Dad Gets Son Pet Octopus, Who Lays Over 40 Eggs (Exclusive)

When a father found the opportunity to make one of his son’s biggest dreams come true, he couldn’t pass it up.

Since he was “about 2 or 3 years old,” Cameron’s son, Cal, has dreamed of owning a octopus.

“He’s always been infatuated marine biology, especially the octopus. For most birthdays and holidays, he would ask for a pet octopus,” the proud dad tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“We always laughed. We replaced it with a stuffed octopus or a toy octopus, but as time went on, it persisted – for many years. We realized that this was not something that was just to be forgotten.”

Earlier this year, Cameron contacted a local pet store to ask how feasible it was to buy an octopus.

“They told me that it is not common. You have to make sure that it is done well and that you are responsible for it, but theoretically, it can be done. So I had to work and I did a lot of research, I found some reputable websites. , some experts and the rest is a kind of history.”

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It was far from making a hospitable environment for an octopus, especially in Oklahoma, where the family resides.

“The habitats needed for these species aren’t just your run-of-the-mill saltwater tanks. They need some additional components that make sure it’s a safe and suitable environment for the octopus,” says Cameron.

He continues: “This just takes a lot of time, both to cycle the tank and to acquire the equipment. You have to read about how to take care of them and find an adequate food source. You have to make sure that they are constantly Stimulated and having all the necessary things to have a safe habitat that took a long time – about two months or preparation to be able to receive an octopus.

Once they were ready, Cameron and Cal bought the two-point octopus (also known as bimac), which the 9-year-old named Terrance, home. For the first two months, the two went through the ropes of learning everything it takes to keep Terrance happy and healthy. Then, they were taken by surprise when the octopus started acting unusual.

“Terrance was very interactive and loved being visible, with us and involved in the action. So for her to hide in a cave for a few days straight was very unusual,” says Cameron.

Cameron began contacting his expert resources, noting, “You can’t just take an octopus to the local vet.” They learned that Terrance was actually female and that she had laid eggs.

“It was quite unfortunate because we were under the assumption that these eggs could not be fertilized. After talking to others who knew more about this, we came to the conclusion that these were not viable eggs and that we had several weeks after the the eggs were bad until we lose it.”

But Terrance wasn’t done with his surprises. It turned out that Terrance’s eggs were fertilized after all, something that came as “a complete shock” to the family.

“We were not ready to take care of so many children, but at the same time, we were very surprised. It is a rarity, I would say extremely rare in Oklahoma, to raise an octopus. I came to find out that it has been done in other places , but it’s quite rare to do that at home.”

In total, Terrance laid “between 40 and 60 eggs,” with Cameron sharing: “At one point, we had 50 babies in their little, tiny containers that we had kept alive for a week. So, at one point , we were feeding 50 children at once.”

It’s been 60 days since Terrance’s babies started hatching. Not only she continues to do well, but also a good number of her children.

“We were able to keep half of them alive,” Cameron explains.

“It is extremely difficult to keep alive. The literature says that you can get about a yield of 5% of children from hatched eggs, and this is in favorable conditions. We initially managed to keep about 50 of the children alive. We lost quite a few in the first few weeks, many of which had to do with transport and feeding. Now, at 60 days after incubation, we still have about half that are still with us, that is a good time

Terrance’s children will stay with Cameron and Cal until they are ready to go to more suitable homes.

“Our plan is to find them in professional and suitable homes, to reach people who can obviously take care of them. We have had great traction with aquariums and larger research institutions. Some universities have expressed interest in them. I have had a few who have undertaken to take them, for now, they are too small to be moved anywhere.

This first pet experience is far from what Cameron or Cal ever imagined, but it was an unforgettable and meaningful experience for father and son to share.

“He’s been really infatuated with these since he was young and it’s one of his dreams in life to be able to have one up close and be able to experience it right in front of him,” says Cameron.

“Obviously, we rode the emotions of tears of happiness and knowing that there is a possibility of tears of sadness, knowing that he would die – and all of the above, when the child broke down. It was a beautiful experience to see these emotions. in my son, for something that cares so much It was nice to have a front row seat to see some of his dreams come true.

Cameron and Cal aren’t sure if they’ll keep any of the kids, noting that “taking care of the house is extremely difficult – dear, time.”

“We are fully ready to do so, if there is a need. However, if we can reach these organizations where others can also enjoy and appreciate and learn from them, we have a decision to do so. species is our goal last”.

Along the way were his nearly 400,000 TikTok followers, who taught Terrance.

“I was able to connect with some really amazing people and learn a lot and connect in a way that allows us to get more reach the institutions and places that can better take care of them. I never thought. open a TikTok account a month ago now it took me to some of the things we do and the people we talked to, but as long as he gets these kids the right care, I think it was worth it.

Cameron and Cal hope people learn from their experience with Terrance and “really consider before doing something like this.”

“They are amazing creatures and animals and should be treated as such. We hope that this will put us in contact with the right people so that we can better protect, appreciate and respect this species.”