#20. Lion
What would you do if you were in close proximity to a lion? Most of us would probably run for our lives. Or maybe, if we were given the time and sanity to think properly, we would try to remain as still as possible until the lion went away.
Turns out that while that is true for the great majority of the population, some people, specifically Humaid AlbuQaish, would disagree with us. Humaid has a different idea of what a pet is, and he makes sure to let the world know by sharing his collection of exotic animals, lion included, on his Instagram.
#19. Grizzly Bear
Winnie the Pooh was definitely a cute bear. Maybe, you even wanted to meet this happy character that ate a little too much honey. But I bet that the idea of meeting a real-life bear, with its huge claws and tremendous appetite, would not look as much fun as meeting your favorite Disney cartoon.
Well, maybe if you met Brutus, the cuddly bear in the picture above, you would be a little more open to engaging in an afternoon walk with a fully grown bear. Brutus enjoys following his owner, Casey Anderson, in a peaceful manner, much like you and I would walk a Golden Retriever. Casey explains that his grizzly bear actually has similar emotions to human beings.
#18. Hippopotamus
The Hippopotamus was that animal that when we were kids, we wanted to pet and have a playdate with. That fantasy faded away as soon as we grew up and learned that hippopotamuses are actually very hostile towards human beings. This means that the last thing you should do is try to have a hippo as your life companion.
But as they say that there is always an exception, Jessica the Hippopotamus happens to be just so. She is docile and polite and loves to be near humans. Tonie and Shirley Joubert found Jessica in rough shape by the riverbank near their home in South Africa back in 2000. Ever since they rescued her, she has become their trustworthy companion.
#17. Alligator
Maybe the idea of owning an alligator is a little less terrifying than owning a crocodile. After all, they aren’t that big…? But while having a pet alligator doesn’t sound as crazy as having a pet crocodile, the idea is still pretty mind-boggling. This reptile still looks quite fierce if you ask me.
Meet Rambo, a pet alligator whose owner lives in Florida. Rambo is even more pet-friendly than a dog. He enjoys being dressed up for the holidays and also enjoys being at the back of the motorcycle when his owner decides to take him for a spin. Mary Thorn, Rambo’s owner, assures us that he has been trained to be friendly around other humans.
#16. Fox
Now a fox maybe sounds a lot more reasonable for a pet than the animals we have already talked about. Not only does his size sound a lot more practical for having around the kitchen, but he also reminds us a little bit about a combination between a cat and a dog, both very common pets.
While foxes are wild animals, it seems that some of them can be domesticated. Maybe you are even familiar with Instagram-famous Juniper The Fox, who is said to have a following of more than 2 million! Her owners say that she is super friendly and easy to take care of; that is unless they have to clean up one of the holes she dug in the backyard!
#15. Hyena
Most of us are more than satisfied with a dog or a cat. Maybe even a gecko or a gerbil. Well, that wasn’t the case for Bryan Hawn, who thought that house pets were too boring. Resultantly, he went to get himself a pet hyena. Yes, you read correctly, the same animal that was depicted as the enemy in The Lion King.
Jake, the pet hyena, was kept in Bryan’s apartment in Miami, Florida. However, it wasn’t too long before he realized that an apartment is no home for a hyena, which needs a lot of space. Jake was then taken to an exotic pet sanctuary, where he enjoys an environment that is much more similar to his natural habitat.
#14. Reindeer
Maybe Santa Claus has a couple of reindeer as pets… But let’s face it, who wouldn’t freak out if you encountered a reindeer when walking to somebody’s house? Well, if you walk into the home of this Finnish family, then you are up for a surprise.
Aatu the reindeer is not really much like your average reindeer at all. Owners say that he acts like a dog and that is no exaggeration! He sits at the dinner table every night with the whole family and his favorite activity is to watch his favorite show, Heartbeat. His manners must be out of this world!
#13. Kangaroo
If you watched that movie where there is a funny kangaroo whose name is Jack, maybe this story won’t blow your mind. But if you’ve heard the stories of how kangaroos might look friendly but actually aren’t, then you will be a bit shocked, to say the least.
It so happens to be that Jackson O’Doherty was up for a challenge when he decided to get himself a furry friend. Meet Damian, Jackson’s pet kangaroo that loves chasing his owner around. It even looks like they are playing tag! Damian leaves us puzzled because it isn’t common for kangaroos to be docile.
#12. Bobcat
You probably heard of a bobcat from the famous song Colors of the Wind by Pocahontas. If you can’t recall one of Disney’s favorite and most popular animated movies, then you may not be familiar with what a bobcat is. A bobcat is a sort of like a cat, but wild.
Ginny Fine probably thought that a cat wasn’t all that entertaining, but still, she seems to have been interested in a feline that would fit in her house. Naturally, she got Rocky, a bobcat that weighs 28 pounds. Rocky is said to cause a little bit of havoc in his neighborhood in New Jersey when he sneaks out of the house.
#11. Polar Bear
Unless all you watch is Disney Channel, you probably know that polar bears are not exactly safe, no matter how cute they are. They are very, very big, and equally strong. Some of us might have even wished to be hugged by a polar bear on a gloomy day when all we needed was a furry friend to squeeze us.
Lucky for Mark Dumas, that wasn’t just a fleeting thought. Mark Dumas is a man that went out there and got himself his childhood dream! Agee the polar bear seems every bit delighted to have been adopted by a human. Agee purrs when his owner is in the vicinity and this pair is truly inseparable. They bathe, sleep and wrestle together.
#10. Lemur
Lemurs are small enough to be pets, that’s for sure. But they are known for being incredibly boisterous creatures, particularly because they are so active at night. Surely enough they look mischievous; with their small size, pointed snout, large eyes, and long tail, this animal is up to no good.
However, these features didn’t deter actress Kristie Alley, who was adamant about domesticating lemurs. She not only succeeded, but also excelled; because the actress doesn’t just own one lemur, or two, or three… Kristie is the owner of a whopping 14 lemurs, all of which live in cages on her property.
#9. Raccoon
They sure look cute and funny. But if you have ever been in close proximity to a raccoon, you probably know that they aren’t all that friendly. I bet that if you have encountered one, it was when this furry fellow was rummaging the trashcan and making a mess out of it.
Well, that probably isn’t the case for Pumpkin, this highly photogenic raccoon that also has its own Instagram account, with more than 1 million followers. She lives in the Bahamas, specifically in Nassau. Her owner Rosie Kemp rescued Pumpkin after being separated from her mother.
#8. King Cobra Snake
Here we have another animal that we all wish we never meet in person without the supervision of a professional. This venomous snake that lives in Southeast Asia is not something you would like to encounter on a hike, let alone, have slithering on your kitchen floor.
Well, while it isn’t for certain, it is rumored that an actor is in possession of two albino king cobra snakes. Supposedly, he bought them for protection. But with their potent venom and their ability to grow to into very long reptiles, we wonder how this celebrity sees them as protection.
#7. Tiger
The Hangover, anybody? If you remember that movie, maybe you remember the huge tiger that was awaiting the main characters when they woke up from a blackout. They were all terrified and I bet any one of us would be too… But, like many people on this list, having a highly dangerous animal as a pet is a dream come true.
Famous boxer Floyd Mayweather was seen in a video struggling to keep his pet tiger under control while in a crowded hotel room. It is no surprise that many animal rights activists jumped right in to defend the tiger, arguing that its behavior was owed to the fact that the tiger was being mistreated.
#6. Capybara
A capybara is a mammal that is native to South America and that happens to be the largest rodent in the world. Maybe its sheer size would be enough to deter you from getting one of these as a house pet. Well, that wasn’t the case for owners Melanie Typaldos and her husband, Richard Loveman.
The pair live in Texas, where Gary the capybara resides. Gary, with his whopping 50 kg, is allowed to sleep on their bed and even has his own swimming pool, where he enjoys a nice swim when it gets too hot outside. The pair is in love with their rodent, and they’ve even stated that they can’t imagine life without him!
#5. Scorpion
Many of the animals on this list are exactly what you would consider huggable. Well, this scorpion is no exception from that. While it is possible to acquire a pet scorpion, the Amateur Entomologists’ Society recommends against it because having a scorpion is extremely dangerous.
If you ever get tired of your dog and decide that a scorpion is an ideal companion for you, make sure that your supplier is extremely familiar with all the variations within the species. Out of the 1,500 species of scorpion,100 are highly dangerous to humans because of the sting that they carry.
#4. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Most of us cringe at the thought of being near a cockroach. What is the first thing you do when you see a cockroach running around your house? After screaming, you probably get the nearest item and proceed to kill this insect before he hides in one of the nooks and crannies.
But don’t you dare grab a flip flop if you encounter one in this man’s house since he owns one as a pet! Apparently, the Madagascar hissing cockroaches are becoming more and more popular to the point where you can get one at a normal pet retailer. Their selling price starts from $5.95! Not bad for your first pet.
#3. Wolfdog
While some of us might have wondered what having a pet wolf would be like after watching so many episodes of Game of Thrones, I doubt many of us started researching how to actually acquire one of these canines. A wolfdog is basically the result of the mating between a domestic dog and a wild wolf.
Kelly Lund is an example of somebody that wanted a canine that was a little, or should we say a lot, fiercer than your average Labrador. Locki the wolfdog has proven that while he isn’t as tame as a domestic dog, his wild side can be quite endearing. Not only is he Kelly’s pet, but he is also his traveling companion around the world!
#2. Owl
Unless you live in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it probably isn’t that common for people around you to have owls as pets. However, after the famous fantasy novels, many fans were excited about the idea of actually owning an owl. It so happens to be that in the UK, there’s a variety of owls you can choose from to take home.
Molla is an example of a loving pet owl who has garnered quite the attention after a video of her being petted was posted. The video has about 3.5 million views and it takes place in ‘I Falconieri delle Orobie,’ which is a medieval falconry event in northern Italy that celebrates birds of prey.
#1. Kinkajou
You probably don’t know what a kinkajou is. Native to the tropical rainforest, the kinkajou is actually related to coatis and raccoons and is also known as the honey bear. They are small and look extremely cute with their huge eyes. However, they do not make great pets.
Take millionaire celebrity Paris Hilton as an example, who failed to control her pet kinkajou. These little animals seem friendly but they are actually very wild and very tricky creatures. Kinkajous are fiercer than they look and have been known to attack humans. They have scratched, bitten, and injured their owners, so let’s just leave these furry friends in the forest, where they belong.