Dogs and cats may be cute and cuddly, but they are droll. As our world advances in areas of education, technology and medicine, our selection of pets needs to advance as well. There are many intriguing alternatives to the traditional cat and dog, that students at Leesville should begin to consider. These pets range from little and fuzzy to large and scaly, but all are guaranteed to provide the owner with satisfaction.
Pot-Bellied Pigs Aside from contrary belief, pigs are odorless, intelligent and affectionate animals. They don’t bark, they don’t chew, they don’t shed and they’re just as appreciative of a belly scratch as any dog. Surprisingly, they are also relatively easy to house train. Pigs come at a price of about 600 dollars, which is similar to the price of a pure bred dog. It’s surprising that more people don’t already keep pigs as house pets. The only downfall: cute little piglets grow into full blown potbelly pigs. If you’re interested in a smaller pet, but pigs seem like your cup of tea, invest in a teacup pig. They never grow larger than the size of a teacup, but they come at shocking price of about $5000.
Hedgehogs These spiky-backed little dudes are notorious for making great house pets and loofahs too! (Just kidding!) They’re loyal, quiet and sweet. When scared, they roll up into a tight spiky ball, but after warming up to you, they will sit in your hand or your pocket for hours. They can be trained to use a litter box have virtually no odor, and have a longer life span than a hamster. At a price of about $100, how could you not want a cute little hedge hog?
Ball Pythons As an owner of this type of snake, I can vouch for it as a great pet. Ball pythons, like anacondas, are constrictors. They kill 
their prey but wrapping around and suffocating it and are toothless because of this. Because of their small size and toothless nature, they are virtually harmless to their human owners. At first I was shocked to see my brother sitting on the couch watching TV with a python wrapped around his arm, but once I got used to the idea, TJ the snake didn’t seem too bad. TJ eats one mouse about every two weeks, and doesn’t require much other care. The particular snake costs anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars and is relatively cheap to care for.
Love birds Love birds are a small variety of parrot. They’re just as colorful as a full size parrot but at a smaller scale. They’re notoriously affectionate birds and are named for their tendency of monogamous relationships with other love birds, and they 
often sit in pairs for extended periods of time. However, if you’re interested in the parrot’s ability to mimic, then love birds are not the best option, for they chat far less than normal parrots. However, they are a delight to watch and are known to interact with their owners, making them one of the most commonly kept species of birds. Love birds can be purchased at a price of a mere 40 dollars, so why not purchase two? They are love birds after all.
Katy has been on staff since her sophomore year, starting as a staff writer. With hard work and diligence, she earned a junior editor position and ultimately became Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She will pursue a degree in journalism in college.
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