It was an ordinary day. Reading in my morning newspaper a few days ago about a young boy who just had to have a pet octopus. Now...I have had many a pet in my day from guinea pigs to rats and white mice, and my children have also experienced taking care of a variety of different pets, but not a single one of us has ever had a pet octopus such as a young boy named Cal Clifford had. His story was in my morning newspaper a few days ago and I thought I would share it with you today. The boy and his family lived in Edmond, Oklahoma. Cal, a nine-year-old, wanted a pet octopus so bad. His father, a 36-year-old dentist researched the idea and broke down and decided to encourage their child's interest in a pet. Cal named his new pet Terrance. But, Terrance really wasn't a Terrance...for you see HE was a SHE. Within weeks, Terrance laid some 50 eggs which the family assumed were unfertilized. Guess what! Several weeks after the eggs were laid, teeny near-transparent octopus babies began to hatch. Needless to say...Cal had to name all the new arrivals. Now how anyone could name all those new octopi (spelling may not be correct), I have no idea. But, father and son researched what was needed, deciding on a larger saltwater tank and water cycling system and ensuring they would be able to source food for the soft-bodied sea creatures. A family friend who is a reptile scientist.... doesn't everyone have a reptile scientist as a friend?.... provided support and advice to the family. Plus, Paul Clarkson, director of husbandry operations at the Monterey Bay aquarium in Monterey, California, said when he first heard about the Clifford family, he thought they had "no business caring for an octopus." But, after watching Clifford's TikTok videos, he was surprised. Clarkson said it was a delightful story and commented on how good a job they did for home aquarium keepers. Still, he cautioned that most pet owners are not equipped to care for an octopus...let along a octopus with a batch of young ones. He said, "They don't make good pets and, as family documents in their story, the effort, the time, the money involved in caring for that animal is tremendous and is, at times, kind of a 24/7 job. He also recommended that they don't try to do this at home. Seems that female octopuses usually die after laying eggs, but Terrance was alive for months later. Aside from the physical, financial and emotional requirements of owning a species such as a bimac, you will learn a lot about yourself in the process, Mr. Clifford told TikTok followers. "There's always some valve or seal that's not completely closed, and your storm-resistant carpet isn't rated for gallons and gallons of seawater, and you learn that seawater and electricity don't always get along well. "But, you learn new things and meet incredible people and will learn that wildlife is magnificent," he added. "But, most of all, you'll learn to love a not-so-tiny octopus like Terrance." Hey...I feel for you. I can still remember when my grandpap bought me 7 guinea pigs at nearby Root's Farmer's Market when I as 8 years old and within two months I had close to 20 new baby Guinea pigs. Seems like my dad and I were building a new cage every night after he returned home from work. Luckily I found buyers for all my new baby guinea pigs, but I can't imagine having to find buyers for all those baby octopi. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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