# If you could domesticate any animal, what would you have as a pet/companion? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667 "2017-05-29T19:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/1 "2017-05-29T19:06:36Z")
Let’s say there was a method to harmlessly and safely domesticate any animal in the world today-what would you like to have as a companion/pet? ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/2 "2017-05-29T19:16:48Z")
Elephant. But I’d have several, and they’d live as a family on about a million acres with a fence to keep poachers out that would make Ft. Knox jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/3 "2017-05-29T19:37:42Z")
Penguin. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/4 "2017-05-29T19:46:16Z")
I have been wanting to get a badger for some time now. Only a narrow window each year when they are at the right age. Wolverine would be another one. Any of the wild dog species. Canadian lynx would be another. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/5 "2017-05-29T19:54:56Z")
I’m torn between a Golden Langur and a Komodo Dragon. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/6 "2017-05-29T20:22:11Z")
My first choice actually is domesticated/domesticable: a big honkin’ old Galapagos Tortoise. Love those guys. A backyard full of Hyenas? Could be fun… A polar bear? All of these require a heck of a lot of habitat. Maybe I’ll stick with a terrarium of hermit crabs. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/7 "2017-05-29T20:36:16Z")
Domesticate isn’t exactly the proper term, but too difficult to keep alive for casual pets–a Chambered Nautilus. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/8 "2017-05-29T20:40:18Z")
Sea Otter would be cool, too. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/9 "2017-05-29T20:45:19Z")
Wolverine. Basically a ferret on (a lot of) steroids. Plus the fact that grizzlies are afraid of them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/10 "2017-05-29T20:46:08Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > My first choice actually is domesticated/domesticable: a big honkin’ old Galapagos Tortoise. Love those guys. Only problem is one game of ‘fetch the frisbee’ takes 17 days… I think a cheetah(s), because they are the most beautiful of the predators. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/11 "2017-05-29T20:49:54Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Only problem is one game of ‘fetch the frisbee’ takes 17 days… > > I think a cheetah(s), because they are the most beautiful of the predators. And because it will bring back the frisbee(or what’s left of it) in no time flat? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/12 "2017-05-29T20:53:48Z")
Tiger I think. Majestic and awesome, though the food bill will be horrendous. > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > I think a cheetah(s), because they are the most beautiful of the predators. Cheetah are apparently fairly tameable. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/13 "2017-05-29T21:02:43Z")
I’ve always wanted a squirrel… ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/14 "2017-05-29T21:21:42Z")
What do you mean by domesticated? I once knew a guy that had a pet alligator named Baby that would come when called and could heel. I played with her a couple of times (under close supervision because she spoiled and very large even for an adult female). He loved her more than any person but he was a hermit and spent lots of time with her to the point of letting Baby stay in his house when it got cold. You can sort of domesticate just about anything if you get them when they are young but that still doesn’t mean it is a wise idea. You can buy lions and tigers all day long on the internet. There are supposedly more pet tigers in Texas alone than there are in the wild. They are basically just giant house-cats that cost a whole lot of money to feed and can kill you if you rub their belly one too many times. My family and I have had just about every exotic pet that you can imagine including raccoons and armadillos. The only one that was worth it is my current one, a Chinchilla that is my BFF and has a life expectancy or 16 more years. He is sweet, low maintenance and has a great personality (not all chinchillas do). I just want a goat (any will do because they are awesome) and a hyacinth Macaw (a very large and smart parrot). The latter costs over $20,000 and they are like children that can bite your finger off if you make them mad but they have some degree of consciousness. I love birds that you can talk to and solve problems. I would also like a murder of crows that can do my bidding and mine alone. I could probably be very effective if I had a crow leader at my disposal. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/15 "2017-05-29T21:23:48Z")
Polar Bear and a Bengal Tiger ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/16 "2017-05-29T21:44:50Z")
Ever since I saw the '60s tv show “Honey West”, I have wanted an ocelot, just like Honey’s. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/17 "2017-05-29T22:02:31Z")
One of these [little critters](http://themetapicture.com/pic/images/2015/09/10/cool-cute-tiny-monkey-happy-face.jpg). My first thought was a sloth, but I don’t want to clean up after something that large. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/18 "2017-05-29T22:27:00Z")
Currently with the booming tick population, I would like to have a pet possum or twelve. This probably wouldn’t be too far fetched but I’d need a way for them to stay in the yard and get along with the dogs (because if I didn’t have dogs I’d have no need for tick control!) ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/19 "2017-05-29T22:38:35Z")
I’ve always said I would love to have an elephant. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/20 "2017-05-29T23:57:29Z")
This being US Memorial day, a day for picnics in the park, at the beach, in the mountains, etc. 🙂 A mosquito. Two actually. And soon I’d command a massive Air Force of multitudes able to darken the skies over any picnic, rally, or outdoor gathering. When you hear a sound like a rapidly approaching blimp, but higher-pitched, run for your lives before you’re sucked dry!! 😃 Our motto: We’re small, but you’re outnumbered 50,000 to 1. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667.md?page=2)