25 Unconventional Pets Owned by Celebrities
Being a celebrity can be tough. All of the adulation and constant media attention can take its toll. It’s not surprising that some celebrities take solace in the company of animals to give them unconditional love and zero judgement. Some celebs, however, did not stick to dogs, cats, rabbits, and fish. They chose companions that were far more exotic, and in some cases, completely unsuitable as pets.
Some ended well and the celebrities used their financial resources to provide suitable accommodation for rescued animals. In other cases, it went very badly and the animals were confiscated or died. One even led to the downfall of a marriage. It is important to remember that there are strict laws on the movement and housing of exotic pets. Read on to discover 25 unconventional pets owned by celebrities.
Reese Witherspoon’s Donkeys
Donkeys can be endearing pets.
©iStock.com/tepic
Celebrity: American actress and film producer Reese Witherspoon
Animal:Donkeys
Names: Honky and Tonky
Make a good pet? Yes, if you have the space
Catherine of Aragon’s monkey
©Witsawat.S/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Queen of England Catherine of Aragon
Animal: Monkey
Names: Unknown
Make a good pet? No, especially in the 1500s
Justin Bieber’s Monkey
Monkeys can be aggressive.
©Eric Yeamans/iStock via Getty Images
Celebrity: Canadian singer Justin Bieber
Animal: Capuchin monkey
Names: OG Mally
Make a good pet? Monkeys are not suitable as house pets
Josephine Bonaparte’s Orangutan
©Don Mammoser/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: First wife of Emperor Napoleon Joséphine Bonaparte
Animal: Orangutan
Names: Rose
Make a good pet? No, it dies of the cold
Tori Spelling’s Pigs
Pigs can make wonderful companions.
©Bogdan Cherniak/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American actress and author Tori Spelling
Animal: Three pigs
Names: Nutmeg, Hank, and Wilbur
Make a good pet? They can in the right household
Tori Spelling’s Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons need attention to thrive.
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Celebrity: American actress and author Tori Spelling
Animal: 12 bearded dragons but not all at the same time
Names: One was called Smushy
Make a good pet? Yes they can, they are naturally friendly
Kirstie Ally’s Lemurs
Lemurs do not make good pets.
©Jearu/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American actress (late) Kristie Ally
Animal: Ring-tailed Lemurs
Names: Not revealed
Make a good pet? No, they require special habitats and care
Mike Tyson’s Tigers
A tiger is never a good pet.
©Thorsten Spoerlein/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Boxer Mike Tyson
Animal: Three Bengal tigers but donated two to a sanctuary
Names: One was called Kenya
Make a good pet? Absolutely not
Slash’s Snakes
Some snakes make great pets.
©Jan Hejda/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Guns n Roses band member Slash
Animal: Many snakes
Names: Clyde and Sam (anacondas), Pandora and Jacob (boa constrictors) are just a few
Make a good pet? Yes with proper care
Grace Coolidge’s Racoon
©Vital9s/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Wife of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
Animal: Racoon
Names: Rebecca
Make a good pet? No, she repeatedly bit Coolidge and attempted to escape
Kristen Stewart’s Wolves
Wolf hybrids need experienced owners.
©gloverk/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American actress Kristen Stewart
Animal: Four wolf hybrids (strictly speaking they are her Mom’s pets)
Names: Jack, Lily, Tommy and Lola
Make a good pet? Much debated – only suitable for experienced owners
Melanie Griffith’s Lion
Lions take expertise to care for.
©Michael Zeitner/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American actress Melanie Griffiths
Animal: Lion
Names: Jack, Lily, Tommy and Lola
Make a good pet? Much debated – only suitable for experienced owners
Josephine Baker’s Cheetah
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Celebrity: American-born French dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker
Animal: Cheetah
Names: Chiquita
Make a good pet? No, they are wild animals
Ice-T’s shark
Sharks are happier in the wild.
©Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Rapper Ice T (real name Tracy Lauren Marrow)
Animal: Blacktip reef shark
Names: Unknown
Make a good pet? Much happier in the wild
Tracy Morgan’s Octopus
©Christopher R Mazza/iStock via Getty Images
Celebrity: African-American comedian and actor Tracy Morgan
Animal: Pacific octopus
Names: Bwyadette
Make a good pet? Only if you can provide the right habitat
Salvador Dalí’s Ocelot
©iStock.com/Rob Atherton
Celebrity: Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí
Animal: Ocelot
Names: Babou
Make a good pet? No, it tried to escape and destroyed things
Leonardo DiCaprio’s African Tortoise
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Celebrity: American actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio
Animal: African Spurred tortoise
Names: Unknown
Make a good pet? They live for 100 years so probably not
Nicolas Cage’s Albino Cobras
©Rushikesh lohar, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Original / License
Celebrity: American actor and film producer Nicolas Cage
Animal: Two albino king cobra
Names: Moby and Sheba
Make a good pet? No, they are venomous and have special dietary needs
Nicolas Cage’s Two-Headed Snake
©iStock.com/GlobalP
Celebrity: American actor and film producer Nicolas Cage
Animal: Two-headed snake
Name: Harvey
Make a good pet? Would probably not survive in the wild
John Quincy Adams’ Alligator
©Wildnerdpix/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Sixth president of the United States John Quincy Adams
Animal: Alligator
Name:
Make a good pet? No, especially as it was kept in a bathroom!
Salma Hayek’s Owl
©Alan Tunnicliffe/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: Mexican and American actress and film producer Salma Hayek
Animal: Southern white-faced owl
Name: Kering
Make a good pet? Only with the correct knowledge
Paris Hilton’s Kinkajou
©Mark Caunt/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American media personality and celebrity Paris Hilton
Animal:Kinkajou
Name: Baby Luv
Make a good pet? No, it bit her!
Vanilla Ice’s Wallaroo
©jmac23/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American rapper, actor, and television host Vanilla Ice
Animal: Wallaroo (cross between a wallaby and a kangaroo)
Name: Bucky Buckaroo
Make a good pet? No, need loads of space
Elvis Presley’s Chimpanzee
©Patrick Rolands/Shutterstock.com
Celebrity: American singer and actor Elvis Presley
Animal: Chimpanzee
Name: Scatter
Make a good pet? No, it caused chaos and bit people
Michael Jackson’s Chimpanzee
©iStock.com/USO
Celebrity: American singer, songwriter, dancer Michael Jackson
Animal: Chimpanzee
Name: Bubbles
Make a good pet? No, they are more suited to the wild
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