Rare and Unique Pets!

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By Katherine Quezada, Staff Writer

Not all Miami High students are traditional pet owners. Some would prefer something other than a cat or a dog.

 

Birds

Freshman Dominique Teal has two birds, a Red Belly and a Sunshine Conure. She got her first bird when it was a baby, and the other one was a little bit grown up already. Both birds have stuck by her side for nearly seven years.

She usually feeds them seeds, regular bird food, bread, crackers, or fruits. “I like to spoil my Sunshine a little more, like feeding it candy sometimes, but not a big piece or often or too much, though, since it’s unhealthy,” said Dominique. She also said that her Sunshine is more friendly than the Red Belly, so she lets her Sunshine Conure out of its cage more often.

Dominique says she never imagined having birds as pets. Her father was the one who brought them to her. “When I first got them, the Red Belly was, and still is, a mean bird. Nevertheless, I still enjoy having both of their company, despite how much they scream, scratch, and bite. The fun part is when I’d be sitting down or eating, and they like to fly onto my head and sit there.”

 

Snake

Junior Emily Eguino has a Firefly Morph Ball Python that she has kept for a year and half since it was two months old. She feeds it one small live mouse per week, and likes to spoil it by buying little branches, rocks, or things for it to hide in. She likes to let it roam around her room or house only when she or a family member is home.

Emily decided to get this pet because she got upset when she saw a girl drop a different snake. However, she didn’t adopt the snake the girl dropped; she got a different snake because it was prettier. “The best part about owning this pet is that his colors are yellow and black, so he’s pretty rare. One time I brought him to school, and everyone’s jaws dropped,” she said.

 

Squirrel

Senior Roxana Amador got her squirrel when it was merely a baby. The squirrel’s mother was nowhere in sight after the tree in her backyard was cut down. She’s kept and raised her squirrel for a year or two. “It’s kind of like owning a hamster. We leave a few nuts for him since he likes to store them, similar to hamsters.”

When there are guests in her house, she usually puts her squirrel in a cage since it would freak them out, considering her squirrel has pointy claws.

In her freshman year, she had taken care of a different squirrel, so she had the experience before she got her pet.

“The best part of owning a squirrel is that people or anybody who visits don’t usually expect it,” she said. “Then they’d be surprised of how calm my squirrel is when they hold it in their hand. The only bad part is just the scratches.”

 

Mouse

The idea of owning a pet mouse never really crossed my mind before. I’ve had a pet fish before, I take care of a few cats in my neighborhood, and I’ve owned a gerbil and two dwarf hamsters before, but one day, I walked into Pet Smart “just to see,” and the moment I caught a glimpse of the cute mouse with its white fur and its red eyes, I couldn’t help myself. I realized I walked into the store with no intention of getting anything, then walked out with my own little friend, an Albino Mouse, and my wallet empty.

I got him when he was two-weeks old, and I made sure to get tips and advice from the people in the store like, “What cage would he be most comfortable in? What food does he usually prefer?”

When I first put him in his cage and filled his little bowl with food, he only ate the seeds and didn’t start spinning on his little wheel until recently. I was told that I can teach him tricks, and I’ve tried, but he doesn’t like to come out of his cage. He’s probably just lazy.

For the past seven months that I’ve spent taking care of my mouse, I’ve realized there’s so much more responsibility than I thought there would be. I have to clean his cage daily and re-fill his bowl often. I’ve had an easier time taking care of my dog.

Despite the mess my mouse makes every now and then, and him being the reason I’m broke, it’s fun to put him in his little ball and let him roll around the house. I didn’t ever regret my decision.