When the topic of pets comes up, one often thinks of the traditional dog, cat, or maybe even a bird. However, some students at MHS own pets a little out of the ordinary.
Tortoises are known for their long lives and slow speed, and for senior Aarush Malik, his tortoise has been the perfect pet.
“I have a Russian Tortoise named Bamboo, who we have owned for about four years now in a terrarium in my house,” Malik said.
Bamboo is very low maintenance, Malik said. He feeds Bamboo everyday, soaks him in water twice a week, and leaves him to freely roam in his backyard during the day.
“My tortoise has been a great decision because, while being low maintenance, he is also really friendly and loves interacting with people,” Malik said.
He recalls the first few weeks that he owned Bamboo, his entire family was excited to see him eating the salads they made, and the tortoise also received visits from many of their family members, Malik said.
“Overall, I’d say my tortoise fits my needs perfectly because he brightens up my day, but does not require much of my time,” Malik said.
Bamboo has many quirks that Malik finds entertaining, such as attempting to eat anything green-colored because he confuses it for food, Malik said.
When someone thinks of chickens, they generally think farm animals, however Junior Geneva Deng owns four of them in her backyard.
“Our four chickens live in a coop, but are pretty much able to roam around all day,” Deng said
Deng’s family has owned chickens for about two years now and enjoys the company and easy-going nature of chickens, Deng mentioned.
“I do wish that I could spend more time with them, but whenever I can they definitely make my day a lot better,” Deng said.
The chickens are also a popular attraction among family and friends because they are very friendly and easy to handle, Deng said.
“I remember a time when I was really sad and sitting outside. It was as if the chickens knew what I was feeling, and they flew up to my table and sat down with me,” Deng said.
For over a decade, Junior Jordan Althouse and his family owned a donkey.
“She lived in this big pasture made of wood that was constantly refilled with hay” Althouse said.
He often misses Alexandra, who died in August 2022, because she was the perfect companion in times of boredom, he could even sit atop her at times, Althouse said. He would still be open to having another donkey, he added.
“She was a good donkey, and I wouldn’t have traded her in for any other type of pet,” Althouse said.
Alexandra wasn’t much maintenance. She just needed to be fed hay everyday and have plenty of space to roam, Althouse said. Him and his brother spent time with her whenever they could, he added.
“I miss her and, while she may be considered unusual, I considered her an equal to any domestic pet,” Althouse said.