Dinosaurs as pets

I've always wondered what it would be like to have a dinosaur as a pet. I've always wanted one (or to be one), but one thing is standing in my way. And that thing, ladies and gentlemen, is EXTINCTION and that maybe my flat isn't big enough.
Well I suppose I do actually have pet dinosaurs; my budgies. Birds can be considered dinosaurs. But that's not a real I HAVE LOTS OF TEETH AND A TAIL dinosaur.

Compsognathus

To be perfectly honest there aren't really a lot of apartment sized dinosaurs out there to our knowledge.
I suppose if you were going for your apartment dinosaurs, your best bets would be the Compsognathus longipes, or Compy as I like to call it. At only a maximum of a metre long he would be your perfect pet. Nice and tiny unlikely to kill you.You could feed him on a diet of freshly caught lizards and bugs (not small children or people as the Jurassic park movies suggest however you could always set him on your annoying little brother if you felt that way inclined).

Another perfect apartment dinosaur would be the Archaeopteryx.
At only 60cm long it fits comfortably in a small aviary. There are many different species and colours to choose from. And judging by it's teeth it probably also ate small vertebrates and insects.

Archaeopteryx

So I compiled a list of other great apartment dinosaurs!!!:
Eoraptor
Fabrosaurus/ Lesothosaurus - a nice little herbivore

Mononykus

Velociraptor - contrary to popular belief as caused by the Jurassic park movies. Velociraptors are actually only 1m long and stand at knee height. The Jurassic park series covers this error up by going on to explain that there were errors in the DNA that caused them to grow too big or something like that. You find that out if you play the game and read the journal. The ones in the movie are based on Deinonychus.
Sinosauropteryx
Sinornithosaurus - you would have to get this one defanged as it has two venomous teeth in the middle of it's mouth.
Mononykus
Caudipteryx
Leaellynasaura
Psittacosaurus
Byronosaurus









So once you have brought your new addition home, you will need to house train him. Never having experienced dinosaur poo before I would assume that it would be similar to chicken poo. Which is not nice at the best of times.

Velociraptor

Some dinosaurs will have more issues toilet training than others. I recommend getting plenty of puppy training pads right from the get go. Because explaining to your landlord why you are cleaning up dinosaur poop from his freshly cleaned brand new all wool fibre luxury carpet is not a fun way to spend a Saturday morning, or any morning for that matter, or any afternoon... or any time at all!

Now we must think of what to feed them - granted you should probably do this before you do think about the toilet training, but if you have a homicidal landlord breathing down your neck, sometimes it's ok to think about the carpets first.
It will be easy to feed them, because if dinosaurs have gone mainstream, which they would have as soon as they became available as pets (due to the novelty factor and nagging children) then there is bound to be a company making dino chow.
Dino Chow made for both your carnivorous and herbivorous friend.
Make sure it is AAFCO approved.

After food and toileting is settled, then the other aspects such as where your new friend will sleep, what collar or harness they may require for walks, toys, vet trips and other necessary things can be attended to.

Then soon little boutique dinosaur clotheshops will pop up that sell booties, hats, jackets and blingy collars. And we will see the rise of the handbag dinosaur. The over-spoiled, babied dinosaur that is every vet's nightmare.

Man I'd love to be a dinosaur vet.


Information gathered from, Collins Dinosaurs; The ultimate guide to prehistoric life,Wikipedia and my head