Family who got their nine-year-old son a pet octopus reveal how it upended ... trends now
An Oklahoma family had no idea that a birthday gift for their nine-year-old son would lead to the birth of 50 octopus babies, numerous water tanks that took over half of a bathroom, and thousands of dollars on food supplies and water damage repairs.
Cameron Clifford, a 36-year-old dentist, said his son Cal had been obsessed with octopuses since the age of three.
'Every birthday, every Christmas, every holiday, he would always say: 'All I want is an octopus,'' Clifford told the New York Times.
In October, Clifford made a call to a local aquarium store and acquired a female California two-spot octopus for Cal's ninth birthday. They named her Terrance.
Terrance turned out to be larger than expected and soon began laying eggs. Clifford documented the journey on TikTok, where his videos amassed millions of views from 400,000 followers.
In October, Cameron Clifford, a 36-year-old dentist, made a call to a local aquarium store and acquired a female California two-spot octopus for Cal's ninth birthday. They named her Terrance
The family had no idea that a birthday gift for their nine-year-old son would lead to the birth of 50 octopus babies, numerous water tanks that took over half of a bathroom, and thousands of dollars on food supplies and water damage repairs
Clifford(third left), a 36-year-old dentist, said his son Cal(first left) had been obsessed with octopuses since the age of three
'Do not get a pet octopus unless you're ready to lose sleep and your kids' college fund simultaneously,' he told USAToday, jokingly.
When Clifford told his son that they could order an octopus from a local aquarium store, the nine-year-old immediately burst into tears.
'His ultimate dream, his cloud nine, the greatest thing that could ever possibly happen in one's life had just become a possibility, and he just broke down,' Clifford said.
'My friends and family, of course, all, as you probably imagine, said to me, 'Well, now you have to get it for him. You can't just dangle that in front of him and then turn around and just flatline that dream.'' the father added.
The father and son began preparing for the arrival of the pet octopus, which they named Terrence.
Clifford ordered a saltwater tank, a water cycling system and food supplies for Terrence, mostly from Facebook marketplace. He thought it would cost around $600.
When Clifford told his son that they could order an octopus from a local aquarium store, the nine-year-old immediately burst into tears
Clifford ordered a saltwater tank, a water cycling system and food supplies for
