Back in the day people really went crazy for exotic pets. It was all the rage to have a pet monkey or a leopard or, if you’re Dali, a pet anteater. Nowadays, mostly because it’s illegal to keep wild animals as pets, we tend to stick to cats and dogs, maybe bunnies or guinea pigs. However, some celebrities still like their exotic pets, they just have to work way harder to have them and make sure those animals are living their best lives. It’s kind of adorable how much they care about their pets and what lengths they’re willing to go to for them. Today let’s take a look at celebrities and their exotic pets.
1. Sophie Turner – Direwolf
Sophie who played Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones fell in love with this gorgeous dog on set and decided to adopt him. Now she can proudly say that she owns a direwolf from Game Of Thrones.
2. Kristen Stewart – Wolf Jack
It’s probably not that surprising that Kristen chose to have a wolf as a pet considering her role in the Twilight saga. What’s her other option? A pet vampire? Anyway, you might think that having a pet wolf is dangerous but Kristen has stated in interviews that it’s a wolf hybrid and even though Jack can look scary he’s really a sweetheart that falls at her feet.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio – Sulcata tortoise
If you, like me, always imagined Leonardo DiCaprio with a pet lion, you might be in for a surprise. His choice of pet is way more chill but nonetheless very exotic. He got himself a massive 10 year old Sulcata tortoise. It cost him $400 at the North American Reptile Breeders Conference and Trade show. What was he even doing there? Is that how celebrities spend their time, going to all sorts of reptile conferences?
4. Paris Hilton – Kinkajou
It’s hard to imagine Paris Hilton without a Chihuahua in her handbag, but who said she had to give that up. Instead Paris chose to get another pet in addition to her trusty dog. This time she went for something more exotic, like a kinkajou. It looks very cute and honestly isn’t that dissimilar from a Chihuahua in size or color, but it’s definitely less timid. This is a think you have to consider when getting exotic pets – they’re wild animals. And that’s the lesson Paris Hilton learned in 2006 when her kinkajou bit her.
5. Mike Tyson – White Tiger
Remember that scene from The Hangover with Mike Tyson and his pet tiger? Well guess what, it’s not just a funny joke from a movie. Mike actually has a pet tiger. To say that it’s not safe to own a tiger as a pet would be an understatement but you know, he’s Mike Tyson, he can handle a tiger.
6. Kirstie Alley – Lemurs
Kirstie Alley absolutely loves lemurs and in order to have them as pets she’s had to not only make sure that they have a perfect living environment that’s close to their natural habitat, but also hire people to take care of them. Now they live a very happy and luxurious life, which is costing her up to $50K a year. But she’s happy to do it, cause they’re her babies.
7. Vanilla Ice – Wallaroo Bucky
Vanilla Ice got himself a kangaroo and wallaby hybrid. He named his pet wallaroo Bucky. It seems like a nice idea, but Bucky clearly had an adventurous spirit. He grew tired of his enclosure and escaped his home in 2004. He was later captured while scratching a woman’s car.
8. Tippi Hedren – Lions
Tippi Hedren loved lions so naturally she decided to keep some as pets. In fact she had a few of them living with her in the house. In 1983 she founded the Shambala Preserve and moved her lions there. Much safer for her, and definitely better for the lions too.
9. Tori Spelling – Silkie Bantam Chicken Coco
You might’ve heard about this new wave of hipsters who all want to have chicken as pets, but Tori Spelling was way ahead of the curve. She’s had her pet chicken for a while and it’s no ordinary chicken. It’s a Silkie bantam chicken called coco. They are so close that Coco literally sleeps in Tori’s bed and sometimes just like to rest on her head. Sometimes they even wear matching outfits together. How cute is that?
10. George Clooney – Pig Max
We’re not sure if George Clooney thought he was buying a miniature pig as a pet but what he ended up with was a huge 300 pound pot bellied pig called Max. It seems like an unusual kind of pet for someone who’s known as a sex symbol, but at the same time the man has a great sense of humor so we’re sure he found it amusing. George and Max had beautiful 18 years together and Clooney was devastated when Max passed away.
11. Grace Coolidge – Racoon
President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge had a lot of love for animals. The fact that they were in the White House didn’t stop them from having 10 dogs and taking care of various exotic animals like a Pygmy Hippo, lion cubs, a bear, a wallaby and even a pet raccoon.
12. Salvador Dali – Anteater
Salvador Dali was a very talented artist. He was also a very eccentric man who was fond of unique animals so for his pet he chose an anteater. Here’s a famous photograph of Salvador Dali taking him on a walk in Paris in 1969.
13. Audrey Hepburn – Pippin The Fawn
Audrey Hepburn was working on the film Green Mansion when an animal trainer suggested she take a fawn home with her so that it would get used to her and it would make working with the animal easier. In the end Audrey and the fawn named Pippin spend so much time together that the animal thought Audrey was his mother.