25 Unconventional Pets Owned by Celebrities

Being a celebrity can be tough. All of the adulation and constant media attention can take its toll. It’s not surprising that some celebrities take solace in the company of animals to give them unconditional love and zero judgement. Some celebs, however, did not stick to dogs, cats, rabbits, and fish. They chose companions that were far more exotic, and in some cases, completely unsuitable as pets.

Some ended well and the celebrities used their financial resources to provide suitable accommodation for rescued animals. In other cases, it went very badly and the animals were confiscated or died. One even led to the downfall of a marriage. It is important to remember that there are strict laws on the movement and housing of exotic pets. Read on to discover 25 unconventional pets owned by celebrities.

Reese Witherspoon’s Donkeys

• Celebrity: American actress and film producer Reese Witherspoon
• Animal:Donkeys
• Names: Honky and Tonky
• Make a good pet? Yes, if you have the space

Catherine of Aragon’s monkey

• Celebrity: Queen of England Catherine of Aragon
• Animal: Monkey
• Names: Unknown
• Make a good pet? No, especially in the 1500s

Justin Bieber’s Monkey 

• Celebrity: Canadian singer Justin Bieber
• Animal: Capuchin monkey
• Names: OG Mally
• Make a good pet? Monkeys are not suitable as house pets

 Josephine Bonaparte’s Orangutan

• Celebrity: First wife of Emperor Napoleon Joséphine Bonaparte
• Animal: Orangutan
• Names: Rose
• Make a good pet? No, it dies of the cold

Tori Spelling’s Pigs

• Celebrity: American actress and author Tori Spelling
• Animal: Three pigs
• Names: Nutmeg, Hank, and Wilbur
• Make a good pet? They can in the right household

Tori Spelling’s Bearded Dragons

• Celebrity: American actress and author Tori Spelling
• Animal: 12 bearded dragons but not all at the same time
• Names: One was called Smushy
• Make a good pet? Yes they can, they are naturally friendly

Kirstie Ally’s Lemurs

• Celebrity: American actress (late) Kristie Ally
• Animal: Ring-tailed Lemurs
• Names: Not revealed
• Make a good pet? No, they require special habitats and care

Mike Tyson’s Tigers

• Celebrity: Boxer Mike Tyson
• Animal: Three Bengal tigers but donated two to a sanctuary
• Names: One was called Kenya
• Make a good pet? Absolutely not

Slash’s Snakes

• Celebrity: Guns n Roses band member Slash
• Animal: Many snakes
• Names: Clyde and Sam (anacondas), Pandora and Jacob (boa constrictors) are just a few
• Make a good pet? Yes with proper care

Grace Coolidge’s Racoon

• Celebrity: Wife of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
• Animal: Racoon
• Names: Rebecca
• Make a good pet? No, she repeatedly bit Coolidge and attempted to escape

Kristen Stewart’s Wolves

• Celebrity: American actress Kristen Stewart
• Animal: Four wolf hybrids (strictly speaking they are her Mom’s pets)
• Names: Jack, Lily, Tommy and Lola
• Make a good pet? Much debated – only suitable for experienced owners

Melanie Griffith’s Lion

• Celebrity: American actress Melanie Griffiths
• Animal: Lion
• Names: Jack, Lily, Tommy and Lola
• Make a good pet? Much debated – only suitable for experienced owners

Josephine Baker’s Cheetah

• Celebrity: American-born French dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker
• Animal: Cheetah
• Names: Chiquita
• Make a good pet? No, they are wild animals

Ice-T’s shark

• Celebrity: Rapper Ice T (real name Tracy Lauren Marrow)
• Animal: Blacktip reef shark
• Names: Unknown
• Make a good pet? Much happier in the wild

Tracy Morgan’s Octopus

• Celebrity: African-American comedian and actor Tracy Morgan
• Animal: Pacific octopus
• Names: Bwyadette
• Make a good pet? Only if you can provide the right habitat

Salvador Dalí’s Ocelot

• Celebrity: Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí
• Animal: Ocelot
• Names: Babou
• Make a good pet? No, it tried to escape and destroyed things

Leonardo DiCaprio’s African Tortoise

• Celebrity: American actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio
• Animal: African Spurred tortoise
• Names: Unknown
• Make a good pet? They live for 100 years so probably not

Nicolas Cage’s Albino Cobras

• Celebrity: American actor and film producer Nicolas Cage
• Animal: Two albino king cobra
• Names: Moby and Sheba
• Make a good pet? No, they are venomous and have special dietary needs

Nicolas Cage’s Two-Headed Snake

• Celebrity: American actor and film producer Nicolas Cage
• Animal: Two-headed snake
• Name: Harvey
• Make a good pet? Would probably not survive in the wild

John Quincy Adams’ Alligator

• Celebrity: Sixth president of the United States John Quincy Adams
• Animal: Alligator
• Name:
• Make a good pet? No, especially as it was kept in a bathroom!

Salma Hayek’s Owl

• Celebrity: Mexican and American actress and film producer Salma Hayek
• Animal: Southern white-faced owl
• Name: Kering
• Make a good pet? Only with the correct knowledge

Paris Hilton’s Kinkajou

• Celebrity: American media personality and celebrity Paris Hilton
• Animal:Kinkajou
• Name: Baby Luv
• Make a good pet? No, it bit her!

Vanilla Ice’s Wallaroo

• Celebrity: American rapper, actor, and television host Vanilla Ice
• Animal: Wallaroo (cross between a wallaby and a kangaroo)
• Name: Bucky Buckaroo
• Make a good pet? No, need loads of space

Elvis Presley’s Chimpanzee

• Celebrity: American singer and actor Elvis Presley
• Animal: Chimpanzee
• Name: Scatter
• Make a good pet? No, it caused chaos and bit people

Michael Jackson’s Chimpanzee

• Celebrity: American singer, songwriter, dancer Michael Jackson
• Animal: Chimpanzee
• Name: Bubbles
• Make a good pet? No, they are more suited to the wild