Apparently, I’m not the only one at NHHS with talking animals or some other unusual pet. For example, Brooke Bockting claims, “My dog can talk like a human and act like a cat.”
Kayla Watson said she used to have two scorpions, but one, sadly, went cannibalistic.
Surprisingly, there are quite a few students who own reptiles as pets. Abby Perdue said she once had a salamander. Other students said that they owned snakes, lizards, or different types of fish. John Wintjen stated that he has a pet gar he’s taking care of right now.
Students such as Katie Peirick, Courtney Yowell, and Willy Schejbal are fans of the bird family. Katie said she used to have turkeys.
Another pet I have had was a chinchilla, which belongs in the same family as ferrets, mice, rats and rodents, although it looks nothing like a mouse. Other people who own pets in the rodent family are Paige Adams, who has a Guinea Pig, and Willy Schejbal, who has a ferret.
Finally, some of the most unusual pets for people in New Haven would be farm animals. Not a lot of us have access to farm life, so some people think it’s neat seeing others getting involved at a farm. However, the farm I have at my house isn’t just a typical farm with cows, chickens, and crops.
Although we do have all of that, we also raise goats, pigs, ducks, guineas, and a couple bottle calves (calves that don’t have access to their mothers and have to be hand fed). I also have three types of goats at my house: boer goats--raised for meat, dairy goats--used for milk, and fainting goats--for the entertainment, of course.
Cows can be a very fun pet to have, especially if it’s a bottle calf. Hannah Pruessner claims, “Its unusual for New Havenites to own cattle, and I absolutely love calving season because I get to bottle feed one!” Thomas Ley enjoys time he spends with his dairy cows and at cow shows in the summer.
Anyone who has ever talked to me probably knows I am the proud owner of my horse, Lacy, and her sweet little colt, Willow. Sarah McKernan and Brittany Willimann are also on the horse-loving band wagon.
Now that you have learned about the unusual pets living with the students of New Haven, maybe you can trade in your “pet rocks” and “dust bunnies” for an exciting pet of your own!
-by Cortanie Gale