History Main / CoolPet

* {{Familiar}}: Magic characters owns magic pets.

* AttackAnimal: An animal companion that obeys it's master's orders to attack.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16661878900.42130000 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

* EmpathyPet: A pet whose actions reflect it's masters'.

"Cool Pet" can refer to one of the following:

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1556931130099797400
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:[[Film/BringingUpBaby https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bringing_up_baby.png]]]]

->''"It's of utmost importance the pet that I get is something that's awesome and cool!"''
-->-- '''[[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicRainbowDash Rainbow]] [[SelfDemonstrating/RainbowDash Dash]]''', ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''

What do you give the guy with a CoolShip, CoolShades, and a CoolSword? A Cool Pet! Said pet will be completely loyal to them, to the point of death (maybe even beyond...), and may be a MacGuffin. Said pet will also have a unique appearance, and may or may not be a rare mystic animal. A bit of WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic tends to occur since the pet will usually reflect its master in some way. Expect a cool pet to be an EmpathyPet or [[BondCreatures Bond Creature]] if there's supernatural happenings afoot.

A Subtrope of LoyalAnimalCompanion, and a frequent AllAnimalsAreDogs offender.

Common Subtropes of this include:
* PetMonstrosity: Has its own page.
* Uncommonly Common Exotic Pet: It is very common for fictional characters (often with a bit of WishFulfillment thrown in) to own pets that in RealLife, are not common at all. Likely, due to the RuleOfCool, as most of us have daydreamed of owning such a pet at one point in our lives. Sometimes the pet will be [[AnimalMotifs symbolic]] of the owner in question. Commonly the creature will be [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude more intelligent than is usual for its species]].
* Alien Pet: Why own a critically endangered animal when you can own a creature that's not of this world?
* Mythical Pet: a creature or character that is actually a powerful mythological creature but treated as a regular pet. {{Muggles}} might actually see an odd-looking peacock instead of a phoenix, a horse instead of a unicorn, etc.
* Impossible Pet: due to sloppy research, a character owns a pet whose care would lead to FridgeLogic.

This can be a TruthInTelevision since some brave souls do keep rather... exotic... pets. Some foolish souls do that too, but without actually knowing what they're doing.

Can overlap with ActionPet and UnusualPetsForUnusualPeople.
Unfortunately this trope in a popular work often becomes a PetFadStarter, especially if the pet is somewhat easy to acquire. Of course this is hardly the best for the pets.

Compare and Contrast {{Mon}}s.

----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjWYbcbpiWA This DirecTV ad]] features a wealthy man who owns an unnaturally tiny giraffe as a pet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'':
** Count D has Q, a weird vampire bat/rabbit hybrid thing. [[spoiler: It turns out to be his grandfather.]]
** Beyond Q, all the pets the Count sells tend to qualify for this.
* A lot of characters from ''Manga/Reborn2004'' seem to have started to fit this trope since the introduction of [[GottaCatchEmAll box weapons]] to the series. Later in the story, [[DebutQueue all the guardians officially have some kind of pet]].
** Xanxus and Bester, his pet liger box weapon [[spoiler:who also shows that it's a BondCreature when it changes from a lion to said liger form when [[GoodScarsEvilScars Xanxus' scars]] show.]]
** Gokudera and Uri, who are both loose cannons with a bit of CatsAreMean.
** Even the Arcobaleno all seem to have exotic companions.
** Tsuna seems to have a little lion with a visor on its head and Dying Will flames as a mane
** Yamamoto's got a dog that carries around ''[[SwordsAkimbo three swords]]''.
** Squalo has [[ThreateningShark FLYING SHARK]].
* Laios of ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'' has Kensuke the sword, half cool pet and half LivingWeapon.
* The main character of ''Anime/OutlawStar'' SpinOff ''Anime/AngelLinks'', Meifon Li, has a Cool Pet in the form of [[http://jasms.de/anime/angel_links/taffei.jpg Taffei.]] It [[VictoriasSecretCompartment rides around in her cleavage]], and doubles as an EmpathicWeapon by transforming into a sword when needed.
* Sakaki of ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' has Maya, a wild, rare, Iriomote Cat she adopted after his mother was killed by a car.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Pen-Pen, the only happy character to ever feature in the series. He sleeps in a fridge. And also, EverythingsBetterWithPenguins. FridgeLogic, [[{{Pun}} pun intended]] as Misato spent [[spoiler: several years in [[MysteriousAntarctica Antarctica]] before and after the Second Impact.]] Why she would want a souvenir, however.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** Caro has a pet dragon named Friedrich. He's normally small enough to fit in her bag, but he can grow large enough for her to use as a mount if she unseals him.
** ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'' revealed that [[WarriorPrince Hegemon Klaus Ingvalt]] had [[PantheraAwesome snow leopards]] for pets, since in the land of Shutra, white leopards were considered to be excellent guards.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': Dio Brando has a falcon named Pet Shop able to [[AnIcePerson manipulate ice]] and to use a giant skeletal pterodactyl Stand named Horus.
%%* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': [[spoiler:Puu eventually morphs into this for Yusuke, getting its final form: a blazing phoenix]].%%All-spoiler examples are not appropriate per wiki standards.
* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'': Nagi Sanzenin has a pet tiger, Tama, who she adopted as a cub. He's able to talk, but Nagi doesn't know that.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': Kyou keeps a wild boar known as Botan. For most of the story he's just a piglet, but even so, he's extremely well-behaved and trained (excepting his habit of following Kyou to school), especially for a boar that was born wild, not in captivity. In After Story (by which point he's full-grown, tusked, and fairly huge) he's even seen playing with five-year-old children!
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** The GentleGiant Princess Shirahoshi has an equally giant pet shark named Megalon, who is as meek as his mistress despite his size.
** Luffy tries (and briefly succeeds) at making the Kraken, Surume, into a pet for the Straw Hat Pirates.
** The World Government, and the world at large, thinks that Chopper is this, instead of the sapient animal that he is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Arts]]
* One of the ladies in ''Art/ASundayAfternoonOnTheIslandOfLaGrandeJatte'' has a monkey on a leash.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Audio Plays]]
* ''Audioplay/IStartedOutAsAChild'': Creator/BillCosby tells a story about his pet rhinoceros.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' has Old Lace, a genetically engineered dinosaur from the future.
* Lockjaw, the giant, teleporting bulldog belonging to Black Bolt of ComicBook/TheInhumans.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', Ozymandias has a genetically-engineered lynx named Bubastis.
* Kitty Pryde in ''Comicbook/XMen'' has a [[ShoulderSizedDragon small extraterrestrial dragon]] named Lockheed. Of course, Lockheed is extremely intelligent and regards Kitty as ''his'' cool pet.
* Most DC heroes had cool pets back in the day:
** ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': Superman has ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog, a little white dog who happens to be one of the most powerful living creatures on Earth, perhaps in the whole universe. And he wears a cute little red cape. Superman also had a supermonkey named Beppo. The Kryptonian pets and several others also formed the Legion of Super-Pets in the Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes 30th century.
** Franchise/{{Batman}} had Ace the Bat-Hound
** Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} had Streaky the Supercat as well as a superhorse named Comet.
** ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'s infamous "talk to fish" power can make any marine life his cool pet. Topo the Octopus is perhaps the most notable.
** ComicBook/RexTheWonderDog surprisingly ''isn't'' this for Franchise/WonderWoman -- he's a completely separate character. However, the Amazons have had trained kangaroos ([[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Pre-Crisis]])--Diana's was named "Jumpa", [[{{Pegasus}} flying horses]] and {{Megalodon}}s on Themyscira over the years.
** In ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2006'' Achilles has a flying elephant named Mysia with two trunks.
* Most of the mutants in ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' were kept as cool pets at one point or another. Leatherhead was an exotic pet who was flushed down the toilet when his owners couldn't/wouldn't keep him anymore, there are the titular turtles (of course), and Master Splinter who qualifies not by being a rat, but by being a rat who ''knows martial arts''.
* Baron Winters, leader of ''ComicBook/NightForce'', has a pet leopard named Merlin.
* In the ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' series, Princess Luna has a possum named Tiberius. Yes, it's a reference to ''[[Franchise/StarTrek that]]'' "Tiberius".
* ''ComicBook/PS238'' had Argo, an {{Expy}} of Krypto the Superdog that had been Atlas's pet. Unfortunately, Argo's super hearing grew to the point where [[BlessedWithSuck it was too painful for him to keep living on Earth]] so he was sent to live on the Moon by himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Lezaford in ''Fanfic/TheTaintedGrimoire'' has a pet dragon.
* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/771621 The Discworld Tarot,]]'' Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes illustrates Strength by acquiring a [[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy very cool companion animal indeed]].
* Characters in ''Fanfic/TheWorldOfTheCreatures'' get all kinds of cool animals as pets (or spirit creatures, as they are called). These can include anything from dinosaurs to aliens.
* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheIcePrincess'', Anna in particular assumes that her owl, Skyla, is 'just' this [[spoiler:until she learns about magic]].
* In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', in addition to Celestia's canonical Phoenix Philomena, Luna has a pet ''Windigo''. Yes, as in the the planet freezing creatures from the Hearth's Warming tale. It formed from the remains of the original three, and Luna used her magic to complete it, as the originals were drops of [[EldritchAbomination Entropy's blood]] and incomplete (as Entropy is the embodiment of Nothingness). It and Philomena both participated in the FinalBattle with Discord where he was sealed away.
* Violet is Luz's pet dragon-palisman that she found one day in the woods in ''Fanfic/LuzBelosPrincessOfTheBoilingIsles''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'', the baddies tend to have these. One had two alligators, another had a water monitor. Also, the good "swamp folk" have a dragonfly named "Evinrude".
* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'': Stitch. Pets don't get cooler than a genetically-engineered, super-strong, super-intelligent alien.
* The girl ghouls from ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheGhoulSchool'' have a cranky baby dragon as a pet.
* Hiccup from ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' has Toothless. In the sequel, the villain Drago Bludvist has the Bewilderbeast. All of the Rider's and Berkian Dragons easily qualify for this trope. Hiccup almost says it word for word in the ending monologue of the first movie.
* Princess Jasmine from ''{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}}'' keeps a [[PantheraAwesome pet tiger]] called Rajah, who often acts like [[AllAnimalsAreDomesticated a cross between a cat AND a dog.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
%%* Dog in ''Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior''.
* Yoshi was much more ugly in the ''Film/SuperMarioBros'' film. He looked like a velociraptor.
* In ''Film/GameraTheBrave'', a small boy gets a pet turtle and names it "Toto". Guess who the turtle grows up to become...
* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'': Gizmo is a pretty cool pet...as long as you don't break the rules.
* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'': What could possibly make Ardeth Bey ''more awesome''? Oh, look, HE HAS A FALCON.
* Blood, from ''Film/ABoyAndHisDog'', is a genetically-modified mutt with human-level intelligence and the ability to communicate psychically with his human.
* The Robinsons get a lot of these in Disney's ''Film/SwissFamilyRobinson'', including a monkey, a baby elephant, an ostrich, and a Zebra.
* [[FluffyTamer Owen Grady]] from ''Film/JurassicWorld'' will tell you that it doesn't get any cooler than having your own pack of ''[[RaptorAttack Velociraptors]]'', though he'll also tell you that it doesn't get any more dangerous.
* Franz Sanchez, the BigBad in ''Film/LicenceToKill'', has a pet iguana who wears a diamond collar.
* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'': Fizzgig, an alien something like a cross between a terrier and a piranha, is a loyal pet to Kira and follows her around wherever she goes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Creator/RobertAHeinlein played with this more than once.
** ''Literature/RedPlanet'' has Willis, who is the low intelligence (compared to most people but more intelligent than a dog) pet of the protagonist Jim Marlowe. Later we find out that Willis is [[spoiler: a female Martian who will grow up to be male; and will become equal to or greater in intelligence than humans]].
** ''Literature/TheStarBeast'''s titular character is Lummox, who has been a pet to generations of the Thomas family. [[spoiler: She's actually an alien princess whose species is noted for having difficulty picking up languages other than their own, and who views the boys of the Thomas family as ''her'' pets.]]
* In Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's works:
** The [[ShoulderSizedDragon fire lizards]] in the ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' series.
** The ''[[Literature/TowerAndTheHive Talents]]'' series has Barque Cats (semi-sentient space-born felines) and Coonies (raccoons genetically modified for increased intelligence and domestication.)
* A more mundane example than most, but Louis Kehlweiler (one of Fred Vargas' main characters) has a pet toad called Bufo.
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' SixthRanger David has a pet cobra named Spawn and a cat that isn't afraid to throw down with eagles named Megadeth. Jake has a less exotic but no less cool pet - a golden retriever named Homer.
%%* Art could possibly qualify from the [[PictureBooks picture book]] ''Literature/ArtTheGeckoMakesAFriend''.
* The ''Literature/{{Circleverse}}'' has a couple of these; a big dog named Little Bear the kids rescued, a starling Tris raised from infancy (though Shriek eventually finds a mate and leaves), and Chime, a sentient glass dragon.
* ''Literature/TheCorruptedChroniclesOfCocoClaramisa'': Bonnie Bongo keeps a monkey for a pet by the name of Sunny. [[spoiler:What Bonnie doesn't know is that Sunny is specifically a [[EndangeredSpecies white-cheeked spider monkey]]. After Sunny is killed, Bonnie is charged for illegally keeping an endangered animal as a pet.]]
* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, swamp dragons are sometimes kept as pets by the Aristocratic and wealthy. They are notoriously difficult to care for, having extremely stringent dietary and environmental restrictions, and are prone to exploding. Later books introduce Lady Sybil Ramkin, who runs a rescue shelter for unwanted swamp dragons. They're effectively a parody of pure-bred horse and dog keeping by the upper-classes; as well as exotic pet keeping in general.
* Literature/DocSavage's sidekicks Monk and Ham each had one of these: Monk had a pig named Habeas Corpus, and Ham had an ape named Chemistry.
* Vlad in Steven Brust's ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' books has a [[ShoulderSizedDragon jhereg]] as his familiar. However, Loiosh isn't really a ''pet'' per se, since he's as smart as a human and a vibrant character in his own right. Jhereg are quite common in that region, sort of filling the position of carrion-eating pigeons.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** Harry's dog Mouse is a massive (waist high on a guy who's near 7 foot tall), supernaturally tough (getting hit by van at full speed just gave him a limp), [[EvilDetectingDog evil magic detecting]], [[NearlyNormalAnimal unusually intelligent]] Tibetan Temple Dog. He's part Chinese guardian spirit, and later books reveal that not only is he ''at least'' [[IntellectualAnimal as smart as a human]], he [[ThisIsMyHuman thinks of Harry as]] ''[[ThisIsMyHuman his]]'' [[ThisIsMyHuman familiar]].
** Mister, Harry's adopted tailless house cat that's the next best thing to an average mountain lion. It's an in-Dresdenverse RunningGag that Mister "owns" the house and that Harry just lives there. Bob occasionally uses him as a mobile Spirit Jar to protect himself from sunlight. Harry speculates that Mister only allows it because he gets to see interesting places.
* ''Literature/{{Duumvirate}}'' and its prequel have Fido, a bioengineered white-furred canine quite a bit smarter and ''much'' deadlier than the average RightHandAttackDog, and like its owners has a taste for [[ImAHumanitarian manflesh]].
* ''Literature/{{Earthsea}}'': In ''Literature/AWizardOfEarthsea'', Ged has an otak, a small, very shy wild creature that rides around in his hood and will tolerate almost no one else. When he's attacked at one point, it tries to protect him, screaming (this is notable because otaks have no voices). [[spoiler:Ged is heartbroken when it dies.]]
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Harry Potter has Hedwig, a snowy owl. Hedwig is a [[UndyingLoyalty loyal]], social, and intelligent friend for Harry.
** There are other owls in the Potterverse, such as Ron's Pigwidgeon.
** Dumbledore has his phoenix, Fawkes.
** Voldemort's snake Nagini.
** Hagrid has several: hippogriff Buckbeak, his threstrals, and his spider Aragog. Hagrid also has Norbert, a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, for a short time.
* In Stirling Lanier's ''Hiero's Journey'', Hiero had Klootz, a giant mutated, combat-trained [[HorseOfADifferentColor riding-moose]]. Not a pet, exactly, but not quite a partner. And seriously cool.
* In ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', this is pretty much required. The dæmon is a physical manifestation of your soul and generally equals your badassness capacity.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': Treecats are actually sentient BondCreatures, but a lot of people unfamiliar with them view them as pets.
* ''Literature/TheLieTree'': Faith cares for the Chinese trinket snake her father brought back from his travels.
%%* In Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs's ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' books, John Carter's Woola.
* Skeeve from the ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series acquires a pet dragon, Gleep, at the beginning of the series. [[spoiler: Much later it's revealed that it was, in fact, the other way around.]]
* Ord in ''Literature/SisterAlice'' has a dozen intelligent, tame bears as pets, who have limited speech capacity. The Chamberlain estate previously had goat-like animals, which clung to sheer walls, though they are no longer around because the children [[SocietyOfImmortals kept temporarily dying from falling to their death]] while trying to ride them.
* The short story ''Snow White Pony'' by Ardath Mayhar has a little girl who gets a white pony from her parents. It's really a unicorn [[spoiler:who's been sent to restore to her the will to live.]]
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** At the end of ''A Game of Thrones'', Dany gets three [[ShoulderSizedDragon baby dragons]]. Part of her plotline involves trying to find two more riders for them when they're grown. Also, dragons are the sigil of House Targaryen.
** All of the Stark children have enormous direwolves. Direwolves are the sigil of House Stark and haven't been seen in living memory. Each direwolf is far more than either a pet or friend -- [[BondCreatures they are a part of them]]: Robb calls his wolf [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Greywind]], [[HeroicBastard Jon]] calls his wolf Ghost, [[ProperLady Sansa names her wolf Lady]], [[ActionGirl Arya]] calls her wolf Nymeria after a warrior queen, Bran has his wolf Summer, while three-year old Rickon calls his wolf Shaggydog. Unfortunately, Sansa loses her wolf early on and Arya is separated from her wolf.
** Skinchangers, like the Stark children, always have a cool pet of some kind to warg into. Varamyr has three wolves, a bear, and a shadowcat (the impracticality of owning the latter two is {{Lampshade}}d and {{Deconstructed}}). Orell has an eagle. Borroq has a large boar.
* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'':
** [[Literature/SongOfTheLioness Alanna]] has her loyal horse Moonlight. She also has Faithful, a talking, magical black cat that was less of a pet and more of an adviser. It turned out that Faithful was actually a constellation that comes to earth every couple of centuries to guide and help humans; centuries before, he had aided another protagonist, [[Literature/BekaCooper Beka]], under the name of Pounce. Beka also had pets in the form of Achoo, an incredibly skilled scent-house, and Slapper, a violent pigeon that carried souls of the dead.
** At any one time, [[Literature/TheImmortals Daine]] could have dozens of these trailing after her at any one time, due to her power to speak to animals. This meant that her relationship with them was more like an equal partnership, especially since prolonged exposure to Daine's powers [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude increased the animals' intelligence]]. She also had a little dragon named Skysong, but since [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons in this universe are as intelligent as humans]], she was more of an adopted daughter than a pet.
** Daine's influence on the palace animals also led to another protagonist, [[Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall Keladry]], getting a number of cool pets herself — a playful hound, an irritable gelding, and a whole flock of sparrows, all of which followed her into battle. For a while, she also had to care for a griffon, but that was a painful experience all around.
* ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': Kaylana, a druid, has a wildcat who's described as larger than a man (possibly more like a mountain lion) who lives with her in her forest home as a harmless companion (to her at least) because of her powers.
* In Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/TheZeroStone'' and sequel ''Literature/UnchartedStars'' protagonist Murdoc has Eet, improbable telepathic offspring of [[TrulySingleParent feline parthenogenesis]]. [[spoiler:She's basically a funny-looking kitten...but at the end of the second book, she {{metamorphos|is}}es.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Calum from ''Series/{{All Creatures Great And Small|1978}}'' owns a badger.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor has K-9, a charming little low-budget robot dog who calls him "Master" in a sweet little electronic voice and shoots lasers out of his nose. The Doctor had two versions of K-9. K-9 Mark III appeared in the short-lived spinoff ''Series/K9AndCompany'' with ''Doctor Who'' companion Sarah Jane Smith, as well as in the ''Doctor Who'' stories [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors "The Five Doctors"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E3SchoolReunion "School Reunion"]]. Following a HeroicSacrifice, Mark III was replaced by Mark IV, who subsequently made several appearances on ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' as Sarah Jane's, and later her son Luke's, pet.
* ''Series/FatalAttractions'' demonstrates several times why wild animals like chimpanzees and tigers make dangerous pets, with many owners being horrifically injured or killed by their exotic pets.
* Discussed in ''Series/{{Frasier}}''. Niles goes to confront Maris and she stands there, silently stroking her [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocelot ocelot]].
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Partway through the first season Ross gets a capuchin monkey called Marcel. Ross eventually admits to Rachel that owning such a monkey in New York is actually illegal after she calls animal control when Marcel briefly runs away. Towards the end of the season Ross is forced to give Marcel up after he reaches "sexual maturity" and starts acting out. The search for a zoo to donate him to is played like Ross trying to select a college for his child.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** The direwolves of the Stark children, who are endlessly loyal to their masters. Direwolves, the sigil of House Stark, are an unusually large, powerful and intelligent species of wolf.
*** Robb Stark's direwolf, Grey Wind.
*** Jon Snow's direwolf, Ghost.
*** Sansa's direwolf Lady, the ProperLady of the litter.
*** Arya's direwolf Nymeria, who attacks EvilPrince Joffrey to defend her.
*** Bran's direwolf Summer, who dispatches an assassin sent to kill him.
*** Rickon's direwolf, Shaggydog.
** Dragons, which in this universe, are massive flying reptiles who can breathe fire onto their enemies and cook their food with that same flame. At first, Daenerys' infant three dragons are cute and entirely dependent upon her, although she struggles and fails to control them as they grow because they are not pets.
* ''Series/HoneyWest'' had a pet ocelot, Bruce.
* ''Series/KeyWest'': Gumbo has a pet female alligator named Tickle [sic] Pink, which he adorns with a pink ribbon around the neck. He treats her like a "swamp dog."
* Crockett (Don Johnson) of ''Series/MiamiVice'' had a pet alligator. The actor was very careful around it as he himself said "''Tame alligator'' is a contradiction in terms."
* Rex the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelurosauravus Coelurosauravus]]'', and later Sid and Nancy the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diictodon Diictodon]]'', from ''Series/{{Primeval}}''.
* Dr. Maura Isles from ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'' has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_spurred_tortoise African spurred tortoise]] named Bass (after William M. Bass, the founder of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Tennessee_Anthropological_Research_Facility the Body Farm]]). In the first episode, she gives Jane a baby tortoise, which is then promptly [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]].
* SPG (Special Patrol Group), the talking hamster on ''Series/TheYoungOnes''. He even has an orange mohawk and a metal star on his forehead, [[UncattyResemblance just like his owner.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' Drizzt has Guenhwyvar, who is animal companion ''and'' nigh-immortal figurine-summoned monster at the same time.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' in general, with Rangers and Druids having access to such exotic animals as [[PantheraAwesome panthers]], gorillas, and even [[ShockAndAwe Shocker Lizards]], while wizards and Sorcerers can acquire things like [[OurDragonsAreDifferent tiny dragons]]. Additionally, with one version of the Leadership feat (an ability that grants you a slightly weaker cohort) can instead grant you an exotic mount or pet such as a Pegasus or a Dragon.
* [[RebelliousPrincess Miliana]] da [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Sumbria]] got some beautiful "silly bird". Let's just say there was a good reason why it was called ''"sacred, untouchable, and extremely dangerous; avoid at all cost"'' in a treatise on all sorts of flying creatures ''including literally hellish ones''.
* In ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', the Madolche are a SugarBowl royal family that have five Cool Pets thus far: [[CanineCompanion Cruffssant]], [[FuzzTherapy Baaple]], [[TheOwlKnowingOne Hootcake]], [[CatsAreMagic Mewfeuille]] and Chickolates.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series has Dogmeat, an homage to Dog in ''Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior''.
* Especially prevalent in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. In the fourth generation (''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond/Pearl/Platinum]]'') you are given the chance to capture Arceus (the Pokémon counterpart of God). Not only that, but in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', the remakes of ''Gold'' and ''Silver,'' you can get that God to follow you around. Or to create for you a being who controls time, space or antimatter. "You" being a mere human. Even better in the fifth generation (''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'') where you can catch among other things; an Archeopteryx, a Hydra, what is basically the ''Iron Giant'' and one that is basically Mothra.
* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''' Rugal has a pet panther. His children, Adel and Rose, have a panther ''kitten'' (apparently the offspring of their father's pet).
* ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'' is also relevant, and is pretty much the {{Mecha}} version of Pokémon.
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' is relevant, and the [=PS1=] game is made of awesome, although it has a shit ton of bugs and glitches. Who could forget the little handheld consoles that kicked Tamigochis out the fucking window?
* Rush, Treble, Tango, and Beat are robot animals from ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic''. The first two can even [[FusionDance fuse with Mega Man and Bass]] respectively to make them more powerful.
* Rider in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' is something of a nature/divine spirit rather than a Heroic one, and associates herself with beasts. Therefore, the 'Rider' part of her name comes in with her summoned pet, a Pegasus. Not ''the'' Pegasus, but it's still rather badass even if she only uses it once. It also ties into her true identity, but is obscure enough to not reveal it.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' has Shadow, with his dog Interceptor. He's a completely normal guard dog...who can block any physical attack and take no damage and whose own attacks [[ArmorPiercingAttack ignore any defense]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' has Rinoa's dog Angelo, who is used in her Limit Breaks and does things no normal dog is capable of.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'':
** Eiko carries around a moogle which, as it turns out, [[spoiler:is actually a summon spirit.]]
** Kuja uses a silver dragon to fly from point A to B before stealing Cid's prototype airship. The dragon turns out to be Garland's pet, but he's never seen riding it, sadly--probably because he already has a CoolAirship of his own.
** The manager of the Treno weapons shop in tries to be like Jabba the Hutt, in that he keeps a massive creature all cooped up under the shop, just to see people try to fight it.
* In ''VideoGame/TheDarkness'', Jackie can summon little gremlins to do his bidding, who play about once their job is done.
* In ''VideoGame/HarvestTown'', pets that are won from the seasonal events tend to be exotic, if not outright mythical, in nature; examples include: an owl, a flamingo, a snapping turtle, a floating narwhal, etc. You can also get a T-Rex, a mammoth, an animated triceratops fossil and a floating stingray, although they are classified as mounts rather than pets.
* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'', The End has a parrot which is actually catchable, killable, and edible. Upsetting the old bastard with the sight of a skeletal parrot makes him even harder to kill.
* Useful pet dogs appear in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia''. Yuri Lowell's pet dog Repede is more of a wolf who fights with a [[CutlassBetweenTheTeeth dagger in its mouth]] and carries a pipe with him. Repede is a fully playable character.
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'': Koromaru, a dog/party member who has a unique fighting style.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
** The hunter class is ''built'' upon this trope - many people roll hunters just for the pets! Everything from owls to tigers to bats to dinosaurs to dragonhawks can accompany a hunter from level 10 (1 from Cataclysm) to the end.
** Other class with pets are Warlocks, who employ demonic minions.
** Unholy Death Knights have pet zombies.
** Enhancement Shamans get Feral Spirits, two ghost wolves that can be summoned temporarily to help and heal the player character.
** ''World of Warcraft'' has companion pets that any class can own. However unlike hunter pets, they don't fight (a few fights critters or certain other companions) and are really just for show. They can be anything from common pets like cats, parrots, rats and turtles, to wolves, baby dragons or even miniature versions of raid bosses.
** Among hunters, some pets are considered cooler than others, and the Beast Mastery talent specialization tree ends with the ability to tame 'exotic' beasts as well as the usual selection. Of particular note are the extremely rare Spirit Beasts, which are a highly prized exotic pet because of the difficulty in merely finding them.
* ''VideoGame/ABoyAndHisBlob.'' The boy's blob is literally a big white blob which shape-shifts when you feed it differently flavored jelly beans.
* The ''VideoGame/TeamIcoSeries'' played an interesting progression of this trope:
** In the second game, ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'', you got a badass CoolHorse.
** ''VideoGame/TheLastGuardian'' is called, in the original Japanese, "Trico the large man-eating eagle"... Because you play as [[ABoyAndHisX a boy with]], well, a [[{{Mon}} goddamn giant man-eating eagle...erm, gryphon]].
* ''VideoGame/FarCryPrimal'' includes a multitude of tamable prehistoric animals dotting the land of Oros that [[TheBeastmaster Takkar]] can recruit to battle against enemy tribes. Owls, wolves, bears, saber-tooths, [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers badgers]]... you name it, he can tame it. Also makes for some literal PetTheDog moments.
* ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon'' offered a few of these for subscribers only; hovering chattering critters that offered trivial perks. Many players found them a ''disincentive'' for subscribing.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': Saber -a Great Sabrecat- is your only companion for a portion of the game. It hits hard, and its roars can paralyze enemies.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'''s hero had a pet mouse named Munchie that loves cheese. After he eats certain types of cheese, [[PowerUpFood he can breathe fire or ice, heal the party, sap the enemy's defense, and other amazing powers.]] [[spoiler: It turns out to be his Dragovian grandfather.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' has one of these in the form of [[ColdSniper Mordecai's]] pet, Bloodwing.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' has a wide variety of pets which can be bought for real money, ranging from the tame (ordinary birds, mini elephants, etc.) to the fearsome ([[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes venomous snakes]] and {{giant spider}}s) to the useful ([[EyeOfNewt herb]]-giving gnus and {{flying broomstick}}s) to the exotic ([[DragonRider riding-size dragons]] and {{hellish horse}}s).
* ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': Reuben, who is unique among ''Minecraft'' pigs with his expressiveness and intelligence. Only Jesse seems to regard Reuben as cool, though.
* At the end of ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'', [[spoiler:Luigi adopts a Polterpup (essentially a ghost dog).]]
* In ''VisualNovel/IkemenSengoku'', every potential love interest has a pet that the player can acquire for [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou their avatar's room and/or castle]] and nearly all of these pets are unusual/exotic ones. Nobunaga has a hawk he's trained to hunt for him, Masamune a tiger cub, Yukimura a wolf cub, Ieyasu a deer, Hideyoshi a monkey, etc. In fact, the only characters who have "normal" pets are Kenshin (rabbits) and Mitsunari (a cat).
* Hero characters in ''VideoGame/{{Wildermyth}}'' can come out of some events with an unusual and helpful pet, such as a small griffon-like critter, a fire chicken, or [[KillerRabbit Avenger the golden rabbit]].
* Ibuki from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' has one in the form of her pet Tanuki Don-Chan. It accompanies her wherever she goes, knows it's own set of ninja tactics, and can be used by Ibuki to cause diversion and confusion. Though the last one is more shown in comics.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'':
** Dr. [=McNinja=]'s sidekick, Gordito, has Yoshi, his pet velociraptor. And while she's not technically a pet, his receptionist is a gorilla.
** The gorilla receptionist has a pet kitten. That has an eyepatch.
* In ''[[Webcomic/ChapelChronicles The Chapel Chronicles]]'', [[http://www.chapelchronicles.com/comic/22 The Elegance of the Hedgehog]], Chapel adopts a hedgehog. She names him Rupert as a ShoutOut to Rupert Giles in Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?id=1169 Mel has a giant spider named Zhor]] (who is actually a magically transformed elf), and Ariel has '[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?id=529 squishy]]'. Zhor isn't exactly a pet, though - he's Mel's companion and [[InterspeciesRomance occasional lover.]] [[spoiler:He's also Ariel's father!]]
* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'':
** There is Molly's alien [[UglyCute tentacle bunny,]] Snookums.
** All the [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Bigfeet]] living outside town have {{Unicorn}}s as pets.
* In ''Webcomic/TriquetraCats'', Rain has Pito-Pita Chan, a Gen 5 [[MixAndMatchCritters Splio Beast]], although in this reality it's not considered overly exotic, just uncommon (more akin to having a rabbit for a pet rather than a dog or a cat),
* Tedd of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' has [[http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2002-07-04 Jeremy]], "a creature nature never intended." We later find out that Raven owns a similar "cat".
* ''Webcomic/StrawberrySyrup'' has Sammy's dog which is a crossbreed between a pitbull and a German Shepherd and attacks anything.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', [[MeaningfulName Becquerel]] (or Bec for short), is Jade's pet BigFriendlyDog that also serves as her Guardian. [[spoiler: Bec also has been shown to have some impressive [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] skills, is ImmuneToBullets (he ''plays fetch'' with them), and also happens to be roughly 300 million years old.]]
* Miya Chapman of ''Webcomic/SodiumEyes'' keeps a pet [[SmallTaxonomyPools West Indian Ocean Coelacanth]] named Secant in what looks like a 30-gallon aquarium. [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute Poor fish...]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'': [[UpliftedAnimal Florence Ambrose]] '''''[[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00463.htm was]]''''' one. [[WordOfGod She's more of a Cool Little Sister now]].
* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' Bun-bun was intended to be this, but turned out to be [[KillerRabbit killer enough rabbit]] to avert BearsAreBadNews. Kiki the ferret is still this. Aylee has been this more often than not, but now that she's taken humanoid form, the ZHOAS takes on the role, at least in Kiki's interactions with it.
* In ''Webcomic/HeroesOfThantopolis'' Cyrus has a pet ghost tarantula named Xisea. [[CivilizedAnimal That speaks.]]
* In ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'', Bud seems to have a pet sea monster named [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/awful-stench/ Stinky.]]
* Virus of ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' has a [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Chao]] named Blasphemy who absorbed demon DNA and is apparently smart enough to play ''Halo''. It was also mentioned that he has an [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} arco-flagellant combat cyborg]] named "Skippy" who's been in [[HumanPopsicle cryo]] since the time Virus forgot his deactivation code.
* Davan from ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'' owns Choochoo Bear, who is a 30-year old, boneless kitty and essentially a sapient BlobMonster, with a penchant for traveling drains in order to have various adventures.
* Mia from ''Webcomic/UnintentionallyPretentious'' has [[http://www.unintentionallypretentious.com/index.asp?c=34 Aibo]], her robotic [[http://www.unintentionallypretentious.com/index.asp?c=101 guide dog]] and [[http://www.unintentionallypretentious.com/index.asp?c=121 guardian]], making it technically her AngryGuardDog with a manual BerserkButton. Occasionally as [[http://www.unintentionallypretentious.com/index.asp?c=59 a household appliance]].
* Attley's pet in ''Webcomic/TheSanityCircus'' is Mrs. F, a spider. She keeps her in her hat.
* The first ''Webcomic/GooberGrove'' comic has Georgetta introducing her new pet, a pelagic siphonophore on a leash, though [[CallASmeerpARabbit she insists it's a dog]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Website/GoodbyeStrangers'': Many people keep less dangerous varieties of stranger as pets. The ''Sweeter Smoke'' module is a website that rates how good different strangers are as pets. Kazma Bones, who runs the website, has a very large collection of stranger pets. And the ''Eraserlist'' module is a website where people buy and sell strangers.
* In ''Literature/TheImpossibleMan'', there's Angela's pet {{Chupacabra}}, Eli, who is a genuine [[UrbanLegends Urban Legend]] and not a [[{{Mon}} Kaijumon]].
* The ''Fanfic/AntiClicheAndMarySueEliminationSociety'':
** Valerie has Ari, an empathetic mini-dragon.
** Ben has Shirley the Cliche Stick, although she's less of a pet and more of a tormentor.
** Dave has Asuka, a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Luxray]].
** Stephen has a [[EldritchAbomination baby Cthulhu]]. Named [[FluffyTheTerrible Lil' C]].
* Music/DoctorSteel's bizarre pet hamsters.
--> "God, you're weird."
* Trix the Triceratops in ''Literature/ChronoHustle''.
* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation''
** The [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-111 Dragon Snails.]]
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1550 SCP-1550 ("Dr. Wondertainment's Custom-Pets™").]] Their intended purpose. After they hatch, they have the AdaptiveAbility to live in any environment that a normal organism can live in.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', Fred Flinstone has a pet dinosaur, who [[AllAnimalsAreDogs acts doglike]].
* Cheryl, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'', owns a pet ocelot who is named Babou, in reference to Creator/SalvadorDali's pet of the same name. Archer ''adores'' Babou.
* Ron's naked mole rat, Rufus, in ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. Comes in very handy. Once or twice acts as a MacGuffin, too.
* Nick Tatapolous is technically Zilla Jr's owner (Zilla Jr thinks Nick is his father due to "imprinting") in ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'', Zak has a genetically modified Komodo dragon, a 7-foot-tall "gorilla cat" and an ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithocheirus ornithocheirus]]'' pterosaur However, Zak and his parents think of them less as pets and more like adopted siblings/kids.
* Nibbler in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. A pet that poops fuel for the CoolShip? Awesome indeed. He's also late revealed to be a member of super-intelligent species.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGodzillaPowerHour'': The crew of The Calico has a [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} certain giant radioactive dinosaur]]. Subverted in that he's technically not their pet, but is a very loyal ally.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' a LemonyNarrator tells the story of how Dexter created Timmy, a termite with a huge appetite that eats metal; Dexter used chemistry and genetics to make him so he could clean up the lab every time Dee-Dee broke in and smashed everything. At the end of the episode, Dexter creates more metal-eating termites to keep Timmy company.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheHerculoids'' had five of them. Though the Herculoids' non-human members weren't ''pets'' so much as ''soldiers''. Call Gloop or Gleep a "pet" and you might find yourself in a world o' sentient-silly-putty hurt.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' own Perry the Platypus, who, for bonus cool points, is also a secret agent.
* ''Every single character'' in the original ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'' had one, even the bad guys. It seemed to be a requirement, one of the specials even focused on a pet show.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirBender'':
** Aang has Appa, a ten-ton, six-legged, friendly bison. That can ''fly''. It's implied that all, or many, people in his culture have one.
** Momo the flying lemur.
** Combustion man's hawk. Zuko also [[WhatCouldHaveBeen was originally]] slated to have one as a pet, which was supposed to have a rivalry with Momo.
** Sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has Pabu the Fire Ferret (a super smart [[MixAndMatchCritter ferret/red panda hybrid]])
** Naga, Korra's polar bear [[HeroicDog dog]].
* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'' has Dukey, a talking dog, and Reptoslicer, a genetically altered monster that could slice and dice anything and is vicious. It also makes great salsa.
* Most of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'''s characters have exotic pets:
** Twilight Sparkle has an ultra-competent owl named Owlowiscious.
** Pinkie Pie has a toothless alligator named Gummy.
** Princess Celestia has Philomena, a [[ThePhoenix phoenix]].
** Spike briefly had a phoenix chick, though [=PeeWee=] was returned to his parents shortly after initially being rescued.
** Double-subverted by Rainbow Dash in the episode where she gets her own pet. As the page quote shows, she was hyped about getting the most awesome pet she possibly could and holds a competition to see which pet she should get. She's highly annoyed that a boring old tortoise tried to compete against the much cooler eagle, osprey, and other birds, but in the end chooses him after he reveals himself to be much cooler than he initially appeared and saves her when she accidentally hurts herself.
** from the spin-off ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', Sunset Shimmer acquires a leopard gecko she names Ray in the short "Pet Project".
* A RunningGag on ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' was "Wanna meet ''my'' pet?" When faced with some otherwise terrifying monster, Dot would ask the aforementioned question, holding a small box in her hands. From the box would emerge a [[{{Hammerspace}} disproportionately huge]] "pet" that would terrify the first one. On at least one occasion Dot's pet was a giant Jerry Lewis with an Franchise/{{Alien}}-esque tongue (i.e. his tongue was a smaller Jerry Lewis) that said "Raar! Monster!"
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Superboy not only gets a giant mechanical alien sphere that latches onto him like a puppy in "Bereft", but he also befriends a mutated white wolf in "Alpha Male" after removing the ExplosiveLeash electric collar that was forcing it and the other mutant animals to attack him and his teammates. Miss Martian attributes this to Superboy's nature as a "stray" like them.
* Several of the princes and princess in ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' have cool pets; Hildegard has a mink, Vivian has a dragon, Amber has a peacock, James has a baboon, and Xandir has an elephant.
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has a large, magic pink lion with a supersonic roar. It's pretty awesome.
* Larry of ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'' owns a pygmy elephant and a giraffe. He also tries (but fails) to adopt a domesticated fox from another dimension.
* Jet from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' owns an alien pet named Sunspot, who is a hybrid of a rabbit, dog, cat, and raccoon. Sunspot is very cool. To wit: he can pull objects from HammerSpace, is incredibly smart, and plays several instruments. Now that's cool.
* [[{{Goth}} Crimson and Ennui]] from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'' adopt a bunny as a pet which they name Loki and give it goth make up. Said bunny is not afraid of lions and komodo dragons and is equally [[SilentSnarker deadpan and sarcastic]] as them.
* Kosmo in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'' is a cosmic wolf that crashed onto the back of the SpaceWhale Keith and Krolia were on in the [[EldritchLocation Quantum Abyss]] as a pup before being adopted by Keith. He also has the ability [[{{Teleportation}} teleport freely]], something which tends to bewilder characters who see it happen for the first time.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', [[TheRockStar rock star]] Jagged Stone has a pet crocodile named Fang.
* In ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'', Jedda has a pet panther called Kisa and Kshin has a pet zuffoid (a small bipedal creature native to the planet Mongo) called [[ALizardNamedLiz Zuffy]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Quite a number of people keep exotic pets in real life. Many of these acquire exotic pets primarily for the [[RuleOfCool coolness factor]]; and are unprepared to deal with the difficult and often complex dietary and care requirements. Unlike fictional examples, this often results in poor health and drastically shortened lifespan; as well as animals being abandoned into the wild when their owners are unable or unwilling to continue to care for them. Many are also implicated in attacks on people, or spreading of non-native diseases and parasites to native animal populations. Finding veterinarians able to treat exotic pets is extremely difficult, if not outright impossible. Some people, however, ''can'' actually keep these species properly, and the problem herein is that when an idiot gets killed by his/her pet these people also are banned from keeping them despite the fact they aren't idiots, and the animals are killed.
* Exotic pets frequently undergo fads; [[TheRedStapler where a pet which is featured on a television program or movie, or kept by a celebrity, triggers a flood of people obtaining similar pets]]. Fads have included pot-bellied pigs, sugar gliders, pygmy hedgehogs, and owls. These crazes usually die out quickly, and result in many abandoned or poorly treated animals.
* Occasionally, fad pets with less challenging requirements have caught on more widely. This usually results in better resources being developed, greatly decreasing the difficulty of care, and leading to even greater popularity. A classic example is the ferret, a rare exotic pet in TheEighties or TheNineties became increasingly commonplace as pre-made diet, housing, and other care supplies are more widely available.
* Major advances have been made in tropical fresh-water and salt-water fish keeping; greatly increasing their popularity.
* Some of the most commonly abandoned exotic pets are Green Iguanas, Red-Eared Slider turtles, and Burmese Pythons; with the "cool" factor being the most common motivations for Burmese Pythons in particular. They are often advertised in pet shops as "simple to care for"; and both are commonly described as "even tempered" or having a "friendly personality". While the latter part may be true, the former definitely is not. While starting small, Green Iguanas get up to 6 feet long, and have highly specialized care requirements, including a very limited diet and the need for large amounts of UV light; and require far more attention than dogs and cats to become adequately socialized. Burmese pythons will reach between 15 and 20 feet as adults, weighing between 100 and 200 pounds; and go from eating mice and rats, to eating rabbits, chickens, and pigs. Unlike dogs and cats, abandoned exotics rarely survive long in the wild, due to the dramatic differences in climate and food sources between their native environment, and where they're released. In those cases where they do survive (such as Burmese Pythons in Florida, the only lower U.S state warm enough), they can quickly establish themselves: however, despite what sources (including the U. S Geological Survey, which deliberately fabricated the results of a python experiment, according to National Geographic) may claim, they do not cause nearly as much damage as dogs and cats, because they eat a lot less.
* Parrots are generally pretty cool pets. They're smart and social, you can train them to sit on your shoulder and do tricks, and they're pretty much the only animals that can imitate talking. However, many buyers just see the "cool" part of it without realizing what they're getting into. Parrots, especially the larger ones, are loud, demanding, and need constant attention. Caring for them is appropriately described as caring for a human toddler. And many live for several decades. Many parrots often get neglected and abandoned, often sent to zoos or animal shelters. Even smaller, easier species like parakeets need socialization to be good pets, though since they're so cheap (and thus "throwaway pets" to many) people are more willing to get rid of them.
* There are people like [[http://www.rexano.org/ Rexano]] who promote ''responsible'' ownership. Even they say how cool it is to have an exotic pet but state that not only do animals have their own temperaments and that owners have to go extra lengths to keep animals like a Caracal over just a standard cat like a Maine Coon. And that one has to socialize an animal (especially a skunk) a lot when it's young so that it will remain that way when it's older. Even ''Mountain Lions'' can be ''very'' friendly towards a responsible person they form a bond with. (It helps that Mountain Lions are more related to domestic housecats than actual lions.) This is much better than either idiots getting themselves killed or banning exotic bets outright from everyone.
* Creator/LordByron was not allowed to keep a dog when he went to university, [[RefugeInAudacity so instead, he]] kept a {{bear|sAreBadNews}}.
* It was once commonplace for wealthy aristocrats to keep a wide variety of exotic pets up to having ''full zoos'' in their estates, and the practice is at least OlderThanPrint. It was almost part of the job description, as it ties handily into ConspicuousConsumption.
* Several United States Presidents have also done so.
** UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson had two bear cubs.
** UsefulNotes/JohnQuincyAdams had an alligator.
** UsefulNotes/MartinVanBuren (briefly) had two [[PantheraAwesome tiger cubs]].
** UsefulNotes/BenjaminHarrison had two possums.
** UsefulNotes/HerbertHoover had two crocodiles.
** UsefulNotes/CalvinCoolidge, though, was the champion of this trope; his pets included a bobcat, two lions, a pygmy hippopotamus, a [[KangaroosRepresentAustralia wallaby]], a duiker (miniature antelope), and a black bear.
* Creator/SalvadorDali often traveled with his pet ocelot, Babou. He had an anteater as well.
* Arguably one of the most famous examples of this trope was Music/MichaelJackson[='s=] pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, who Jackson owned from 1983 to 2003. Bubbles became almost as iconic as Jackson himself, serving as a symbol of the man's eccentricity; heck, he was the namesake of King Kai's pet monkey in ''Manga/DragonBall''. Bubbles eventually had to be given to the Center for Great Apes as he had become too aggressive for life with Jackson, and has lived in peace at the shelter ever since.
* Gilberto Shedden of Costa Rica [[http://ticotimes.com/costa-rica/crocodile-man-sarapiqui-tarzan was best friends with a large crocodile named Pocho]], swimming and playing with him, and even giving him belly rubs. Sadly, Pocho [[http://www.3news.co.nz/Costa-Rica-mourns-death-of-famous-crocodile-Poncho/tabid/417/articleID/229904/Default.aspx died of old age in 2011,]] but in a wonderful twist, he never once attacked Gilberto, or otherwise harmed him in the 20 or so years they were together.
* While filming ''Film/GreenMansions'' (1959), in which her character has a deer that follows her everywhere, Creator/AudreyHepburn adopted a deer named Pippin to create a realistic onscreen bond between herself and the deer.
* Creator/ParisHilton owns a kinkajou, an exotic relative of the raccoon. It received media attention when it bit her, and criticisms over it also ensued over the fact that pet kinkajous are illegal in California, which did raise questions about how qualified she was to care for an animal with specialized care. Nonetheless, she was able to keep the kinkajou.
* Creator/MattSmith [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUX02RGfs14#t=0m16s wants a badger.]] He gets one.
* Music/NeilYoung has owned a number of bizarre pets throughout his life. He had a sugar glider in the 1960s when it was ''not'' a particularly cool thing to have. He also had a couple of bush babies, Harriet and Speedy, who would leap clear across a room to land on his shoulder. Graham Nash, clearly freaked out by this, claimed that [[UncattyResemblance Neil began to ''look'' like the bush babies after a while]].
* Using the term of "pet" loosely, the caracal and cheetah were both tamed once upon a time to hunt, much like dogs. Sadly, this contributed to cheetahs being a threatened species today because it is very difficult to get captive cheetahs to breed.
* Ramzan Kadyrov has a private zoo of various Cool Pets, most notably a tiger and lion. He has also owned a bear and a wolf in the past.
* Ramesses II owned a lion named Slayer Of His Foes, who event fought alongside him at Kadesh.
* The Roman Emperor Nero owned a tigress named Phoebe. As if the nephew of Caligula could not have gotten any cuddlier.
[[/folder]]

* Everyone knows that EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs, right? [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred Flinstone]] has one for a pet.

* The first ''Webcomic/GooberGrove'' comic has Georgetta introducing her new pet, a [[SeldomSeenSpecies pelagic siphonophore]] on a leash, though [[CallASmeerpARabbit she insists it's a dog]].

* In ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', the Madolche are a SugarBowl royal family that have five Cool Pets thus far: [[CanineCompanion Cruffssant]], [[FuzzTherapy Baaple]], [[TheOwlKnowingOne Hootcake]], [[CatsAreMagic Mewfeuille]] and [[CluckingFunny Chickolates.]]

* Using the term of "pet" loosely, the caracal and cheetah were both tamed once upon a time to hunt, much like dogs.

* Franchise/DocSavage's sidekicks Monk and Ham each had one of these: Monk had a pig named Habeas Corpus, and Ham had an ape named Chemistry.

* Creator/SalvadorDali often traveled with his pet ocelot, Babou.

* While filming ''Green Mansions'' (1959), in which her character has a deer that follows her everywhere, Creator/AudreyHepburn adopted a deer named Pippin to create a realistic bond on-screen between herself and the deer.

* Kitty Pryde in ''Comicbook/XMen'' has a [[ShoulderSizedDragon small extraterrestrial dragon]] named Lockheed.

* Calum from ''Series/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall'' owns a badger.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}'', The Director keeps a psychotic, naked fat man with a pig's mask as a captive in a mansion attic, this is relevant to the trope, I don't care what you say.