Unconventional pets on the rise

FUR parent. That is now what we call a person who owns a cat or dog that is often treated like a child.

But pet owning is not anymore just limited to the traditional animals like cats and dogs. There are quite a number of people who prefer unconventional pets, those that have scales or feathers.

Just like Edu Jorial who has an assortment of pet reptiles. Currently, he is taking care of ball pythons, reticulated pythons, and red tail boas.

Edu told republicasia that he chose snakes to be his pets because of how misunderstood they are. Besides having a feeling of satisfaction of taking care of his snakes, he has a higher purpose for having them in his life.

“Laging may nakakabit na negative image sa kanila, [when] in fact tao ang mas dapat katakutan ng ganitong klaseng hayop dahil sa lack of knowledge about them. Kaya sabi ko kapag may nakakita na ibang tao na may alaga akong ganito mabubuksan ang isip nila na mali ang perception ng karamihan about these kind of animals,” he said.

What added to their appeal, Edu said, is how low maintenance the snakes are. 

“Sa space, food, at paglilinis. Once a week lang lahat. No need din [ng] anti-rabies. Sabon at tubig lang kung sakaling hindi sinasadyang makagat,” he said.

Dan Zabala from Tabaco, Albay, shares the same sentiments. He is also a reptile owner, but prefers lizards over snakes. In fact, he has more than 50 iguanas, something he only dreamed of when he was a kid. 

He narrated, “No’ng Grade 4 ako, nakakita ako sa isang pet shop, sa Marikina pa ‘ko no’n, iguana. Napakamahal pa no’n. Sabi ko, bibili ako. No’ng high school, nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon, nakaipon tayo, bumili ako sa Arranque Market ng green iguana… No’ng umuwi ako dito sa Albay, sabi ko, babalik ako sa pag-aalaga, parang hinahanap-hanap ko rin.”

Besides iguanas, Dan also now has three civet cats.

And his secret to taming these wild animals: spending time to bond with them. He said that when he has nothing to do or could not sleep, he goes to his exotic pets and cuddles with them.

“[S]imula no’ng maliit sila, ginugulan ko ng oras. Kasi mga ganitong klaseng hayop, tayo ang mag-adjust, hindi katulad sa aso’t pusa, sadyang maamo sila. Ito, may mga wildside sila… Hindi pwede ‘yong sila ‘yong nasusunod. Ako, matiyaga talaga ako. Hindi mawawala diyan ‘yong makakagat tayo,” Dan said.

Jonathan Rivera, who owns a blue gold macaw, agrees. He got his pet as a two-month old hatchling and spent most of his days bonding with it to establish trust, especially since these types of birds are loyal by nature.

He went as far as letting it sleep next to him

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“Like in all other animals, the attention and love that you give them builds trust, especially for a macaw, it’s very important. They might be tamed and behave with you, but they can be aggressive to others who try to touch them. It all boils down to trust,” he said.

Jonathan admitted to researching a lot and having different feathered animals before finally managing to get his childhood dream macaw.

“I was inspired by pirates when I was a little kid. They always have parrots on their shoulders. So, when I was young, I started with African love birds. And then we had cockatiels. That was very, very nice. And then one day, I went to my school, he followed me to school and did not come back. And my bird needs [were] left empty. And then one day, I saved enough money to buy my dream pet, a blue gold macaw,” Jonathan said.

Despite having feathers instead of fur, Jonathan said that his pet macaw has its own ways of showing affection like getting his attention when he gets home, playing with him, and kissing him. 

He added that his macaw even gets jealous of his other pets, “They’re gonna make noises if you’re touching somebody else or if you’re playing with another pet they’re gonna leave you. And marunong silang magtampo.”

Even Jonathan’s mother, Jane, is into unusual pets. She cares for a pot-bellied pig that is just like a cat without the scratching or a dog without the barking.

Jane said that pigs are actually beginner-friendly pets, “He eats everything. Masaya mag-alaga ng baboy. They could easily be potty trained, tapos malambing sila. Ang Nanay at Tatay actually, they don’t like cats, they don’t like dogs. Nasabi sa akin ng Nanay na she didn’t imagine na mag-aalaga siya ng baboy. Mas nakasundo niya ang baboy kaysa sa cat at sa dog.”

And because of the cuteness of her pet pig, people they come across cannot help but admire its uniqueness.

Be a responsible pet owner

However, having a pet should not just be about how cute or unusual it is, nor is it just about flexing.

According to zoo and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Romulo Bernardo, every pet owner should be a responsible one, no matter the kind of animal they have.

Before buying or adopting animals to be your companions, Dr. Bernardo has two tips: (1) not getting a pet on an impulse and (2) conducting research.

The veterinarian emphasized that having a pet is a long-term commitment and not a fad that would expire in a few weeks time. He said that animals, no matter how small or common they are, have life.

And understanding the needs of animals, Dr. Bernardo said, is essential, “Alamin niyo na muna. Learn from the animals na gusto niyo. Kung meron na kayong pets, learn how to take care of them, understand them, ‘yong behavior nila… animals exhibit their own behavior so dapat alam mo ‘yon.”

Education and conservation

Dr. Bernardo also wants us to advocate for the conservation of our pets.

“Conservation walang isang grupo lang, e. It’s a job of everybody, all people… you are trying to save the animal or the habitat of the animal or the species na inaalagaan mo. So, it’s more like helping them recover [in] your own little way. You don’t want to have more losses and unwanted pets. You want to have more caring for the animals so they would survive in the future generation,” he said.

Sharing is caring. And Dr. Bernardo agrees with this. He said, knowledge about animals is not confined to a single person but to the whole of humanity. After all, we all live on one earth.

He said, “You have to share your knowledge and let other people grow kasi at the end of the day, tinutulungan mo not only yourself, ang tinutulungan mo is the species of animals na inaalagaan mo at maaari mong protektahan in the future. Kasi isa lang ‘yong mundo na tinitirhan natin. The forest habitat is shrinking, sooner or later, magsisiksikan tayo dito but we want them to grow and be with us.”

And a friendly reminder! Having a unique or exotic pet is definitely an ego-boosting experience. But always remember that part of being a responsible pet owner is acquiring your animal from a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) registered breeder or farm. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JUSTINNE PUNSALANG is a beauty queen, model and host of DWAN Radio 1206. She was also a former TV reporter. Currently, she is one of the senior editors of Republicasia and is likewise an unconventional pet owner herself.