Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I have owned a variety of different pets that have brought me both joy and stress. Some of the different types of animals I’ve owned include reptiles, amphibians, and rodents. Today, I will be ranking ten of my animals from ten being my least favorite pet that I have owned to one being my favorite pet. This list is based on my personal experiences I have had and each of the unique qualities that my animals have exhibited over the years.
- Sapphire – Beta Fish
Sapphire was bought September 7, 2018 from a PetSmart in Lakewood, NY. He was one of the first animals that I had purchased with my own money and that was fully my responsibility. Although I only had him for a few months, the only thing that he contributed to my life was anxiety. From stressful tank cleanings to making my room smell like a fish section in a pet store, there was nothing positive that he had to offer.
- Steeler- Hermit Crab
Steeler the hermit crab was purchased from a Petco in Virginia Beach, VA, when I was around 6 years old. Since I was so young, I don’t really remember much about him besides the fact that when we were cleaning his tank out an incident occurred. My bedroom light was turned off and the tank was on the ground. My sister came running into my room and completely fell and shattered the tank. This led to a trip to the emergency room where my sister had to get several stitches. Just with this alone, Steeler was nothing but an inconvenience for my family and I, and unfortunately, there was much regret behind his purchase.
- Unnamed- African Dwarf Frogs
The African Dwarf Frogs were given to my brother and I when we were around 7 years old. They were originally my brother’s first grade teacher’s class pet, but she decided that she no longer wanted them. Let’s just say that after two weeks we were sick of them and just wanted to get rid of them. I even at one point had given my second grade teacher the frogs to be her new class pet, which resulted in a disastrous morning when the frogs were leaping around the room during a tank clean out. After that, the frogs came back to live with us and remained in our basement until they unfortunately passed away.
- Chidder- Dwarf Hamster
Chidder the dwarf hamster was purchased from PetSmart back when I was around 6 years old. He was a Christmas gift that “Santa” brought me after begging for a hamster for months. Along with Chidder, a guinea pig named Mr. Cookie was also brought by Santa. Originally Chidder was mine and Mr. Cookie was Cooper’s, but we ended up trading pets. Let’s just say Chidder was a major stress on us as kids and my parents because almost every night he would escape from his cage and run around the entire house. I distinctly remember Cooper and I trying to leave for a Cub Scouts meeting and crying because the hamster had gotten out and was under the fridge. Chidder being an escape artist actually is what ended up leading to his death when a freak accident occurred. Chidder’s death was so traumatizing that my mom bought us two more guinea pigs, Teddy and Chocolate, to be with Mr. Cookie.
- Charley- Golden Doodle
Charley the golden doodle was purchased November 24, 2018 after my dad saw a Craigslist listing online. Although Charley was one of the best surprises that we had ever experienced, he quickly turned into one of the worst decisions that my dad would make. He went from a loving, cute, and cuddly puppy to a dog that we can’t even pet without risk of an injury. Several family members and friends including myself have been subjected to my dog attempting to or actually biting them. Even after a little bit of petting, his mood may shift entirely and he will start to growl. So as of right now he is mostly just a dog for looks that no one can really touch.
- Eclipse- Hamster
Eclipse the hamster was purchased December 28, 2020 from PetSmart after my other hamster, S’mores, unexpectedly passed away. There’s not really much to say about Eclipse besides him having his moments of getting on my nerves. There were nights where his wheel and scratching against his glass enclosure kept me up at night. There were also several nights where he somehow managed to get out of his 90 gallon long tank that was high up on a dresser and get underneath my bed. One of my most shocking discoveries was when I was almost asleep and heard a rattling noise coming from the inside of the cube organizer he was on. I almost ignored it. I ended up getting out of bed to see what was going on. I found my hamster inside of his food bag that was in a drawer, and I still to this day have absolutely no idea how he managed to get in there. Although sometimes he could be a real pain, I loved him so much and miss him. He passed away in August of this year just shy of turning 3 years old.
- Spirit- Leopard Gecko
Spirit the leopard gecko was purchased February 11, 2019 from PetSmart for my thirteenth birthday. He was the first pet that I had gotten after years of not having any. He also was the first pet that I truly took care of without the help of my parents. From buying his food weekly, to buying his enclosure, and to doing extensive research on how to take care of him I put my all into making sure that he had the best life possible. I was so excited when my mom let me get him for my birthday because months prior, I started watching tons of YouTube videos of people showing off their pets and the enclosure that they lived in. He not only was a pet that I loved but his tank made for some good room decor. All and all, he was a great pet that passed away at 4 years old in August of this year.
- Oak- Crested Gecko
Oak the crested gecko was purchased in April of 2019. He is a very interesting animal to watch because he is always jumping from plant to plant in his enclosure. There’s not really much to say about him except that my mom gave into my reptile addiction by letting me purchase him. Overall, he has been a good pet to grow up with over the years and I hope that he has many years to come.
- S’mores- Hamster
S’mores the hamster was purchased June 16, 2020 after years of wanting another hamster. He genuinely brought me so much joy after quarantine was lifted. I loved sitting with him and just watching him run around his enclosure. Although I only had him for six months, he is still number two on this list just because of the happiness he gave to me during such a dark time.
- Summer- Lab
Summer the lab/boxer mix was my childhood pet that was with me as I entered into this world and when I entered middle school. There is really nothing negative that I can say about her because she truly was just one of the best dogs that someone could have. I love and miss her so much.
