Chances are we have all had a few pets in our day, usually a cat or dog. But for some, a cat and dog just doesn’t do the trick. Having a strange pet can bring with it some strange challenges and issues. These are a few of the strangest pets that are owned around the world.

Skunks

I know what you’re thinking, “who would ever choose to have skunk around”. Skunks are known for their awful scent and are generally mean animals. You can’t take in a wild skunk and try to domesticate it, for more reasons than one. The main one being the scent when they spray. We have all smelled a skunk outside, so imagine having that confined to your home. To keep a skunk as a pet, like most exotic animals, you need to get them at a young age and domesticate them. Step one to domesticate a skunk is to remove their scent glands, usually done in the first month of the skunks life. Owners need to spend a lot of time with the skunk when they are young since it is their instinct to avoid humans. If nurtured by the human when they are young, domesticated skunks are said to be sensitive and curious animals, similar to a house cat. However, if you are thinking of adopting your own pet skunk, be sure to check with your state first because it is illegal in most of the country.

Wallaby

Wallabies are essentially smaller versions of kangaroos. They are native only to Australia and are known for their high speed hoping, so to have one as a pet requires a lot of space. The need for space makes wallabies a bad pet for most people. They are also very social animals and need to be with another or a group of other wallabies. Another issue with domesticating a wallaby is that they are naturally nocturnal, so you might be up all night trying to bond with yours. They are not easily house trained and their leaping ability makes it very hard to contain them with a fence, so wallabies are a bit of a handful to own as a pet.

Sugar Gliders

Sugar gliders are probably the most viable pet option on this list for most people. They are only about 7 inches and weigh around 5 ounces, making them smaller than most squirrels. They are generally sweet and social animals and don’t mind human interaction. However, sugar gliders are a bit of a challenge to own due to their ability to glide. In the wild sugar gliders can glide from treetop to treetop, traveling hundreds of feet through the air at times. This means in order to have one as a pet, you would need an enclosure big enough to allow them to glide, but still enclosed in a way that prevents them from gliding away. They are nocturnal so finding time to spend with your sugar glider could be a little tough. As with skunks, sugar gliders are considered exotic pets and are only permitted to be domesticated in certain states.

Capybara

Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. They are a close relative to the guinea pig, so domesticating them isn’t that crazy of an idea. Capybaras have recently gained some fame due to social media. People who have Capybaras as pets make accounts for them and document their cute and often comical behavior. Owning a capybara requires a lot of outdoor space for them to roam and most importantly a place for them to swim. They are aquatic animals that enjoy spending time swimming so they require a unique habitat. Capybaras can be nasty at times, so you need to make sure you get them at a young age if you plan on keeping one as a pet.

So, if a cat or dog just doesn’t quite cut it for you, you might want to think about trying a goldfish first, because exotic pets like the ones above can be a bit of a handful. These pets aren’t allowed in most states, let alone luxury apartments buildings, so we don’t recommend looking to adopt any time soon.