# If you could domesticate any animal, what would you have as a pet/companion?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667>\
**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:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/61 "2017-05-31T02:13:54Z")

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> [@panache45](#):
>
> If I had a large greenhouse with an appropriate climate, I’d love to stock it with a selection of exotic butterflies and moths. Plus the plants they’d need for reproduction.
> 
> But what I’d really want is a young and healthy version of my current black cat who’s about to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

[http://www.magicwings.com/](http://www.magicwings.com/)

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**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/62 "2017-05-31T02:21:00Z")

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> [@Lumpy](#):
>
> I don’t think it’s just a regional name thing, I think they really are considered separate species.

They are both in the Lynx genus, which includes four species. Lynx canadensis is a boreal-forest felid distinguished by its astonishingly large furry paws. Lynx rufus is the bobcat – smaller, less fluffy, and far more common in the US. They take my chickens from time to time.

The best story of a ‘tame’ lynx is in The Animal Family, by Randall Jarrell. A magical little book (fiction).

As for me, I want a pangolin.

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/63 "2017-05-31T02:27:23Z")

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I want a pet [pine marten](http://i.imgur.com/mWbQRs1.jpg). Ferrets make good pets, so I feel like these guys probably would too.

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**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-domesticate-any-animal-what-would-you-have-as-a-pet-companion/787667/64 "2017-05-31T04:55:41Z")

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Octopus (s). Intelligent, curious, agile, color changing. I’d have big tanks as room dividers in the house and tubes connecting them. The Octos could follow me around and look over my shoulder.

Elephants. They’re social so you’d need a herd of them. Handy for reaching things on the top shelf or second story.

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