What's Your Favorite Animal?

While Lollita is blogging about eating and being healthy, I am going to write about two of my passions: college football and animals.  Today, it's about my animals. 
My favorite?  A blue crown conure named Sqwaki! I've had Sqwaki about 16 years, and his life span should be about 30 (although he loves Zaxby's fries).  Sqwaki has quite an interesting vocabulary which includes, "I gotta go bye-bye, cracker, Sqwaki, what are you doing?, and my personal favorite "Here, Kitty, Kitty," which isn't too smart since I've had as many as 13 cats at one time.
Most Unusual Pet I Own:  Shadow the Hedgehog (see blog pic).  Shadow is kind of like a small porcupine. He curls up in a ball when threatened, and he also makes hissing noises that sound more like a rattle snake.  Shadow only comes out at night, and he mostly likes to eat meal worms but also opts for fruit, cat food and hedgehog food.  I hope to have a video of him on this site soon.
Runner-Up Most Unusual:  My Hemmingway Cat, Bengal.  Bengal looked like a small orange tiger, and what made him unique was he had extra toes on his front paws.  The legend goes that these cats came from Ernest Hemmingway's house in the Florida Keys.  How I got Bengal was even more interesting....when I was living in Key Largo, some boys were throwing a kitten off the bridge to see the sharks get it.  My brother (who is like living with the Crocodile Hunter) jumped off the bridge to rescue this kitten. He gave it to me (maybe the only nice thing he ever did for me) and I had Bengal 21 years.
2nd Runner Up Most Unusual:  My manx cat.  A manx cat has no tail.  I've had this cat for 17 years. She is gray and is named "Kitten."
Most Beloved:  Sugar Bear. He was my mom's little poodle, and he lived to be about 18. Wonderful dog.
Sugar Bear, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sqwaki the Parrot are in the picture above.
Animals are grand!