I have a strong affinity for unconventional pets.
I started out with a bearded dragon lizard at the age of 4 because that is what I picked out at the pet store when my parents took me.
I give them credit, as I doubt I would do the same for my kids if they put me in a similar situation. It’s hard caring for a lizard right out the gate when it’s your first time feeding and cleaning up after an animal. I think it’s wiser to get a puppy or a kitten for your child’s first pet if you’re going to skip a goldfish or similar aquatic creature. However, I wouldn’t be the same person if my parents had chosen that route. One of the best parts about my current life is my pet rat Rodger. I bought him two years ago after a sudden breakup from my partner of seven years. I was so distraught that I needed something to help my mind escape from the emotional trauma I was experiencing. Rodger is the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up and enter the living room and the last thing I see before I head to my room to sleep at night. He’s a ball of joy and a cuddle bug as well. That’s why I was so upset when he found his way into the ductwork for my central heating system. I’m relieved that it happened during the summer when that ductwork isn’t being used, otherwise he could have hurt himself crawling toward the furnace. I had to call my HVAC technician and he helped me locate Rodger and free him from the heater’s ventilation system.