Having out-of-the-ordinary pets is not frequently brought up amid typical classroom conversation. 

But pet owners at Chapman have more than just dogs and cats.

Senior Elizabeth Lawson has 6-year-old Chili, a chinchilla.

Lawson said Chili is pretty low maintenance in the sense that he just sits in a cage, but can be high maintenance considering she has to frequently clean his cage and buy him specific food and materials.

“I have to let him out every night, so he gets his exercise because he has a tendency to get fat,” Lawson said. 

Unique pets come with unique memories. 

Lawson went to a Taylor Swift Concert and came back to unexpected chaos” Chili had escaped from his cage and was running around their house. 

“We had no idea where he was, so at 3 o’clock in the morning, I’m just shaking around a bag of treats,” she said. 

Lawson was surprised, considering they have three dogs, how he escaped all of them. 

English teacher Susan Hall has a unique, but famous, pet: a marginated tortoise named Sherman.

Sherman, who goes by the nickname “Sherm,” is 7 years old.

He likes to go outside and eat clovers, dandelions and other flowers, but Hall must watch what he eats because things like daffodils are toxic. 

“I have him spoiled, so he just wants to eat from my hand,” Hall said.

Every day is an adventure with Sherman.

“He is very much like human kids,” Hall said. “He likes to ram things, but he puts his head in just in time to not get a concussion.”

Of course, having an interesting pet calls for an interesting name. 

Freshman Brylee Ridings has a 4-year-old chameleon named Grilled Cheese. 

“He is really bubbly, his tongue is always out, and he likes to make his eyes go crazy,” Ridings said.

Grilled Cheese has a really long head and is usually a bright green color but sometimes turns light yellow. 

Ridings said that people’s reactions to learning about grilled cheese are common.

“They’re pretty surprised and usually ask to see what it looks like,” Ridings said.