If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you have?

[OverTheStars 91]

I've been thinking a lot about pets I'd want when I'm older and can move out...and also pets I couldn't/wouldn't ever get

Realistically: I've ALWAYSSS wanted a cat. I love both cats and dogs, but I've never been able to get a cat since my sister's allergic and the bother my dad's eye contacts. I'd also like any small dog, but I'd have to research any specific breeds before getting one. Big dogs are cute too, but I've always had such a soft spot for little ones, plus I'd want a dog that I could easily keep up with and that didn't have any super specific requirements for where you live or the size of your house.

Less realistic: Stoats are one of my favorite animals alongside rabbits, but since they aren't as common of pets it could be difficult to find care/supplies for them. It also might make it hard if I ever had to go on vacation since I'm pretty sure overnight care places for them aren't common either. Another out there option is a deer, but I wouldn't actually to have one as a pet since that'd involve taking them out of the wild which I wouldn't want to do. It makes me so sad that I'll never have a deer friend since you aren't supposed to feed them/interact with them or else they could get hurt or too comfortable around people.

Mythical: Less of a pet, but I'd love to be best friends with a unicorn. Even before watching MLP, I was always obsessed with them as a kid. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't like being kept as a pet though.

[Snoopy Fan 627]

I would want a dog as a pet. I love dogs.

[spme 6]

Realistically, Any large dog, and maybe a small dog to pick up and carry around 💛I love carrying around little dogs, especially elderly ones that are okay with it

Less realistic ? Maybe a wolfdog, or just a wolf if I could get training for them.. They're very loyal good boys if they put their trust in you, and if you treat them well <3 But, it's best to live alone if you have them it seems.. I could be dangerous for other folks.

[Mothra 663]

My family didn't want me to be scared of dogs as a child so I was brought up with a bunch in the family, 8 in total now and I could never see myself without one from here on out. A less realistic answer would be a bat, I've always adored them ever since one landed on my head at an enclosed zoo, though I know it's not possible to have them as pets.

 

7 minutes ago, spme said:

Realistically, Any large dog, and maybe a small dog to pick up and carry around 💛I love carrying around little dogs, especially elderly ones that are okay with it

Less realistic ? Maybe a wolfdog, or just a wolf if I could get training for them.. They're very loyal good boys if they put their trust in you, and if you treat them well <3 But, it's best to live alone if you have them it seems.. I could be dangerous for other folks.

Me and my family actually have a wolfdog! Her name is Jet and she's a little troublemaker, but we love her of course, they're an incredibly smart breed 

[OverTheStars 91]

10 minutes ago, spme said:

Realistically, Any large dog, and maybe a small dog to pick up and carry around 💛I love carrying around little dogs, especially elderly ones that are okay with it

Less realistic ? Maybe a wolfdog, or just a wolf if I could get training for them.. They're very loyal good boys if they put their trust in you, and if you treat them well <3 But, it's best to live alone if you have them it seems.. I could be dangerous for other folks.

Small elderly dogs are literally the cutest! my neighbors used to have some and they were the sweetest old ladies, one of them loved sunbathing and the other could do a walking handstand for some reason? Wolf dogs are really neat too though, it's kind of funny to compare them to other breeds though, like to see just how far some dog breeds are now from wolves. I could not imagine my dogs hunting for anything other than dropped food under the table (well, maybe my smaller dog could, but he has a bit more bloodlust anyways)

7 minutes ago, Mothra said:

My family didn't want me to be scared of dogs as a child so I was brought up with a bunch in the family, 8 in total now and I could never see myself without one from here on out. A less realistic answer would be a bat, I've always adored them ever since one landed on my head at an enclosed zoo, though I know it's not possible to have them as pets.

Bats are really cool too, I follow this one account that rescues flying fox bats for their sanctuary and they're really neat. I think it would be cool to work at a bat sanctuary or to work in wildlife rehabilitation in general, where you could probably interact with bats and all sorts of other animals.

[spme 6]

1 minute ago, OverTheStars said:

Small elderly dogs are literally the cutest! my neighbors used to have some and they were the sweetest old ladies, one of them loved sunbathing and the other could do a walking handstand for some reason? Wolf dogs are really neat too though, it's kind of funny to compare them to other breeds though, like to see just how far some dog breeds are now from wolves. I could not imagine my dogs hunting for anything other than dropped food under the table (well, maybe my smaller dog could, but he has a bit more bloodlust anyways)

Yesyesyes you get it !!

I had an elderly dog myself ! A little westie, and he was the sweetest little grumpy old man I've ever had <33 I'd carry him in the middle of walks when he got tired, and he absolutely loved being pampered and carried !! It was so lovely I taught him sign language tricks before he lost his eyesight 💛He was an absolute blessing. I now care for another little pup, and I'll be there for him til the very end !!! My two big dogs are also my babies I just love them all so dearly, I couldn't ask for anything better.

Wolfdogs are so so interesting !! They have the playfulness of a dog, but the wolf parts of them are very obviously dominant.. I'd honestly somewhat compare their behaviour to Huskies !!

I definitely see them hunting for food under the table like other dogs, though.. Just because they have dominant wolf-blood, doesn't mean that they aren't sweet puppies too auaua💛!!

This is such a wonderful topic to bring up, I'm having such a wonderful time talking about this awwa !!!!!

[SharpWit 2,682]

Long before Gummy and maybe right about the start of Gen 3, I wanted a pet Aligator, because it was the closest thing I'd get to having my very own dinosaur. A few years later I was saddened by the news that my homestate had outlawed the possession of dangerous animals, quashing my gargantuan reptilian dreams. 

[OverTheStars 91]

43 minutes ago, SharpWit said:

Long before Gummy and maybe right about the start of Gen 3, I wanted a pet Aligator, because it was the closest thing I'd get to having my very own dinosaur. A few years later I was saddened by the news that my homestate had outlawed the possession of dangerous animals, quashing my gargantuan reptilian dreams. 

Aww, yeah I felt something similar since raccoons and possibly stoats(?) are illegal in Washington to own as pets, which I guess is understandable but still disappointing. As for alligators, have you heard how the baby ones sound? They're like little laser guns

 

 

 

 

[SharpWit 2,682]

19 hours ago, OverTheStars said:

Aww, yeah I felt something similar since raccoons and possibly stoats(?) are illegal in Washington to own as pets, which I guess is understandable but still disappointing. As for alligators, have you heard how the baby ones sound? They're like little laser guns

Well hello fellow Washingtonian! I do know of someone with a pet raccoon. They sit in a weird place within the animal kingdom because they get both cat and dog vaccines. And yes, their pew pews are the best! 

[Fluttershutter 2,498]

Realistic: I have a dog, I'd love to have more dogs but they're really a lot of work and need a lot of attention.

Unrealistic: I'd love a raven, a horse, a flying fox, oh, and a private zoo would be cool lol.

Mythical: Dragon and griffin, obviously.

On 2025-01-27 at 8:46 PM, SharpWit said:

Long before Gummy and maybe right about the start of Gen 3, I wanted a pet Aligator, because it was the closest thing I'd get to having my very own dinosaur. A few years later I was saddened by the news that my homestate had outlawed the possession of dangerous animals, quashing my gargantuan reptilian dreams. 

"Dangerous animals" is pretty vague. What does the law say exactly?

On 2025-01-27 at 1:57 PM, OverTheStars said:

Small elderly dogs are literally the cutest! my neighbors used to have some and they were the sweetest old ladies, one of them loved sunbathing and the other could do a walking handstand for some reason? Wolf dogs are really neat too though, it's kind of funny to compare them to other breeds though, like to see just how far some dog breeds are now from wolves. I could not imagine my dogs hunting for anything other than dropped food under the table (well, maybe my smaller dog could, but he has a bit more bloodlust anyways)

Sure, but elderly dogs will die soon so your heart will be broken. 

[SharpWit 2,682]

2 hours ago, Fluttershutter said:

Dangerous animals" is pretty vague. What does the law say exactly?

Dangerous animal law

"It is illegal to own animals that pose a threat to people, livestock, or domestic animals. For a complete list of animals illegal to own in the dangerous animal law please visit the definitions page. 

Some of the animals illegal to own under this law are:

Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Wolves, Bears, Monkeys (non human primates), Marmosets, Lemurs, Cobras, Rattlesnakes, Crocodiles, Alligators."

This is word for word from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

[Dreambiscuit 9,931]

I’d want something that wasn’t so small and delicate that it’s going to kick the bucket at the slightest misstep, or require lots of maintenance like a tank full of fish. On the other hand I don’t like large animals. So, as this thread specifies animals and I must exclude my first choice of a pet rock, I’d maybe go with a cat. They may not be the most original idea in the world but they’d be easy to care for and cats are exquisitely independent.

[SharpWit 2,682]

I dreamt that my red earned slider turned into a 4 foot aligator. He wasn't very nice and I couldn't remove him from the tank to clean it. 

[Fluttershutter 2,498]

10 hours ago, SharpWit said:

Dangerous animal law

"It is illegal to own animals that pose a threat to people, livestock, or domestic animals. For a complete list of animals illegal to own in the dangerous animal law please visit the definitions page. 

Some of the animals illegal to own under this law are:

Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Wolves, Bears, Monkeys (non human primates), Marmosets, Lemurs, Cobras, Rattlesnakes, Crocodiles, Alligators."

This is word for word from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Well like I always say with stupid laws just don't get caught.