Top 10 Fictional Pets From Books

Often, what makes a novel great isn’t the main character or the adventures they go on, but it’s the loyal companions that accompany them on their journey. The pets from the books we love hold a special place in our hearts, yet rarely do they get the attention they deserve. So, we thought it was about time that we showed some love for our favourite fictional pets. Here is our list of the top 10 literary animals of all time!

Hedwig

• Book/Series: Harry Potter
• Author: J.K. Rowling

Of course, the Harry Potter series had to make an appearance on the list, but choosing a single pet to feature on it was no easy task. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books feature so many incredible creatures from majestic beasts like Buckbeak to the somewhat lesser creatures like Crookshanks, but in the end, we had to go with the one and only Hedwig - Harry’s loyal pet Owl. Not only did this courageous bird bring Harry his mail but he ultimately sacrificed his own life to save Harry’s.

Ghost

• Book/Series: A Song of Ice and Fire
• Author: George R. R. Martin

Next on the list is the loyal dire wolf companion of John Snow - Ghost. Found as one of six dire wolf pups, Ghost was the runt of the litter and was thus given to John Snow due to his status of being the only bastard son of Eddard Stark. Regardless of being the runt, Ghost grows up to be a fiercely loyal companion to John.

Shadowfax

• Book/Series: Lord of the Rings
• Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Next, we have Shadowfax, the loyal steed of Gandalf and chieftain of the Mearas (a breed of powerful wild horses that inhabit Tolkien’s Middle Earth). Shadowfax originally belonged to Theodon, King of Rohan, but he was given to Gandalf as a gift, and the two became loyal friends.

Snowy (Milou)

• Book/Series: Tin Tin
• Author: Hergé

Snowy is the small white dog that accompanies Tin Tin on all his adventures. First appearing in 1929 in the first instalment of the Tin Tin comic series for a Belgian newspaper, it is said that the snowy was designed based on a small dog that the author (Hergé) used to see in a local café and was named after the nickname he used to give to his first girlfriend.

Joey

• Book/Series: Warhorse
• Author: Michael Morpurgo

Joey is the horse around which Michael Morpurgo’s epic novel – Warhorse, revolves. Joey’s story begins in Devon, England, where he is raised and cared for by a young farm boy called Albert. As the story progresses you come to recognise the incredible bravery, toughness, and loyalty that this animal possesses as he is forced into service during the First World War.

Toto

• Book/Series: Wizard of Oz
• Author: L. Frank Baum

Featuring in The Wizard of Oz, Toto is the loyal companion of Dorothy. Small and black of fur, Toto is described as being the potential driving force behind the original story because it was Dorothy’s love for this little dog that drove her to run away in the first place. “Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.” – L. Frank Baum (Author)

Marley

• Book/Series: Marley and me
• Author: John Grogan

Next, is Marley from the book, Marley and Me. This emotional rollercoaster of a book is sure to conjure a fair share of tears in all who read it, dog lover or not. Marley starts his life as a badly behaved, verging on destructive puppy, but he quickly grows to be a beloved and cherished member of his family.

Daemons

• Book/Series: His Dark Materials
• Author: Philip Pullman

We aren’t quite sure if we can call daemons pets, a more accurate description of them would be an extension of a person's soul, but for now, we’ll keep them on the list (let us know if you disagree). A daemon is a physical manifestation of its human companion's personality and is supposed to reflect its human's true nature whether that be good or bad.

Bull’s-eye

• Book/Series: Oliver Twist
• Author: Charles Dickens

Bull’s-eye is probably one of the most recognised animals in classic literature, he is a Bull Terrier that belongs to the nefarious Bill Sykes and loyally follows his master until, near the end of the book, he senses Sykes’s plan to kill him and escapes. He makes his last appearance moments before Sykes eventually meets his own end.

Stuart Little

• Book/Series: Stuart Little
• Author: E. B. White

Less of a pet and more of a sibling, the last entry on our list is Stuart Little. Born to human parents in New York City, Stewart Little is no ordinary mouse; gifted with the ability to act, think, and talk like a human, this little rodent has a whole world of unique opportunities laid out before him.

And that concludes our list of the greatest pets to have graced the pages of literature. Do you agree with our list? If you think another animal deserves a place on this list let us know on our Facebook!

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Cherry-picking our favourite fictional pets was so difficult that we thought the list wouldn’t be complete without first taking a look at some of the fictional pets that narrowly missed out on a spot. Here are our honourable mentions that are well deserving of their time in the limelight:

• Buck from The Call of the Wild
• Huan from Silmarillion
• Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web
• Saphira from Eragon
• Babe from The Sheep-Pig

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