We all love pets, right? A furry or scaly creature who all of us take care of and give unconditional love to. We’ve all seen common pets like dogs and cats on the internet, here’s a list of more animals that can be kept as pets from around the world.

7. Saltwater Fish: Although we all know that saltwater fish should be kept in the ocean where they belong, there are many people in the US and a few other countries who keep saltwater fish as pets. The types of saltwater fish that can be kept as pets are Damselfish, Mollies, Clown fish, Blennies, Cardinal fish and so many more. Approximately 12 percent of the world own the whole species of fish as pets but let’s be real here, just keep fish where they belong.

6. Reptiles: Some of us like some types of reptiles while the other side of us would run away in fear from the scaly creatures. We all see the usual Bearded Dragon or Gold-Dust Day Gecko from the Geico commercials. There are some reptile pets that are kind of like rare such as the Komodo Dragon which is 8.5 feet long and some more odd ones like Alligators with them being popular in Florida. Besides that, reptiles of all types are somewhat popular with 13.4 million reptiles being owned as pets across the world. So let’s not make our scaly friends into boots or an ugly handbag, okay?

5. Horses: We usually see horses being ridden by cowboys in Western movies but that’s not really the case as horses are popular mostly around the world. There are the most horses in the US with over 10 million horses, Mexico coming in second place with over 6 million, and China coming in third but very close with little over 6 million.The most popular horse breed to keep as a pet is the Arabian horse which came from the Arabian peninsula though some 2000’s babies will recognize the horse as Blue Jeans from the Hannah Montana series. The most popular horse breed, pet or not, is still the Arabian horse. Let’s treat horses as they’re supposed to be treated so they won’t kick us like donkeys.

4. Birds: One of the few species that can fly, birds have been a popular pet as long as the world can remember. We all may have wanted Tweety from the Looney Tunes or one of the parrots that can repeat words. Over 16 million birds of any breed are owned as pets across the world so the popularity is massive. Sadly however, there are many breeds that have become extinct going all the way back to the Dodo to as recently as Spix’s macaw which most people know as the main breed from the animated film Rio. The most popular breed to keep as a pet is are Budgies with the second most popular being Cockateils. Let’s keep these tiny, sometimes big, creatures in the sky and doing their thing.

3. Dogs: Everyone has had a dog at least once in their life. Dogs truly are man’s best friend. As the saying goes, dogs are one the most popular pets in the world with over 69 million dogs being owned in the US, 35 million in Brazil, and 27 millions in China. The most popular breed is a Retriever which seem to be in every family sitcom ever. The second most popular are German Shepherds which are mostly known to be K-9’s for the police and military. Little kids mostly are mostly gifted little puppies like chihuahuas or those dogs that look like hot dogs. Pitbulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers are dogs that aren’t very appreciated because they’re shown as aggressive but they’re actually sweet dogs, it’s all about how the canine is raised. Those specific dogs are good family dogs when raised as a puppy or given an unlimited amount of love when adopted or rescued. Just raise and treat little, medium, and big dogs with respect and love like they should be. Dogs are wonderful creatures.

2. Cats: Cats have a reputation for being mean and will scratch their owners with no hesitation. While that’s sometimes true, it’s not always correct with all cats. Cats are nice and quiet animals who are very playful when given a toy mouse or a ball of yarn. Over 88 million cats are being owned with 74 million in US and over 53 million in China. A large majority of cats are currently roaming the streets as strays because either they run off on their own or the owners kick them out simply because they don’t want them anymore. The most popular cat breed are Siamese cats which originated from Thailand and are mostly known from the 1955 classic The Lady And The Tramp. The second most popular breed are Persian cats and mostly referred as “smushed-faced” cats. Cats are very misunderstood animals and they do deserve more love care than they’re given.

1. Freshwater Fish: Surprising right? The most owned pet across the world are freshwater fish. The difference between freshwater fish and saltwater fish is that saltwater fish can be found in oceans and seas and freshwater fish can be found in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. The first pet most little kids get to test their responsibility is usually a freshwater fish. The most popular breeds are the Neon Tetras, Guppies, Oscars, Mollies and many more. Over 142 million freshwater fish are owned across the world and 12 percent of the world too. While having freshwater or saltwater fish is innocent and honestly kinda cool, it can be dangerous to own a saltwater fish and put it in freshwater because freshwater does not contain enough salt concentration to satisfy the survival and it can die. Let’s keep our fishy friends separate and in the right type of water.

Information Resources: World Pet Population Data    Animal World    Reptile Magazine    Top 5 Of Anything   Wide Open Pets   The Guardian   The Spruce Pets   AKC   AMISS   Cat Breeds   S.E.A. Aquarium

Picture Credit: Reptiles   Birds   Dog   Freshwater Fish

Featured Image Credit: Cat