A vet has shared the five pets he’d never own – and some of them are pretty popular. BenTheVet, who has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, has a variety of reasons for opting against certain animals.

Among them are rabbits – which are pretty common family pets – however, he says often they aren’t having a great time with you and can end up with a broken back. Among the others are parrots – strangely down to frying pans.

BenTheVet posts regularly on TikTok, sharing tips to keep your animals safe but often identifying animals you’re better to steer clear of. In this instance, he listed five such pets.

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Parrots

He said while they can be “rewarding”, there is an issue… with frying pans. The fumes which come from cooking with nonstick pans “can be fatal” to the birds.

He also questioned whether homes were the right places for them saying it could be “extremely difficult” to to provide enough space and stimulation.

Mice

The main reason Ben urges people against mice is the heartbreak of it all. They only live a year or so.

He explained: “A year is enough time to develop a bond, and then have to say goodbye to them is too short.”

Rabbits

He said while many people have them “they really don’t make great children’s pets”.

He added: “They are very timid. They don’t always enjoy being held and they’re very fragile they kick and they fall out your arms from height onto the floor is not unheard of them to break limb bones and their spines.

“They have strict needs in terms of diet very regular cleaning out, exercise and socialisation. They also quite vulnerable to stasis and dental problems which can lead to some unexpected bills.”

Monkeys

While Ben has spent some time with monkeys, he doesn’t advise keeping them indoors. He says while they are “extremely intelligent”, they aren’t domestic pets.

Ferrets

Another popular pet and an “extremely difficult” number five. Ben says while they’re cheeky, funny and entertaining pets, they have nasty bites.

He added: “They’re really not for everyone.”