fellow.  He looks intelligent, too.

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      Nettlemereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you - yes that is jack, waiting to be rewarded with a bit of grape, which was one of his favorite foods.

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   5. 59

      Michelle Keiperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Birds can be quite interesting.  I had a parakeet once that would sit in my mother’s hair on top of her head and when she would take a drink of her coffee the bird would stick his head in the cup and steel a drink.  He always came when whistled for.

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5. 69

   joyfuldesignsposted 11 years ago

   Two come to mind.
   
   Rabbits - I actually got into raising and showing them.  I guess what surprised me about them was how social they were and how much they really bonded with people.
   
   Chinchillas - very fun, curious, clean animals.  Super soft to touch, although they aren't very cuddly.  Giving them a dust bath is always a joyous time!

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Rabbits are so curious that even the wild ones around my home come surprisingly close to the house.  Dust baths for chinchillas?  I'll have to learn more about that!

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6. 74

   JLaszloposted 11 years ago

   A lobster because they are super tough. I had one that got froze over one winter and when it thawed in the spring it was still alive and kicking and lived a long time.

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I had an aquarium a long time ago and I kept a rare sort of shrimp in it (along with other sea creatures).  It looked very much like a blue miniature lobster and it was a spectacular hunter.

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7. 66

   Lady Guinevereposted 11 years ago

   Goats They are funny and a handful and very loving, Muscovy Ducks talk to you and will follow you everywhere but be careful they have a tooth at the end of their beak and will use it if irate at you for something ....and Rabbits..I had many of these beauties.  My favorite one's name was Steel. I also had another one called Charlie Chaplin, because his face was the likeness of him.

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The only goats I was ever around ate everything in sight.  I think that would be a handful training one.  Sounds like your Muscovy Ducks might be distantly related to platypus.

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8. 59

   Michelle Keiperposted 11 years ago

   I loved my Chinchilla  she was sweet cuddly.  Very playful like a ferret.

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9. 60

   starrkissedposted 11 years ago

   I have 2 Albino ferrets and they are so fun and loving.  I have also owned guinea pigs in the past.  I would have to say other than a cat or a dog, a ferret is pretty fun to have as a pet.  Very playful and loving animals that aren't hard to take care of.

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   1. 88

      Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A buddy of mine owned ferrets.  They were a little high maintenance, it seemed.  But, he really loved them.  Guinea Pigs are adorable.

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10. 86

    Sunshine625posted 11 years ago

    
    
    My bunny rabbit Cupcake (my granddaughter named her!) Cupcake has a personality that amazes me. She lets me know if I forget to give her a carrot each morning. She also hangs out poolside during the day and likes to mess around with playground balls (as shown in photo). Once she rolled the ball a bit too much and ended up in the pool. She hopped back out within seconds. It was quite amusing. Cupcake is a trooper and very entertaining. Fun question Jason!

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       WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Watch out, that bunny will kick when she wants down. Cupcake?

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    2. 88

       Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks!  Adorable bunny, love the colors on its coat.

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11. 81

    StephanieBCrosbyposted 11 years ago

    I would have to say my childhood pet gerbil. It was jet black, and my sister and I decided to name it "Charcoal" because it looked like a piece of jet black charcoal. My mom hated it, especially if it got loose and was running around the house in the dark. But the best part was I was able to potty train it. Yes, I kid you not. We had to leave Charcoal behind when we moved from the west to east coast.
    
    And from experience, I would not recommend a tarantula as a pet. One time my family had to babysit one for one of my mom's military colleagues while he went on leave somewhere else. While it was cool to look at, we were all afraid to even lift the lid to feed it. The thought of that thing being on the loose was too much. And I did not like having to feed it live grasshoppers.

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    1. 88

       Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Snakes and spiders aren't pets for the feint of heart.  Many of them do require that you feed them live animals as food.  My fellow airmen in the Air Force made pets of tarantulas, as we were stationed at a location where they were easy to catch.

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12. 60

    olodarkwriterposted 11 years ago

    2 Nigerian dwarf goats we currently have. They are 5 months old.They are so playful and affectionate and have such personality they make you want to be as happy as they seem to be.

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       WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       If you scare those goats, they will roll over and play possum.

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       olodarkwriterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       No thats the Tennessee fainting goats. They do fall down and get stiff for a few seconds if scared or startled, But Nigerian dwarfs dont do that.

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13. 56

    WD Curry 111posted 11 years ago

    
    
    Well, here in Florida, we have our own Ideas about what makes a good pet. I like this one. I named him FIdo. When he gets a little bigger, he will keep Yankees out of the yard.
    
    That's me by the way. Dang! I sure do look like an old redneck. I used to be a hippy. What happened?

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    1. 86

       Sunshine625posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       You are one daring Floridian standing there holding that gator! He'll keep more than just the Yankees out of your yard!

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    2. 56

       WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Right. He'll keep me out of the yard!

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    3. 88

       Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Ummm....when he gets a little bigger he'll probably start looking for food on his own.  And that's a scary thought!

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14. 83

    Express10posted 11 years ago

    I have a couple of Flemish Giants. One is about 20 lbs. and the other is hovering around 26 lbs. They love attention, treats, and veggies. They keep themselves  clean and they are not smelly. If you don't change their litter then that will of course be smelly, but they have no odors and don't bark.
    
    I let them hop around a large patio several times daily but since it's so hot, I'm confining them to a large tarp that I put down in their room (a spare bedroom just for them) to play. They jump up pretty high when they feel the desire to do so or they just come and huddle up against my feet or leg. They do like to untie my sneakers though. Otherwise they are quiet, sweet, and never bite.

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15. 76

    DanaTeresaposted 11 years ago

    I had two pet rats, Thelma and Louise. They both recently passed away. THey were so much fun. Cuddly just like kittens! Thelma loved to have her ears rubbed!And they were so fun to watch as they played and searched for treats i would hide for them. They had such great personalities.I miss them... unfortunatley I found out after getting them that I am allergic to rats, so no more for me.... I would love to get a goat!

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    1. 56

       WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thelma and Louise . . . ha ha ha! Rats are more complex than we give them credit for being.

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16. 94

    DrMark1961posted 11 years ago

    The greatest "alternative" pet I have ever had was Julio, my pet Iguana. Julio originally belonged to a boy that was afraid to handle him but I found him gentle and even my kids would take him out and let him run around my clinic. We would fill up the bathtub for him because there is nothing Iguanas love more than long bubble baths. More than anything, except maybe fresh strawberries and a glass of red wine!
    (I have an old picture of Julio that I wanted to post here but I am not computer savvy enough to do so! It does not matter much since adult green iguanas look about the same world over.)

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    1. 88

       Jason Marovichposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Another friend of mine owned an iguana.  It liked to station itself on top of one of her cabinets and observe the lowly humans.  He seemed quite intelligent (if not a bit arrogant )

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17. 68

    Cat Rposted 11 years ago

    It depends on my situation. When I lived in a small apartment, my fish or birds were probably the best. When I lived/started living in either of the houses (one being the small farm I now own and chose for my children and animals), any animal I own now has the environmental needs met and a chance of a happy life.
    
    I have 'owned' many different animals in my life, but eventually I did figure out that it wasn't important what I wanted; but what they need!
    
    I am not one to make somebody unhappy, because I think they are cute or fluffy or beautiful or whatever else.
    
    Their happiness will reflect in how they feel about me and how they love me! A miserable dog will always love me, but doesn't their love deserve at least a little consideration in return!?

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18. 78

    purnimamoh1982posted 11 years ago

    
    
    My best pet was a pair of rabbits Chikki and Mikki. They were lovely and they loved my son a lot. Although we had to part with them as they grew in numbers beyond our capacity to keep them in our house, I still remember the funny activities they used to do. In some near past I had written a hub about Chikki and Mikki http://purnimamoh1982.hubpages.com/hub/ … ng-at-Home You may find that hub interesting.I completely agree with Sunshine625 about rabbits having a personality. They were very easy to train and were responding to what I wanted to tell them. I wish my rabbits could make a sound so that they could speak to me the way my dogs do.

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