1.Hermit Crab
My hermit crab was named Little Blue. I had him in late elementary school/middle school, and my sister had a companion hermit crab who lived with him. Hermit crabs are surprisingly nonviolent-- Little Blue never pinched me when I held him. I got him in one of those tourist shops that has a glass container full of them. However, young me was not privvy to the exacting care that hermit crabs need to live. Unfortunately, mine died within a year, as did my sister'. We learned the hard way that they are actually quite delicate and don't keep well as pets.
2. Rats
I had two pet rats: Tazzy and Bubbles. The TLDR is that they were adorable and great to keep as pets. They were curious and generally unafraid of people, so they had a lot of fun crawling on me and my friends. They were also incredibly smart-- I trained them to come when I called their names. The only real downside was that their cage smelled up after about a week, so the cage-cleaning regimen had to be meticulously kept. Tazzy and Bubbles were terrified of most of the toys I got them, including a ball and an exercise wheel, so we can put that stereotype to rest.
3. Siamese Cats
I had two Siamese cats growing up: Kona, and Misu, who is still alive. When someone heard I had Siamese cats, they were surprised. Weren't Siamese cats mean and don't they all have crossed eyes? Not mine! Kona and Misu were both Blue-point Siamese. They were the most beautiful cats I have ever seen and probably the sweetest too! My Siamese kitties both loved to talk-- when I talked to them they would meow back at me. And they loved to snuggle too! I would often wake up to Misu purring on my face. I really don't have any criticisms of Siamese cats. I will hopefully have them as pets throughout my life!
4. Mixed Breed Dogs
My parents adopted two mutts during my childhood: a golden-lab and hound-mix named Shelby and an Australian shepherd-mix named Chloe. Both were rescue dogs that we adopted from local pet stores. These were two of the sweetest lil pups I knew-- both were loving and loyal companions. Most people say that mutts tend to live longer than purebred dogs because of their more varied genes. However, my family experienced the opposite. Shelby died at 5 and Chloe died at 2-- both from kidney failure. While many mutts may live longer than purebred dogs, I am nervous about taking my chances again. (Our Dalmatian lived to be 11!)
5. Parakeets
My sister and I each got parakeets when I was 7 years old. I named mine Domingo and she named her Luna. Domingo and Luna were very sweet birds-- and they loved when we fed them millet spray and fresh fruit. I heard horror stories about friends who had parakeets that flew into windows or onto the stove, so I kept both of our parakeets' wings clipped. I was atonished at how long they lived-- Domingo died at 14 and Luna is still alive at 15. I noticed that after I got back from college, they got a little meaner and tried to bite my sister and I. Unfortunately, I think this is because my mom didn't take them out and handle them. If you have parakeets, be sure to take them out and play with them often!
6. Bunny
My sister was actually the one who owned a bunny-- not me. However, I need to mention it because you all deserve to know the truth. Bunnies are evil. Yes, you heard me. I don't know what was wrong with this bunny (to be honest, I felt really bad for it because it was probably really scared) but it contstantly tried to bite us. It also GROWLED at me when I got close to try to feed it. Am I the only one who had no ideas bunnies could growl? I'm sure there are many lovely bunnies out there, but I won't be taking my chances again.
