Skunk

Poor Pepé Le Pew and his friends got a bad rap, but skunks have actually been kept as pets since early on in the 20th century. Domesticated skunks have their scent glands removed as babies. They are supposedly curious and playful, and occasionally too smart for their own good (if you’re missing your favorite sweater, there’s a good chance it was stolen to serve as nest lining…)

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Anybody who lives in New York City or really any other major city in the world probably dreads finding a cockroach in the apartment. But some do choose to keep them as pets, usually kept safe inside cages, of course. They’re pretty low maintenance, don’t need walks, won’t bite, and the hissing noise comes from pushing air through their pores, which is just downright cool.

Giraffe

You’ll definitely need the write setup to accommodate this one, but it can be done! Just ask the Carr-Hartley family in Kenya, who have their eight Rothschild giraffes roaming free on their 140-acre estate. The gentle giants will even poke their heads through the windows during breakfast time to grab some grub, and have been known to snag a few bites that weren’t meant for them either.

Crocodile

There’s a history behind the rumor of crocodiles in the sewers. Small crocodile species such as spectacled caimans are not entirely uncommon pets. However, even the smaller ones grow larger than owners realized they would, hence the myth of flushing them down the toilet to hang out with the Ninja Turtles beneath the streets. In reality, it’s more common for them to be released into the wild, where they disrupt the ecosystem as a foreign species. Know what you’re getting into before you try this one out.

Llama

They’re not the kind of pet that is going to snuggle up with you in bed, but llamas make an excellent addition to any farm livestock. They are friendly, extremely trainable, and nurturing – if any of your other animals are sick, try sticking them with a llama who will more likely try to nurse them back to health! But do remember that even trained llamas spit, so watch out.

Kinkajou

After Paris Hilton had one (and it caused havoc at a paparazzi event, apparently not thrilled with hundreds of lightbulbs going off in its face), kinkajous have been all the rage. They’re seriously cute, though, so if you get it the right kind of cage and leave it at home when you hit the clubs, this could be the pet for you!

Boa constrictor

Having a boa constrictor as a pet might not make you popular with your neighbors, but they are actually quite gentle (there are very few boa-related deaths each year, though they get a bad rap being lumped in with all snakes). They do get to be enormous, though, so you’ll need a large-enough cage for it to stretch out a bit. And maybe don’t let it sleep in bed with you – you never know who wakes up for a midnight snack.

Hippopotamus

Please note that this in no way is meant to encourage you to get a pet hippopotamus. It is simply to show that it can and has been done. A game ranger found a baby hippo washed up in his yard after a flood and nursed her back to health but was unable to re-introduce her to the wild due to her attachment to humans. Weighing more than three-quarters of a ton, the hippo, now named Jessica, wanders around his estate and has been known to occasionally climb into bed – which she has broken three times. So if you don’t like monthly trips to Ikea, this might not be the pet for you.

Capybara

Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, weighing up to 125 pounds, but are much friendlier than your average sewer rat. They are notoriously affectionate (but also have extremely sharp teeth, so pay attention if that affection starts to shift!), and can be trained much like a dog. Though they’re not quite as cuddly and fluffy as dogs, they’re still pretty cool.

Wallaby

Domesticated wallabies have become fairly common pets in some parts of the world (I see you, Australia), and contrary to common belief, they are not just baby kangaroos. Wallabies are much less aggressive and more likely to return affection from their humans, so long as they are reared from a young age by people. They live 12-15 years on average, though, so prepare yourself for the long haul when you take in one of these. At least you won’t have to send them to college.