7 Fun Animals to Have ...

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The bright orange eyes of these animals stand out against his steel gray fur. Their long ringed tails are what cause this type of lemur to stand out from the rest of the lemur family. In the wild, these animals are considered endangered. I’ve seen some breeders that sell babies from captive pairs of animals. Supposedly they make great pets and are extremely entertaining.

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The Coatimundi is part of the raccoon family, which is where the ringed tail comes in. These animals look like a cross between a raccoon and a badger. They can live to be as old as 15 years in captivity. Coatimundis are very loving animals, but too active to want to sit on your lap like a cat. Just like the raccoon, a Coatimundi is very skillful with his hands. They are able to open latches, turn door knobs, and get into all sorts of trouble!

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This type of chipmunk has stripes running from head to tail and can live up to 10 years. Once a chipmunk trusts the human in charge of feeding him, he will bond with this human. Placing a t-shirt with your personal scent on it is a great way to get the chipmunk used to your scent, if you are looking into getting a Siberian chipmunk to have as a pet.

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My cat used to always bring flying squirrels in the house. I would have to rescue them and lock the cat indoors while the squirrel would make his getaway. Flying squirrels will bond with humans very quickly. People who have these animals as pets usually carry the flying squirrel in a bonding pouch. The pouch is worn next to the heart so the flying squirrel can hear the heart beat, smell the human’s scent, and feel the body heat.

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The Egyptian spiny mouse resembles an opossum more than it does a mouse. A long face and calm disposition are just two of the features that make the spiny mouse less mouse-like. These little mice are easy to take care of, but their tails have a tendency to fall off easily. Handling of these critters needs to be done in a very gentle manner.

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The expressive nature of a prairie dog is what makes it so darn cute. They are also extremely social and loyal animals. 12 years is about the maximum age a prairie dog reaches in captivity. Training a prairie dog takes a little bit of work, but they can easily be trained to obey basic commands. They are like miniature dogs!

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These little guys resemble something that could easily be the offspring produced if a guinea pig and a chinchilla mated. The tail and fur color looks a lot like that of a gerbil’s too. Degus can live to be 7 years old. They require housing similar to what most rodents use. Eating grains, gnawing on things, and sleeping during the day are the main requirements for these little guys. They like to burrow in pine shavings, hide in paper sacks, and bathe in a shoebox filled with the same dust that chinchillas use.

Some of these animals are illegal to own as pets in certain states. It’s best to find out what your state’s regulations are before purchasing any type of exotic animal. I personally would love to see each of these animals in their natural habitat to see what they act like in the wild. Have you ever owned any exotic pets? What made you become interested in those particular animals?

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