'They now crave human affection': 5 Unlikely wild animals that are already on their way to living in our homes

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jan 1, 2026 10:00 AM EST

But when are we going to get a pet bear?

Who knows what the future holds, but according to some people, the future is furry and bright for our pet options. This creator below hypothesizes that in the next 100 years, we're going to have a much larger pool of pets to choose from. From raccoons to wild cats, we might have some new cute creatures living in our homes within our lifetime.

A lot of this video talks about the theory of domestication, which is where an animal goes through physical, emotional, and instinctual changes to allow it to adjust more to living with humans and to also be more appealing to humans. For example, domesticated animals have a reduced "fight or flight" instinct, simply because they don't have to deal with survival as a base need anymore. An extreme fight or flight instinct could be dangerous for an animal living in a home, as they could potentially attack their owners as a reflex (which would not make them good pets at all).

Now, all of these predictions are merely hypotheses, but we would be lying if we didn't wish that they would come true. Could you imagine snuggling with your pet capybara? Hand-feeding a baby raccoon? Or even trimming the nails of your house ocelot? It sounds crazy, but it just might be pawssible.

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    ANIMALS THAT WILL BE DOMESTICATED IN OUR LIFETIME
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    Raccoons

    are currently
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  • He theorizes that raccoons are actually self-domesticating, meaning that, like cats, they're choosing to be around humans more and more. They're slowly evolving floppier ears and shorter snouts, all of which are aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. They've also been showing less fear towards humans, meaning that they are more willing to interact with them instead of just running away.

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    evolving
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    pale.borne_ Cool, but when are we getting pet bears
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    Certain breeds of foxes

    of foxes AIRBREVRE
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  • Foxes are already going through domestication in some parts of Russia. Some foxes are even showing a craving for human affection! That's literally the best news we could ask for. However, before getting a fox, you should know that they are very smart and can be very destructive. And also, they scream. Yes, they quite literally scream. So if you're not a fan of loud noises, a fox is not the pet for you.

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    PILLAR Sack 240 ack Le and they now AIRSERVRE
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    CEBAEZENTY domestication,
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    tee_not_coffee What a time to be alive
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    Capybaras

    temperament AnStaves
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  • Capybaras, also known as “everyone's friend,” are prime candidates for entering our homes due to their friendly and easygoing nature. They get along with nearly every animal and are relatively easy to care for. The only downside is their dense, coarse fur, but he hypothesizes that if we find a way to make them fluffier, they'll definitely be mainstream pets in the next 100 years.

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    are direct AIRSEEVRED
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    arartistry Did he say 100 years? I won't be around anymore I want my giant rat dog now.
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    locatie2 Did they tell you all that
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    Skunks

    on the list, AJA AIRSEVRE
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  • Skunks are already pets on rare occasions. You can buy de-scented skunks, which have their scent glands removed so they can't spray in defense. People who have skunks talk about their loving and silly nature, often highlighting their desire to socialize when handled properly. Sounds pretty cute to us! 

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    properly. EDAD
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    snowy.167 I dont think people realise the bad part of this
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    Certain wild cats

    that some
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  • Some breeds of wild cats, like ocelots, might be pets in the future. Some of them have easygoing temperaments and can be trained (not quite as well as dogs, they are cats, after all). Just think about those big, fluffy paws. It sounds like heaven!

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    like Ocelots AIRSEVE
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    puppykittynycity Just what we need more problems people can't handle dogs and cats we don't need to be added pets to the roster
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    Mini pigs

    domestication
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  • Mini pigs are already pets, but they need more years of selective breeding to consistently keep them under 40 lbs. to make them more mainstream. If we're being honest, we would totally have a pet pig. They are supposed to be very clean, smarter than dogs, and very friendly. 100% would adopt a tiny pig!

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    And finally,
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    2000 to keep them AIRDRES
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    jdemonch I WANT THEM ALLLLLLLLL
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    cryptid.guillotine Hey everyone Wildlife Biologist here. This video while some statements are correct is not fully true, and I'll explain why. The Raccoons study done that was saying Raccoons are being domesticated was very much a false narrative- what the study actually did was help us rediscover
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    Subspecies of Raccons in different areas! Which is still very cool but not anywhere to becoming pets. Logistics of owning a raccoon are also really hard because they carry MANY diseases and you as the owner would need to get yourself many pre-vaccination shots that are extremely expensive and keep up with boosters- so all in all- No.
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    As for Foxes this is more realistic as there are certain fox breeders that have been breeding Foxes for I wanna say 200ish years in order to domesticate Foxes, while the process is still being done these are not just random Foxes in the wild, they are selectively breed for gentleness and domestication. Also like Raccoons you need many vaccinations and many legal documents. (Ill continue talking in the comments if anyone is interested!)
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