My son's first pet was a butterfly. Yes, you heard me correctly...a butterfly. We didn't let him get a dog or a cat when he was young. Instead, I got him a butterfly garden. I thought it would be educational for him and at least he had some type of animal/insect experience. What I didn't realize was that one of the butterflies would be injured when coming out of its chrysalis stage. The wings were ripped and crinkled, and he couldn't fly. So, my son released all the other butterflies but kept him to take care of him. He named him Jr. When you ask my son what was his first pet...he will smile and say a butterfly.