Capybara Love

So, what do you think of those critters in the picture there? Do they look lovable to you? Would you want to invite them into your home to live as pets/family members? 

Well, that’s just what Melanie Typaldos has done. She has a 100-pound capybara for a pet, and she was just featured on the TLC show My Crazy Obsession. Let me tell you, she is smitten with the capybara love!

Gary (that’s the name of her pet capybara) is an important and prominent part of Melanie’s life. She claims to spend almost all of her time with the pet. She even tried to communicate with him through a “capybara whisperer” of sorts so that they could become even closer. (Yeah, you read that right!)

The ultimate expression of her obsession was her decision to let Gary share her bed. She felt it was the best way to bring the two of them even closer than they had already become. (Ooooo-Kay.) In fact, the episode ended with a shot of the two of them sitting on the bed together watching TV.

Actually, capybaras are pretty cool animals…when kept at a distance…and are even a little cute in their own way. They are, in fact, rodents and the largest rodents of all. Could they have been the inspiration for the “rodents of unusual size” in the book and movie The Princess Bride? Who knows.

It appears Melanie is not about to get over her obsession any time soon. To each his own, I suppose. I’m just happy that’s an obsession I don’t share!