7 Best Movie Pets

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not an animal person. I don’t like to pet them. I don’t like them to jump on me. I don’t like to be sniffed or licked or looked at like I’m some kind of alien, especially when I’m trying to eat. It takes a lot for me to warm up to an animal, even in the movies. Still, there are exceptions to every rule. Below are seven movie pets that even I wouldn’t mind owning. Caution, there are SPOILERS ahead.

If I were Robert Neville and my daughter handed me a German Shepherd right before taking off in a helicopter, I’d have been tempted to set the puppy down and shoo her away. He’s got a virus to cure, after all. But taking that dog kept Robert alive for the years that he remained alone in what was formerly the largest city in the country.

Sam is the perfect companion, aside from her refusal to eat her vegetables and tendency to run into dark seeker-infested buildings, she's loyal and brave and is the tipping point for Robert after he must snap her neck once she is bitten by one of the creatures that he is trying to cure. Let’s face it, I haven’t mourned the death of a non-human since Wilson the Volleyball.

This dog is small, low maintenance, and has the power to suck the grumpiness even out of professional grump Melvin Udall. Verdell makes everything better. He’s not your typical cutsie puppy dog but being raised by a gay, New York artist; he’s got personality. I would gladly play piano for him to get him to eat my leftovers.

I’m stretching a bit here, but Binx is the perfect house cat. This 17^th century boy turned black cat suffers from a case of immortality as the result of trying to save his little sister from three, soul-sucking Salem witches. I feel sorry for this boy-cat. I also imagine that he’d have a lot of interesting things to share given that he has spent over 300 years on earth, and he would share them because this cursed cat can talk. Lucky for him, though, the Dennison kids got to him first and were able to break the spell and free his soul so that he could join his impatient sister in the afterlife.

What would I do with a pig in the suburbs? I don’t know, but this is one pig I wouldn’t eat, whether I can hear him speak or not. He just tries so hard to get people to like him, and I can relate. Since I don’t raise sheep, I’m sure that he could find other ways to be useful around the house. I could teach him to vacuum or fold laundry, and when he was finished, I’d reward him with some table scraps and, of course, a, “That’ll do, pig.” With his determination and politeness, he is capable of anything.

Is he a mouse or a boy? I never could figure that out, but I definitely have the space for Stuart. I’d read him stories, take him to the park, buy him some doll clothes, and even a toy car. He’s misunderstood. I’m misunderstood. He needs someone to love him, and I need a little mouse son.

Einstein was a real sport in the Back to the Future trilogy. He let Doc Brown send him through time, had to put up with alternate universes, and even had his bed overturned at one point. Through it all, he didn’t complain once. I wouldn’t expect nearly as much from him, and his laid back demeanor would suit me just fine. He also has a fluffy, shaggy coat and kind eyes. He doesn't seem to be a licker or a jumper either, which is my ideal kind of dog.

I’ve never ridden a horse or even been close enough to touch a horse, but Seabiscuit would be a pretty decent horse to own, once he was broken in, of course. He’s an underdog, and I always cheer for the underdog. He’s the comeback king of the sports world which is inspiring and motivating. If he can overcome a life-threatening injury, I can do anything. The icing on the cake would be that he would make me a ton of money, and I would reward him handsomely for that with all of the apples he can eat and beer he can drink.

Name your favorite movie pets in the comments below! Thanks for reading!