Most Unusual Pets To Own in 2020

 The exotic pet industry is booming, especially as people begin to see pets as an extension of themselves. After all, who would want a regular cat when they could have a serval? Who would want a dog when they could have a legit fox or a capuchin monkey?

Because of the exotic pet boom, laws are starting to get stricter about what pets are legal to own - and are also making a point to warn newbie pet owners against trying to have a more unusual pet. Despite the government warnings, exotic pets are extremely popular.

Though there are many legal but weird pets to own out there, only a handful can really be considered the most unusual pets to own. Here are coolest, most unusual (yet legal) exotic pets we've seen in the United States.

1 Fennec Foxes

Yes, it's legitimately legal to own your own fox. Fennec foxes are tiny desert foxes that are technically wildlife. That being noted, they don't take as well to domestic spaces as others on this list.

They can't be trained, but they are adorable, have big ears, and owners tell us that they tend to act a lot more like cats than dogs. Oh, and they also look a lot like a real-life Pokémon. Partly because of the Pokémon resemblance and the fact that they are so rare, they make the list of the most unusual pets to own in the US.

2 Skunks

Of all the most unusual pets to own on this list, skunks might be one of the most notorious. In many states throughout the US, skunks are actually 100 percent legal to own. These fluffy-tailed fellows do have certain stipulations worth noting in most cases. Most commonly, states will require you to de-scent the skunk before you have it as a pet.

Owning a skunk means that you may have a bit of a problem with keeping it indoors. They tend to dig into things, claw at wooden floors, and are notoriously hard to paper train. Due to bad eyesight, if the skunk wanders away, it also won't come back home.

Realistically, this is a wild animal pet that probably has no business inside someone's home. You would have to be very careful on how you raise it. Even so, skunks are cool and we totally see the appeal.

3 Coatimundi

Most people don't even know what a coatimundi is, making it a seriously exotic animal to try to domesticate. This bear-raccoon hybrid-looking creature is an animal that's local to Central and South America. Though coatimundis are wild animals, they actually take fairly well to domestication.

According to owners, they're incredibly playful and tend to have a lot of activity. Often likened to having a furry two-year-old, coatis might be one of the most fun yet low-maintenance pets on this list. Even if they are low maintenance and cool, it's hard to deny that a coatimundi is definitely one of the most unusual pets to own in the states.

4 Flying Squirrels

No, not sugar gliders. Those are relatively common compared to most of the pets on this list. Flying squirrels are a totally different yet very similar kind of animal. Sugar gliders are marsupials, while flying squirrels are rodents.

Even so, they look almost identical, can glide from perch to perch, and are small enough to be very apartment-friendly. If you love sugar gliders, then flying squirrels will be equally awesome for you. While they're not the most unusual pets to own on this list, they're adorable enough to warrant mentioning.

5 Crocodiles

Remember how you'd watch Clarissa Explains It All, and the main character would talk about her pet crocodile? Well, believe it or not, crocs are legit pets in many parts of the United States.

These scaly, terrifying pets are most commonly found in Florida, but they are also legal in a number of states. Somehow, we're willing to bet that having a guard crocodile is a good way to ensure that you won't have any robbers anytime soon.

6 Capuchin Monkeys

On a very loose technicality, Capuchin Monkeys are considered to be legal as pets in the United States. Or, rather, they're allowed to be kept in homes in certain states. These tiny, inquisitive monkeys are pretty high maintenance and can be very destructive if you aren't trained in dealing with exotic animals.

Though they can be crazy pets, they can be domesticated and trained. In fact, up until 2010, they were used and trained to give disabled people water and other goods. So, at the very least, they are trainable to a point.

Even though they're legal to own, they aren't really that easy to find. As a result, they have to stay on the list of the most unusual pets to own on principle alone.

7 Bush Babies

Bush babies might not be one of the most unusual pets to own in Australia, but having one here will definitely turn heads! These agile, large-eyed lorises are known for being super cute and surprisingly quiet as pets.

Though they technically are legal to own in some states, it's worth noting that bush babies do not do well in cages and will get very stressed if enclosed. If you can't create a tree-like area for them to play in, it may be best for the welfare of the animal to just leave them in a zoo-like area.