Weird Pet Fads

Weird Pet Fads

Rocky Road
The '70s were a complicated and confusing time. Perhaps this is why pet rocks actually became a nationwide fad. Conceived by a California marketing executive, these gray stones were sold with instruction manuals, tiny carrying cases, and googly eyes.

Al Freni, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Cat Fancy
In what might well have been the original pet fad, ancient Egyptians domesticated wild cats and worshiped them. Not only did they mummify cats, but killing a cat incurred the death penalty. Now that's some serious animal activism.

William West, AFP / Getty Images

Flying the Coop
In 1907, pigeons were the fashionable pet. That's a trend we'd love to see coming back. Seriously, how perfect would Paris Hilton look the next time she walked down the red carpet with a greasy city pigeon perched on her shoulder?

Photodisc

Monkey Sea, Monkey Do
Sea-Monkeys made their appearance on the pet scene in the 1960s. Since then, millions of kids have received their kits in the mail, added water to start the growth, and been totally disappointed. The mystical creatures seen on the package are really just brine shrimp.

Utah Div. of Wildlife Resources / AP

Down at the (Ant) Farm
Having an ant colony in your home is disgusting. Having an ant colony living in a plastic case in your home, however, is educational and fun! Since 1956, Uncle Milton's Ant Farms have allowed curious children to watch worker ants busy themselves making tunnels.

Buy this ant farm!

amazon.com

Turtle Power
Obviously watching a cartoon about pizza loving turtle-human hybrids who enjoy martial arts makes you want to acquire such a creature for yourself. While hybrids aren't available, kids did scramble to own their very own turtle after watching the late '80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series. Sadly, people soon realized their new pets would do nothing to protect them from evil super villains, leading to record numbers of pet turtles being abandoned.

Donald Bower, Getty Images

Ch-ch-ch-chia!
In 1982, the first Chia Pet -- a ram -- was released to widespread enthusiasm. Though Chia Pets have declined in popularity since then, new varieties are continually released, from Simpsons-themed figurines to a recent Obama head.

Buy this chia pet!

amazon.com

Some Pig
Domesticated Vietnamese potbellied pigs were all the rage in the mid-90s. About the size of a medium-breed dog, these admittedly cute creatures like to root through trash and are prone to gas. Wonder why they went out of style?

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Tamagotchi Fever
In 1996, over 40 million of these Japanese digital pets were sold. While kids obsessively "fed" and "cared for" their new "pets," parents everywhere sighed with relief. So much easier than a puppy.

Bandai

All's Ferret in Love and War
Before the '80s not many people had these energetic, un-potty-trainable, tube-shaped creatures as pets. But by 1996, there were 800,000 domestic ferrets in the United States. Three years later, Mayor Giuliani banned pet ferrets in New York City, saying, "This excessive concern with little weasels is a sickness."

EyeWire