More than cats and dogs

Dogs are mans best friend, and cats are... well they're fine pets as well. They are such great pets, that nearly the entire world owns one or the other. And that's boring.  Every average joe has a golden retriever to pick up a tennis ball, or a chihuahua to nap in their laps, but how many of your friends own a pet owl? A hawk? How about a chinchilla? I've never considered myself a "normal" person, and if I were to have a pet, it would have to be as random and eccentric as its owner.
I didn't always desire a pet that could, as my mother says, "poke your eyes out". In fact, I was desperate to have a cat to curl up with. The only problem -- I am deathly allergic to animals with fur. Just walking into a house with dander in the air was enough to cripple me. It was my kryptonite, and I wanted nothing more than to snuggle with that kryptonite. After many sad attempts at curing my allergies by tolerate or die techniques, I gave up on ever owning a pet. That is, until I learned there was more to pet owning that the traditional feline and canine.
Yes, there are more than hairless cats and naked mole rats in my future! Hedgehogs, though a bit more dangerous than cats and less social than dogs, are actually fond of scratching and petting of their quills (which they can relax, unlike porcupines). Homing pigeons come in a variety of colors, and can be trained to fly to a destination. Chinchillas are high maintenance, but are very clean and resemble Pigmy Puffs from the Harry Potter books. The downside to these more exotic pets is that they are not as domesticated as the more traditional pet, and can be dangerous or agressive. Strangely, the threat of having "my eyes poked out" not only failed to deter me, they made me even more interested in them. A strange girl needs a strange companion!