Weird House Pets

The alpaca is a domestic species of artiodactyl mammal of the family Camelidae, to which camels and llamas also belong. They are found in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru; always at a height of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea level.

An adult alpaca is between 80 and 100cm tall and weighs between 48 and 84 kilograms. They have large, pointed ears, have a thin body and a long neck, which is not as evident by their abundant wool. They are black, white or brown, either uniform or mixed colors.

Alpacas live in points that are the equivalent of herds. When they feel danger they emit a kind of squawk, as well as also kick and spit to chase away intruders. They are Bolivian animals, and their diet is composed of hay, stems, grass, leaves, bark and some grasses. They need a lot of food to meet their needs. The life expectancy of the alpaca is up to 20 years.

Alpacas are good pets because they are gentle, something that they can even transmit to their owner. They are good companions and can even carry small loads if necessary - but we do not recommend this.

As a pet, you can sterilize males and females without any problems. As for housing, you must have a good meadow so that they can graze and build them a simple shelter; closed on three sides and with a roof.

In the image below you can see an alpaca of a black and white mix:

The domestic ferret is a subspecies of the turon, and its scientific name is mustela putorius bore. They are animals that are found practically all around the world, thanks to their domestication that dates from more than 2500 years.

They can measure from 40 to 60 m long including the tail and reach a weight of between 500 grams to 3 kilograms. They have an elongated body, small head and long legs. They are in a wide range of colors like albino, black, champagne, chocolate, cinnamon, white (not albino), saber, silver and tricolor.

They are carnivorous animals that cannot be fed with cat food, since it does not provide the nutritional components for the correct metabolism. They can be fed with high-quality young cat food, but only for short periods. The correct food includes 30-38% of proteins and 15-20% of fats, it must come from meat, never from soy or similar plants.

The ferret is an excellent pet, very sociable and intelligent. You should spend a lot of time with them if you want to have them as a pet, otherwise they are not a good option for you. You should think of a ferret more like a dog or cat than a hamster, for example. Ferrets can live well in medium-sized cages, but must be released at least a few hours a day.

Other people choose to leave them free at home and put them in a locked room when they leave or do house cleaning. Ferrets are very playful, like small puppies, with the characteristic of not losing that spirit as they grow.

Discover in AnimalWised the ferret as a pet and tips to reduce a ferret's odor.

Next up on our list of weird pets is the guinea pig or cavia porcellus by its scientific name. They are rodents of the family Caviidae, and have arisen as a result of different crosses of the genus Cavia. They are originally from the Andean region of South America.

They have a compact body and measure between 30 to 40cm, even weighing up to 1 kg. The hair of some species is long, of rough or soft texture. They can be white, black or fawn, there are spots or dark stripes, on white backgrounds.

They are herbivorous animals and need a lot of fiber in their diet, they also need vitamin C because they are not able to synthesize it. To prevent food deficiencies you should opt for a varied diet, hay covers the needs of carbohydrates, alfalfa provides calcium, fruits and vegetables provide necessary vitamins and fluids. Check out our list of forbidden foods for guinea pigs.

A guinea pig can learn to live with dogs, cats and rabbits. However, it is not a good idea to keep them together, as these other species have the Bordetella bacteria, which can be lethal for a guinea pig. They can be kept in groups, but you must be careful when including new males, as they could get aggressive, therefore inclusion should always be done under supervision.

They are animals that detest change, so any changes have to be made from the beginning. The ideal space should be 30 x 60cm and 30cm high, it is not necessary to cover the space since they are not jumpers. The floor of their living space must be solid, covered with chip, alfalfa or shredded paper and must be changed once a week, since they are sensitive to urine ammonia.

This is an animal that you can leave in their space without needing to socialize with them much, unlike the ferret.

Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that belong to the family Vombatidae. These weird pets are found in Australia and Tasmania and have the appearance of small bears with muscles. Their legs are short but can reach between 70 and 110cm and reach a weight of between 15 and 35kg at the same time. They vary from beige to brown or black to gray. They are nocturnal and solitary animals that are guided by their hearing.

The wombat diet is herbivorous and is based on the consumption of roots, herbs and barks. They have teeth similar to those of a rodent, which allows them to bite vegetation hard. They possess an extraordinarily slow metabolism, with 14 days to be able to complete their digestive process. They can live up to 5 years in the wild and up to 26 years in captivity.

The wombat as a pet needs a large space to live where they can dig, as well as have trunks to bite. You should never deprive this little animal of being able to have nocturnal activity, as this is his nature. As for food, they can eat almost any kind of root and grass.

They are good as pets because they are solitary animals that will not need large doses of affection, so our recommendation is that you have only one if possible. They are highly territorial and possessive. Because they are only in Australia they are very difficult to adopt and you must have an approved certification. Never buy any animal online, you could be encouraging the trafficking of the species.

The pig (or Sus scrofa domestica) is an animal that we can find all around the world. They usually reach a considerable size although it can vary depending on the breed in particular. Pigs have become popular since the 1990s and many people today have a pig as a weird pet at home.

These are omnivorous animals so we can feed them entirely vegetarian or we can include some meat in their diet. That will depend on our personal choice.

The pig is an animal that will need space to move as well as a room to sleep (it can be a room indoors or outdoors). As well as this incentive to have a pig as a pet, their mental capacity is also very attractive. They are very intelligent animals.

Like a dog or cat, the pig will be able to recognize their name, perform certain tricks and accompany you on walks wearing a leash/harness. They are very affectionate animals and attached to their domestic unit. You can also use positive reinforcement with them, as this gives very good results.

Currently and unfortunately many pigs are abandoned when they reach adulthood. That is why if you want to have one you must be responsible and take care of them, even when they weigh the same as you! In many shelters, you will find sociable and affectionate pigs up for adoption because careless owners have become lazy.

Learn all about having a pig as a pet on AnimalWised.

You may be full of curiosity for one or more of the listed animals and are strongly considering the prospect of keeping one as a pet. However, we must stress the importance of being informed in every aspect of their lifestyle and needs. This way you can create that owner-pet bond that nobody can ever break.

Discover other curious pets in a rat as a pet, chicken as pets or the hedgehog as a pet.

If you want to read similar articles to Weird House Pets, we recommend you visit our Comparisons category.