Oct
Humans love keeping pets, that’s not a surprise. Society has been taming animals since the beginning of civilization to aid us in our work and to keep us company.Animals like dogs and cats have become a staple in many homes for centuries for their ease of training, the love they share with their owners, and the happiness it brings us to watch them grow and live happily in our homes.But, our love affair with animals didn’t stop with cats, dogs, and farm animals. We’ve domesticated hundreds of different animals and species, some more strange and unexpected than others.There are many animals that you COULD keep in your home. But the work/effort they require, the potential danger of keeping them, and their attitudes makes them hardly qualify as a loving pet.Nevertheless, nothing has stopped some owners’ determination to care and tame odd animals that most people wouldn’t even dare to get CLOSE to.In this article, We’ll discuss 14 pets that only INSANE people own.
1 – Piranhas
Movies and television might have exaggerated the viciousness of this fish, but that doesn’t mean they’re not aggressive. If you want to have one in your aquarium, they are going to need their own tank as their primary diet is other fish. Also, be very careful during feeding time! They’re very aggressive and will bite you when they can.
2 – Big Cats
Large lions, panthers, and tigers, and the smaller species like the lynx, serval, and bobcats, keeping a big cat as a pet is a huge risk!Some owners have been able to keep them tame and argue that they behave just like regular house cats, but you must always remember that they are wild animals that can cause severe injuries with a single strike (whenever they want).Besides the risk of injury, the work/effort required to keep them healthy is enormous! From spending thousands in meat to feed them each month to hiring expensive specialized veterinarians, most big cat owners usually have large bank accounts.
3 – Bears
Sure, bears are small and cuddly when they’re cubs. However, they quickly grow up and revert to their wild roots.They have wild instincts that develop more and more as they grow and you’ll never really know when they are having a bad day… until it’s to late! Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped hundreds of people from keeping them as pets and raising them from cubs.
4 – Scorpions
There has been an increase in people owning scorpions as pets, especially the Emperor Scorpion, one of the largest of their kind.Although they’re not venomous, their sting hurts A LOT and can cause allergic reactions similar to bees. They’re not friendly or docile, and rarely allow humans to handle them.The plus side is that you can keep them in terrariums and they require little effort, they eat a diet of crickets or small bugs, carried by most pet stores.
5 – Venomous Snakes
People have kept pets for a long time (way back to Egyptian times), and although many species are not very dangerous, many people like the ‘dangerous’ aspect of having a pet snake.Snakes are beautiful and look impressive with their bright colors and skin patterns, but their bites can be fatal. It’s not recommended to keep venomous snakes, especially if you have other pets or children in the house.
6 – Roaches
This pet is harmless, small, and easy to keep. You can place them in a terrarium and they eat almost everything. As a bonus, many apartments in large cities come free pet cockroaches when you move in! The bad side is that they’re a little ugly… many people actually find them repulsive and most people hate them.The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach is one of the most popular breeds kept as pets, and owners describe them as docile and entertaining.
7 – Tarantulas
If you want something a little more exciting than cockroaches, you might want to take a look at spiders, especially Tarantulas. There are many different species of Tarantulas, and many of them are quite beautiful (beauty is in the eye of the beholder… I guess).Contrary to popular belief, most tarantulas are not dangerous to humans and can be very docile, allowing for ample handling by their owners.
8 – Foxes
Foxes are adorable looking canines and there are dozens of different breeds, from the classic bright red to snowy white coats. They’re stunning and feel very similar to domesticated dogs when pet.However, they’re wild animals and are really hard to tame. Even if they tolerate their owners, they will never be thoroughly domesticated like dogs. Moreover, they are territorial animals that pee everywhere and love destroying furniture.
9 – Centipedes
Unlike their very docile and tame cousins, the millipedes, centipedes are venomous, aggressive and impossible to handle.They are kept in large terrariums and must be handled with care. Some expert hobbyist keep them enclosed and report that they’re very entertaining to watch, with their bright colors and fascinating behavior
10 – Eels
They sure make for fascinating fish in an aquarium!Some of them look impressive with different colors and expressions, however, they’re not exactly docile…. Although some owners report that they can be very friendly and even occasionally accept petting.Keep in mind that keeping a pet eel is expensive, you’ll need a huge tank to house them and constant maintenance of the aquarium to keep them healthy.
11 – Raccoon
Often seen as critters and home invaders, some people love their pet raccoons and spend their days spreading the word about how great they are as pets.They are wild animals, and some countries have strong regulations against keeping them as pets as they can be very destructive. However, if you can get past that, and have a strong disposition… you might find that raccoons can be excellent companions.
12 – Wolfdog
The beauty of a wolf combined with the tame nature of a dog! It seems brilliant on paper, but in reality, these hybrids are very dangerous and usually incredibly hard to keep.Unlike Huskies, Malamutes, and other mixes, these modern breeds still have the instinctual behavior of a wolf and can become very aggressive during their development years. Moreover, their huge sizes and strong bodies can make them a little hard to handle.For some lucky wolfdog owners, the dog side is stronger than the wolf side and they can, with lots of effort, keep the wolfdog in happy and healthy.
13 – Chimpanzee
Most countries have strong regulations or have outright banned having chimps as pets because of how hard it is to care for them (and how dangerous they can be).These creatures are brilliant and can live up to 60 years, making great partners if they can be controlled and cared for properly.
14 – Anteaters
Vermilingua, commonly known as anteaters are cute little animals are known for their wide range of expressions and docility. The hardship of keeping them as pets comes from their high maintenance and the odor of their pee.If you can look past the problematic maintenance, you’ll find an entertaining and lovable partner who loves eating ants for snacks.There you have it, the 14 pets that only insane people own. What do you think about the list? Do you know any other pets that require tons of maintenance and are hard to keep? Let us know in the comments.
