Whether we're talking about books, movies, or cartoons, we're sure you'll be amazed by these 5 things you didn't know about fictional pets. Do you find yourself staring at your kitten and wishing it would suddenly talk? Or do you dream of your dog being a superhero in disguise, ready to see it sprout wings and fly off to fight crime? If you do this from time to time, you'll enjoy reading about these fictional pets that once existed only in someone's imagination.
This snorkasaurus, the most beloved pet in The Flintstones, wasn't originally a dog-like dinosaur at all. In fact, the first episode of the first season contains a flashback to Fred and Barney meeting Dino. Back then, Dino could talk, clean the house, wash dishes, and even answer the phone. Unfortunately for him, this was the first and only episode where Dino could speak. After that, he returned to his more boring duties: acting like a dog without the ability to speak. Dino's coloring also underwent some changes: he went from black to white again, but mostly remained purple.
You probably didn't know this, but Hedwig, Harry's adorable pet owl, was the first character cast for the wizarding series. The female owl (yes, Hedwig is a girl) is described in Rowling's books as pristine white, which presented a bit of a challenge for the casting team, as females have darker feathers. Consequently, Hedwig was played by several male owls, chosen for their white plumage. As a bonus, male snowy owls are lighter than females, making it easier for Radcliffe to carry his pet.
Gizmo's voice was provided by Howie Mande, who also hosted Deal or No Deal. However, for Gizmo's famous song, producers decided to use a thirteen-year-old girl, as it would have been too difficult for Howie to perform. Gizmo was so popular in the '90s that he inspired Hasbro to create a toy in his honor. The company ran into trouble with Warner Bros. and was forced to pay compensation and change the toy's appearance.
If you thought "Pikachu" was just a name, think again. According to Pokémon's inventor, the name is actually a combination of "pika," which in Japanese is used to describe the sound of an electric spark, and "chu," which refers to the sound a mouse makes. Putting them together, we get the rough equivalent of "electric mouse." But the electric mouse wasn't intended to be the main character in the cartoons. However, it quickly became popular thanks to Clefairy, the original Pokémon mascot.
To say dire wolves are fictional isn't entirely accurate. They were alive roughly two hundred thousand years ago, but I doubt they were kept as pets. They went extinct after the last ice age. The dire wolves on Game of Thrones were originally played by Northern Inuit dogs, but the producers soon changed their minds and began using CGI in the second season. This was intended to make the wolves appear larger and more menacing. Another fun fact: seventeen-year-old Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark in the HBO fantasy series, adopted the dog that played Lady, her character's dire wolf.