Aydrian Hensley (9) owns a raccoon named Rocket inspired by the sly, cheeky character Rocket, from Guardians of the Galaxy. Hensley wanted a raccoon because she had previously taken care of one. Due to raccoons creating huge messes, Hensley struggled whenever she fed Rocket. 
“Whenever I gave him Cheerios in a bowl, he would knock it on the ground trying to get them,” Hensley (9) said.
“One of my favorite memories of Rocket was when he slid down the staircase railing as if he was on a mission,” Hensley (9) said.
Although Rocket was a pet to Hensley, others judged her for having Rocket as a pet. Hensley loves and cherishes Rocket despite the prejudice she faced for owning such a unique animal. She would love to own another racoon in the future!
Baileigh Bradford (10) is the proud owner of Fredo, a bearded dragon. Inspired by her godbrother, who owned a bearded dragon, Bradford was always fascinated by the peculiar yet adorable reptile. Bearded dragons love to eat crickets, although Baileigh is repulsed by them. One of Bradford’s most notable memories of Fredo is when she first got him and didn’t know how to hold him, so she ended up dropping him.
“When Fredo hit the ground, he ran away.” Bradford (10) said.
Abbie Grieve (11) adores her pet chameleon, Nelo, especially the way he changes colors! Chameleons, although petite, need a lot of maintenance, and Grieve struggled to keep up with Nelo’s needs. Grieve remembers one time when Nelo got out of his cage, went to her, and camouflaged into the colors of her rug. 
“Nelo is the best thing I have in my life, but I did get judged for having Nelo as a pet with a lot of people insulting me,” Grieve (11) said.
Anna Jordan (12) has a hedgehog named Banana. Jordon’s always thought hedgehogs were adorable, and she’s wanted one ever since she was young. Jordan’s favorite memory Banana is when she first got him, he was so excited that he snuggled up against Jordan. An unknown fact about hedgehogs is that they can swim but, like humans, can drown in water. 
“When I was bathing Banana for the first time he almost drowned,” Jordan (12) said.
Hedgehogs are cute pets to have, and Jordan would love to have more than one.
Even though these strange animals are not your usual pets they are family to these four animal lovers!
