Animals I Would NOT Like to Have as a Pet (T13)

 I have a pretty cat named Lacy.  We used to have a dog named Rocky, until he passed away. My point is, these are typical housepets. 

There are certain animals that I would NOT want to have as a pet. (No offense is intended for anyone who has one of the following as a pet; it's just not for me.)

1.  Snake - No way. No how.  I'm scared of them, yes, but they give me the heebie-jeebies (I had to look up how to spell that).  I can't even look at pictures of them!  It's a hard NO whether they are poisonous or not.  Even non-poisonous snakes can bite. (I can't even bring myself to put a picture of a cartoon snake here.)

2.  Rat - One of my daughter's friends had a pet rat when they were younger.  I couldn't get over it's white fur and pink eyes.  Another animal that gives me the heebie-jeebies.

3.  Bearded Dragon - Lizards are reptiles, and I just don't like them, not even the garden kind, but the beared dragon just looks scary.

4.  Monkey - Monkeys are cute and smart, but they seem to be picking the fleas off each other a lot, and they do have parasites.  Besides, scientists will tell you that they are unpredictable and could easily become aggressive.  Besides, I believe they belong with their family unit.

5.  Ferret - They smell so bad!  Supposedly, you can get the glands that produce the smell removed, but this doesn't seem fair.  They are also untrainable.

6. Alligator - While that little baby alligator might look cute, it's not going to stay cute, or little!  And even though a zookeeper in California liked to hug one of their 8.5 feet long gators, that is NOT happening to me!  They cannot be domesticated.

7.  Racoon - They're sort of cute, but they are dumpster divers.  They have sharp claws, they like to bite, and since they are nocturnal, they would be awake making noise while people are trying to sleep. Nope.  Won't work.

8.  Frog - Amphibians instead of reptiles, but they still have the YUK factor for me.  I used to keep a pair of shoes on the patio to wear when I mowed the grass.  One day, I went out and tried to put my shoes on, but there was something blocking the end of one shoe.  You guessed it!  A huge frog.  I never wore those shoes again, and I never kept them outside again.

9.  Ocelot - These are just so cute!  But they have a dark side... destructive long claws they use to scratch and sharp teeth to chew things you don't want chewed. They will also try to leave their scent all over the place.

10. Parakeet - These birds are noisy!!!  They warble constantly, they poop a lot, and they can be very mean.

11. Red-eared Slider - My sister and I had turtles when we were little.  I don't think we took good care of them.  There's more to it than we thought then.  Their poop can also spread salmonella, so... 

12. Hedgehog - Again with the cute factor.  But also, again with the nocturnal factor.  Not to mention they like to run... a lot.  And they have quills.  The quills won't shoot out like a porcupine, but they can pierce the skin.

13. Tarantula - I'm not afraid of most spiders, only those that are venomous.  Tarantulas prefer to be left alone, so they don't fill the social need for a pet, and they also bite.  People might think I was weird if I had one for a pet.  I know I would!

So many other animals could go on this list!  What tops your list?  I'll stick with my sweet kitty-cat and our granddogs.

For more fun lists check out Thursday Thirteen.