Many people have pets who are trusted and beloved companions. The proverbial “Man’s best friend,” captures the essence of owning a pet. Who doesn’t have (or doesn’t have friends with) a cat or a dog, or maybe a fish or a parakeet? Pets teach responsibility and empathy, they’re good for your mental health and the love of a pet is fulfilling. Some people have pets that are more unusual like snakes, chinchillas, mice and pigeons.
Sophomore Madelyn Latham has a pet that will stop you in your tracks. She has a Red Tail Boa Constrictor named Tyler Durden, which her family has owned since she was in fourth grade.
Snakes are pretty low maintenance; they only need to be fed once every two weeks. Their tanks need cleaning too, but unlike more traditional pets, they don’t need to be walked or played with. While that may seem like sacrificing the best parts of having a pet, I disagree, and so does Latham.
“You get to learn about reptiles, and what they do and how to take care of them,” Latham said.
Junior Lily Bishop has about 30 or 40 pet pigeons that she keeps in a coop by her house, most of them named, but not all.
“When you have so many animals, it can be hard to name them all. I’m particularly close with one, her name is Pancake and I raised her since she was a little baby,” Bishop said.
While you wouldn’t expect raising pigeons to be similar to more traditional pets, Lily, comparing them to her dog, thinks differently.
“They come up to you, want to be pet, want to be fed and they want to hang out with you. When I’m with my dog, she’s the same way,” Bishop said.
Junior Jaylene Huynh has three fish tanks (2 saltwater, 1 freshwater), three French Bulldogs, two Guinea Pigs and a Chinchilla. Her chinchilla is named Ashton, the two guinea pigs are Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip and the three dogs are Yoda, Nala, and Dior. This is an amazing and almost unbelievable amount of animals for one family. While this might seem like a handful to take care of, Huynh actually doesn’t see it as that big a deal.
“I think I’ve had them for so long that I’m in a routine. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, just thinking about having to do everything if I have a lot of work, but if you’ve done it for a long time you’ll be fine with it.”
All of these pets have gotten me thinking about what an amazing array of pets students at SPFHS have. Almost everyone loves animals, but this reminds us that there aren’t limits to what type of animal you can bond with. In the realm of pets that can teach us many things, these are among the best. Maybe it’s time to ask for that ferret I’ve always been wanting.
