Octopuses, with their mesmerizing beauty and remarkable intelligence, often capture our imaginations as fascinating creatures. The idea of keeping them in an aquarium taps into a desire for a unique pet, one that seems both intriguing and relatively self-sufficient. But the question remains: is bringing an octopus into your home a responsible choice, and more specifically, do octopuses like being pet? The answer is nuanced and requires a deeper look into the lives and needs of these incredible invertebrates.
The Enigmatic Appeal of Octopus Interaction: Intelligence and Engagement
Octopuses are undeniably intelligent beings. Their capacity for problem-solving, exploration, and even interaction with humans is well-documented. Denise Whatley, an octopus enthusiast who has cared for over thirty octopuses since 2006, offers a glimpse into this interactive potential. She has observed that octopuses can learn to associate her presence at the tank with positive attention. In a video from 2011, her eight-month-old octopus, Cassy, is seen approaching her hand in anticipation of interaction.
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Whatley notes, “The home-kept species often seem to enjoy a short petting session if they acclimate to humans.” However, she wisely cautions against anthropomorphizing this behavior. “However, I try to note that petting may be more like a cat scratching an itch than any form of affection. On the other hand, they do know individuals and interact differently with different people.” This distinction is crucial. While octopuses may tolerate or even react to physical touch, interpreting it as the same kind of affectionate petting a dog or cat enjoys is likely inaccurate.
Rose Blanco-Chamberland, another experienced aquarist, kept a California two-spot octopus named Cthulhu. She too was struck by Cthulhu’s intelligence and actively provided enrichment for him. Toys became a source of entertainment, and Cthulhu particularly enjoyed challenges. “One of his favorite things was when I would put live food in a baby food jar, screw on the lid, and then drop it into his tank,” she recounts. “He would have to work out how to open the jar and that was incredible to watch.” These anecdotes highlight the interactive nature of octopuses and their capacity to engage with their environment and keepers, but they don’t definitively answer whether they “like being pet” in the way we understand affection.
The Demanding Reality: Octopus Care and Specialized Needs
While the prospect of interacting with an intelligent creature like an octopus is alluring, it’s essential to confront the significant care requirements that come with keeping them. The financial and time commitments are substantial, often far exceeding the initial cost of the octopus itself. The tank setup alone, coupled with the constant need for specialized food, can be a considerable investment. It’s also critical to be aware of the dangers; certain species, like the blue-ringed octopus, are highly venomous and should never be considered as pets.
For housing, experts like Whatley recommend a minimum of a 55-gallon aquarium, with a separate tank for filtration equipment. Others suggest even larger tanks, upwards of 70 gallons for a softball-sized octopus, prioritizing a long, low design to mimic their natural ocean floor habitat. A secure lid is non-negotiable, given the octopus’s reputation as masterful escape artists, capable of squeezing through seemingly impossible gaps.
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Feeding an octopus presents another layer of complexity and expense. Unlike typical pet store fare, octopuses are predators requiring live prey. Their diet consists of creatures like grass shrimp, crayfish, and fiddler crabs, which necessitate a separate holding tank to maintain a constant food supply. Blanco-Chamberland emphasizes this need for live food: “Octopus are hunters so it is really important to feed them live food. I had a holding tank in our back bedroom where I would keep his food and I generally dropped two or three live critters in there a day for him.” Frozen krill might be an occasional substitute, but it’s not a preferred or nutritionally complete option.
Beyond the Tank: Downsides and Ethical Considerations of Octopus Pet Ownership
Even with meticulous care, the ethical implications of keeping octopuses as pets and whether octopuses like being pet remain significant concerns. Katherine Harmon Courage, author of “Octopus! The Most Mysterious Creature In the Sea,” argues strongly against keeping them as pets, even under optimal conditions.
Courage points out that the vast majority of pet octopuses are wild-caught due to the difficulties in breeding them in captivity. Removing these intelligent creatures from their natural environment raises ethical questions about conservation and animal welfare. Furthermore, octopuses are prone to boredom in confined spaces, even with enrichment. Studies have shown that even in tanks furnished with various objects, octopuses can exhibit signs of distress and self-harm. A typical home aquarium setup is unlikely to meet their complex psychological needs.
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Octopuses are not domesticated animals. Confining such intelligent, problem-solving creatures for entertainment or novelty raises ethical questions. Their natural behaviors, including strategy, memory, and playfulness, are curtailed in captivity. Many octopus species are also nocturnal, spending daylight hours hidden, further limiting interaction and potentially disappointing owners seeking constant engagement. Their tendency to spend extended periods in their dens, especially as they become familiar with a limited environment, could be interpreted as a sign of maladjustment to captivity.
Whatley acknowledges the challenges in forming a bond: “Octopuses are shy animals so it takes time to establish a relationship. Some never acclimate to a captive environment or to human keepers.” One octopus owner’s account on Quora describes their pet’s unusual way of seeking attention – squirting water across the room and even inking the ceiling. This highlights the communication differences between octopuses and more conventional pets like dogs or cats. While incredibly intelligent, their intelligence manifests differently, requiring specialized understanding and enrichment.
Octopuses are also highly sensitive to water quality, demanding meticulous attention to parameters like pH balance. Blanco-Chamberland emphasizes the challenge of maintaining water quality due to their messy eating habits, requiring frequent water changes and robust filtration systems for their survival.
Adding to the commitment is their short lifespan. Even with the best care, home-sized octopus species typically live only for a year or two, with dwarf species living even shorter lives. This short duration, coupled with the substantial demands, makes octopus ownership a particularly poignant and potentially fleeting experience.
Do Octopuses “Like” Petting? Reconsidering the Question
Returning to the initial question, do octopuses like being pet? The evidence suggests a complex answer. While they may interact with humans and seem to respond to touch, interpreting this as “liking petting” in the same way a domesticated animal does is likely an oversimplification. Their tolerance or even seeking of touch might be more akin to seeking stimulation or investigating their environment rather than expressing affection.
Ultimately, the focus should shift from whether octopuses enjoy being pet to whether keeping them as pets is ethically and practically sound. The specialized care, ethical concerns surrounding wild-caught animals, and the limitations of captivity argue against octopus ownership for most individuals.
Instead of confining these magnificent creatures to home aquariums, perhaps we can appreciate them in their natural habitat or through visits to reputable public aquariums. Giovanni DiGarimore, a fish market owner who released a 70-pound octopus back into the ocean, exemplifies an alternative approach. His encounter with an octopus while scuba diving fostered a deep respect for these animals, leading him to prioritize their well-being over commercial gain. This perspective encourages a shift from pet ownership to appreciation and conservation, recognizing octopuses as extraordinary wild creatures best admired in their natural realm.
