# Pre-Poll Data Gathering: Pets **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 2, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399 "2010-09-02T16:43:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/1 "2010-09-02T16:43:02Z")
If one or more polls dealing with Favorite Pets already exist, please point me there. Otherwise, I’d like to construct a poll dealing with pets you own or have owned. Help add to a list of reasonable critters (and the like) that ought to be there. Dog Cat Bird Fish Rabbit Monkey Snake Spider Goat Horse Sheep Cow Kangaroo Wombat Armadillo Leopard Lynx Gorilla Chimp I’ll leave some room for others that make any sense at all. Obviously, such a poll would be multiple choice! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/2 "2010-09-02T17:00:58Z")
Hamster Guinea pig Pot-bellied pig Llama Ostrich Emu ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/3 "2010-09-02T17:06:00Z")
hedgehog ferret turtle lizard mouse/rat ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/4 "2010-09-02T17:07:59Z")
I’ve owned: Frogs Gerbils Dogs Cats Beetles ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/5 "2010-09-02T17:12:44Z")
I’m not above including such things as these: Sea Monkeys Rocks Turds Sticks so if you want to go there, I’m game. How big can a poll be? I think the biggest I saw so far was one **Sampiro** did on birth years, months, decades and such. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/6 "2010-09-02T17:13:40Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > hedgehog > ferret > turtle > lizard > mouse/rat Yeah, a hell of a lot more people have these as pets than anything after Cow on the OP’s list. From Kangaroo down I doubt _anyone_ on the boards has/had any of those as pets. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/7 "2010-09-02T17:17:03Z")
[Giraffe](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01369/lost-giraffe_1369047i.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/8 "2010-09-02T17:19:32Z")
chinchilla sugar glider skunk fennec fox raccoon opossum hamster lizards: iguana, gecko, chameleon, skink ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/9 "2010-09-02T17:20:33Z")
birds: parrot, cockatoo, cockatiel, finch, lovebird, budgie, canary ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/10 "2010-09-02T17:45:35Z")
I don’t know if you’re inclined to break down “parrot” any further…there is a dazzlingly complex rainbow of larger parrots too (Amazon, Macaw, Grey, Cockatoo, Conure, Quaker, Ringneck, Pionus, Eclectus, Senegal, Lorie/Lorikeet, Parrotlet, and Caique, among others, and that’s just categories; there are several _species_ in most of those categories too. Possibly Large parrot/small parrot/softbilled birds (canaries, finches, and so on) might be enough distinction. Don’t forget insects like Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, which are apparently relatively popular among people who like that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/11 "2010-09-02T18:25:42Z")
donkeys and mules ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/12 "2010-09-02T18:32:20Z")
Ducks and chickens! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/13 "2010-09-02T20:46:32Z")
Okay, let’s try to narrow this down to a reasonable number of poll entries. From the list already provided (all posts prior to this one) what are the ten most favorite pets that you or someone you know have owned. If you want to count different breeds or varieties of the same species as different types, I can deal with that. But it might make for more chances for other people to share your choices if instead of “toy poodle” you just say “dog.” Different types of spiders and snakes and lizards are likely to be too specific. I’m leaning in the direction of a list like this: Dog Cat Rodent Farm animal Reptile Bird Fish Marsupial “Exotic” and maybe a few other major categories. How would you have your Top Ten Pet Categories? ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/14 "2010-09-02T20:49:45Z")
Geese, too! We had a small flock of geese as a kid, though I don’t know if they were pets so much as eventual food. ETA: On preview I think your categories are fine, but I might add Amphibians. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/15 "2010-09-02T20:57:05Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Hamster > Guinea pig > Pot-bellied pig > Llama > Ostrich > Emu You definitely need to cover small rodents… hamsters, gerbils, etc. Also, you need something like “arachnids,” and perhaps “aquatic - other” for pets like hermit crabs, turtles, frogs, newts, salamanders, etc. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/16 "2010-09-02T20:58:29Z")
If you do it by broader category, you simply must include “rabbits” (or “[lagomorphs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagomorpha)”). Bunnies are not rodents and surely they belong on the list somewheres! If they are not there your “poll” and your “list” will be dead to me. ETA: **Serenata67** , I like that; or you could do like Cute Overload does and use “Pocket Pets” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/17 "2010-09-02T21:12:31Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > If you do it by broader category, you simply must include “rabbits” (or “[lagomorphs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagomorpha)”). Bunnies are not rodents and surely they belong on the list somewheres! If they are not there your “poll” and your “list” will be dead to me. > > ETA: **Serenata67** , I like that; or you could do like Cute Overload does and use “Pocket Pets” Thanks for that educational link to Lagomorphs. I would blithely have let “Rodents” do it in a poll list. Help me put these critters (and others of their ilk) into as few groups as makes sense: Rabbits Gerbils Hamsters Mice Guinea Pigs Hares Bunnies Rats What do ya’ll think of a series of polls that break down the larger groups like “dogs” and “cats” and “birds” and such to a top x-number, and then have a Master Poll of the winners of each group? Too busy? Comprehensive? What? ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-poll-data-gathering-pets/552399/18 "2010-09-02T21:24:17Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Rabbits > Gerbils > Hamsters > Mice > Guinea Pigs > Hares > Bunnies > Rats Um, I’d suggest that “bunnies” and “rabbits” could be combined… and “hares” don’t actually make good pets, so they’re right out. > [@Zeldar](#): > > What do ya’ll think of a series of polls that break down the larger groups like “dogs” and “cats” and “birds” and such to a top x-number, and then have a Master Poll of the winners of each group? Perhaps a bit much.