What Are the Most Unusual Pets: 13 Extraordinary Animals People Actually Keep and What You Need to Know

Most unusual pets kept by people around the world go far beyond the familiar cat, dog, or goldfish. From the world’s largest rodent to a salamander that never grows up, some animals being legally kept as pets are so extraordinary that they seem more at home in a nature documentary than a living room. This guide covers the most unusual pets people actually keep, what makes each one remarkable, and what prospective owners need to know before committing.

Laws governing exotic pet ownership vary enormously between countries, states, and even cities. Always verify local regulations before acquiring any of the animals listed here.

Capybara

The capybara is the world’s largest rodent, a semi-aquatic South American mammal weighing up to 140 lbs that is kept as a pet in parts of the United States and is known for its calm temperament and unusual ability to form bonds with nearly every other species it encounters.

Capybaras are closely related to guinea pigs despite their size and are genuinely social animals: in the wild they live in herds of 10 to 20 individuals and become stressed and depressed if kept alone. They require access to a large pool or body of water for swimming, as they are physiologically semi-aquatic and need to soak regularly for skin and thermoregulation. They are herbivores that need a grass-heavy diet supplemented with hay and vegetables. Legal in some US states with permits, illegal in others. Lifespan: 8 to 12 years in captivity.

Axolotl

The axolotl is a fully aquatic salamander that retains its larval features permanently, keeping its external feathery gills throughout life and never metamorphosing into a land animal, making it one of the most visually distinctive unusual pets in the world.

Native only to the lake system around Mexico City where it is critically endangered in the wild, the axolotl has become surprisingly popular in captivity due to its permanent smile, wide range of colour morphs, and extraordinary ability to regenerate lost limbs, organs, and even portions of its heart and brain. They are fully aquatic and require a tank of at least 20 gallons per animal kept at 16 to 20°C (60 to 68°F), as warmer water causes fatal stress. They eat worms, small fish, and aquatic invertebrates. Legal in most US states except California, Maine, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. Lifespan: up to 15 years.

Sugar Glider

The sugar glider is a small marsupial from Australia and New Guinea that glides on skin membranes stretched between its front and rear limbs, can travel up to 150 metres in a single glide, and bonds intensely with its owners, sometimes riding in their shirt pocket during the day.

Despite resembling flying squirrels, sugar gliders are entirely unrelated and are instead cousins of kangaroos and koalas. They are highly social and must be kept in pairs at minimum, as single sugar gliders frequently become depressed and self-mutilate from loneliness. They are nocturnal and most active between 7 pm and midnight, requiring attention during evening hours. Diet in captivity must replicate their wild intake of nectar, sap, insects, and fruit with specialised supplements. Legal in many US states, banned in California, Alaska, Hawaii, and New York City. Lifespan: 10 to 15 years.

Kinkajou

The kinkajou is a nocturnal Central and South American rainforest mammal related to raccoons, with a prehensile tail used for gripping branches, and is sometimes called the “honey bear” because of its habit of raiding beehives with its long narrow tongue.

Kinkajous bond intensely with one person but are notoriously high-maintenance: they are active and destructive between 7 pm and midnight, have poor litter training ability, and pass through a “terrible twos” phase lasting from roughly age two to five or six. Their intelligence, comparable to a three-year-old child, means they get into everything during nighttime hours. They have a painful bite and can carry zoonotic diseases. Only 10 to 15 percent of kinkajous remain with their original owners, according to the San Diego Zoo. Legal in around nine US states, with permits in several more. Lifespan: 20 to 25 years.

Fennec Fox

The fennec fox is the world’s smallest wild canid, native to the Sahara Desert, and is distinguished by enormous ears that can be up to half the length of its body, which it uses to detect prey underground and to dissipate heat.

Fennec foxes are energetic, vocal, and dig compulsively. They require significant space to run, dig, and explore, and their enclosure must be fully escape-proofed as they are skilled tunnellers. They can bond well with owners but retain many wild behaviours and are not domesticated in the same way as dogs. They are carnivores in the wild but can be fed a diet of commercial carnivore kibble supplemented with insects and fresh protein in captivity. Legal in many US states, illegal in others including Washington State and Minnesota. Lifespan: 10 to 16 years.

Serval

The serval is a medium-sized wild African cat with an exceptionally long neck, the longest legs relative to body size of any cat species, and the highest hunting success rate of any wild cat at roughly one kill for every two attempts.

Servals can leap up to 3 metres into the air to catch birds. They are not domesticated, retain strong predatory instincts, and require very large, securely fenced outdoor enclosures to live well in captivity. They can form bonds with experienced owners but are not suitable as a substitute for a domestic cat, and their needs for space, enrichment, and diet make them suitable only for specialists. Legal with permits in a limited number of US states. Lifespan: up to 19 years.

Hedgehog

The hedgehog is a small insectivorous mammal covered in several thousand hollow keratin quills, nocturnal, and capable of rolling into a tight defensive ball, and is one of the more manageable unusual pets for those prepared for its nocturnal schedule and specific dietary needs.

Hedgehogs are solitary, do not require companions, and are relatively quiet compared with many exotic pets. They eat a diet of commercial hedgehog food supplemented with mealworms, cooked lean meat, and occasional small amounts of fruit and vegetable. They need a solid-surface exercise wheel and daily handling to remain socialised. Hedgehogs can suffer from a fatal neurological condition called Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome, which has a genetic component, so sourcing from responsible breeders matters. Legal in most US states, illegal in California, Hawaii, Georgia, and several cities. Lifespan: 3 to 7 years.

Wallaby

Wallabies are small to medium-sized marsupials from Australia related to kangaroos, and Bennett’s wallaby is the species most commonly kept as a pet, requiring a large outdoor enclosure with grass grazing area and a compatible companion wallaby.

Wallabies are social herd animals and should not be kept alone. They can become tame but retain instinctive flight responses that can cause injury to themselves when startled. They are strict herbivores grazing on grass and browse, requiring outdoor space to meet their nutritional and physical needs. Legal with permits in several US states, illegal in others. Lifespan: 10 to 15 years.

Skunk (Descented)

Domestically bred skunks that have had their scent glands surgically removed are kept as pets in parts of the United States and are noted for their playful, curious, and affectionate personalities that compare in many ways to domestic ferrets.

Descented pet skunks cannot spray and are legal in around 17 US states with appropriate permits. They are omnivorous and require a varied diet of lean protein, vegetables, and limited fruit. Skunks are inquisitive and get into everything, requiring a fully skunk-proofed environment. They can be litter trained. Wild skunks should never be kept as pets: they may carry rabies and cannot legally be vaccinated with approved rabies vaccines in many states. Lifespan: 5 to 10 years.

Prairie Dog

Prairie dogs are social burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America that communicate with one of the most complex vocal languages of any animal, bark in alarm calls that encode specific descriptions of predator size, shape, colour, and speed.

Prairie dogs kept as pets bond strongly with their owners and can be affectionate and playful, but require daily interaction and companionship from another prairie dog to avoid stress. They need space to dig and burrow, a diet of grasses, hay, and fresh vegetation, and regular veterinary care from a specialist. Their importation was banned in the United States in 2003 following a monkeypox outbreak, so captive-bred individuals from existing US populations are the only legal source. Lifespan: 5 to 8 years in captivity.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a large, wingless cockroach up to 7.5 cm long that produces its distinctive hissing sound by forcing air through modified spiracles, and is one of the lowest-maintenance unusual pets available, requiring minimal space and inexpensive feeding.

Unlike common pest cockroaches, Madagascar hissing cockroaches do not fly, do not infest homes if they escape, and are not associated with disease transmission in normal pet-keeping circumstances. They are easy to care for, eating fruit, vegetables, and leafy greens, and live in a secure container lined with bark and substrate. They are legal in most countries and states and are also commonly kept as feeder insects for reptiles. Lifespan: 2 to 5 years.

Tarantula

Tarantulas are large hairy spiders kept as pets in many countries, with docile species like the Chilean rose hair and the Brazilian black being popular choices for beginners due to their slow movements, minimal husbandry requirements, and calm temperament.

Most pet tarantulas do not actively bite and will give warning postures before resorting to defensive behaviour. New World tarantulas defend themselves primarily by flicking urticating (barbed, irritating) hairs from their abdomen rather than biting. Old World species have no urticating hairs and may bite more readily, making them less suitable for beginners. All tarantulas require a secure, appropriately sized enclosure with controlled humidity and temperature, and eat live or pre-killed insects every one to two weeks. Legal essentially everywhere. Lifespan: 10 to 25 years, with females of some species living over 30 years.

Chinchilla

Chinchillas are South American rodents with the densest fur of any land mammal at roughly 60 hairs per follicle, so water-resistant that bathing must be done in dust rather than water, and they are highly active, social animals that bond closely with their owners.

Chinchillas are sensitive to heat and can die from heatstroke above 25°C (77°F), requiring a cool environment. They are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) and need large multi-level enclosures with platforms, ledges, and hiding spaces. Their diet consists primarily of high-quality chinchilla-specific pellets and timothy hay. They should be kept in same-sex pairs or bonded pairs. Lifespan: 15 to 22 years.

Miniature Donkey

Miniature donkeys, bred in the Mediterranean and standing under 36 inches at the shoulder, are kept as pets and companion animals and are noted for their affectionate, gentle personalities, strong bonds with their owners, and surprisingly dog-like social behaviour.

Miniature donkeys are herd animals and must not be kept alone: they require at minimum one companion donkey or other equine companion. They need outdoor space with proper fencing, a shelter from weather, and a diet of hay supplemented with pasture grazing and limited concentrates. They are generally easy-keepers but require regular farriery, dental care, and veterinary attention. Lifespan: 25 to 35 years, making them a very long-term commitment.

Related: What Do Frogs Eat: Wild Diet, Species Breakdown, and Pet Feeding Guide

Before Getting an Unusual Pet

Every unusual or exotic pet listed here has highly specific needs that are more demanding and expensive than those of domestic cats and dogs, and most require specialist veterinary care that is not available from standard small-animal practices.

The most common reason exotic pets are surrendered or neglected is that owners underestimate the commitment required before acquiring the animal. Research the legal status in your specific location, find a vet experienced with the species before you bring the animal home, understand the full adult size and lifespan of the animal, and connect with owner communities and specialist rescues. Many of the animals on this list live 10 to 25 years or more, and all have evolved for environments, social structures, and diets very different from a domestic home. Wildlife conservation organisations including the WWF also advise that many exotic species are best left in the wild, and that supporting habitat conservation is ultimately more beneficial to the species than private ownership.

See also: What Do Baby Mice Eat: Feeding Guide by Stage