Smaller homes, fewer backyards and a rise in apartment living has seen an uptick in the number of weird and wonderful pets in Canberra.
Despite only opening on Monday, The Unusual Pet Vets has been fully booked for the past two days.
Located in Fyshwick, the clinic caters to rabbits, ferrets, birds, reptiles, rodents, amphibians and other bizarre animals. The practice has expanded into Canberra and has a string of other clinics across the country and even a TV series on Stan.
Director Dr Hamish Baron said the increase in exotic pets in the capital was the result of a surge in apartment living and changed attitudes towards more unconventional animal companions.
"It's definitely a bit of a surprise to a lot of people but exotic pet ownership is going up and up, because properties are getting smaller. People don't have massive backyards anymore, so they own rabbits, guinea pigs and other indoor pets rather than dogs and cats," he said.
"In the past if you said you had a snake as a pet, people would think you're a bit crazy. But that has changed quite a bit, people have realised snakes aren't all bad, and they're not out to get you.
"Ferrets are remarkable pets, exactly like a little cat. They run around, and they play with the kids. And they're super, super fun but they were a little bit misunderstood.
"A lot of the people that have rats and mice, they get a little bit of grief for owning those as pets. Rats love hanging out with people, they'll sit and watch TV on the couch. I think that people have come to realise you can also have other species that can live in the house and become an integral part of the family."
He said around 80 per cent of rabbits taken to the clinic were actually indoor pets, trained to use a litter box like a house cat.
So far the Canberra clinic has seen an array of birds, guinea pigs, bearded dragons and snakes.
"There's very seldom a day where you finish consulting and you've only seen three or five species, you go through the whole works. And you end up seeing a whole lot of different stuff, which makes it really interesting and quite a lot of fun," Dr Baron said.
He recalled the story of a 12-year-old girl visiting The Unusual Pet Vets in Melbourne with a tarantula.
"She knew as much, or more, about tarantulas as anyone I've ever met. You definitely get really passionate owners and that's great. It's really nice to have those really passionate and dedicated owners coming in, it makes our job a lot more pleasant and definitely adds to our job satisfaction when you can provide that next level of care."
A licence is required to keep some animals in the ACT. Animals not requiring a licence include cats, dogs, rabbits and some species of birds and reptiles. Visit the ACT government Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate website for more details.
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