Pictured: The kissing anteaters who must be the nosiest pets ever



They say dogs are man's best friend - but this woman's heart belongs to an anteater.



Angela Goodwin absolutely adores her unusual pet - a 'Tamandua anteater' called Pua. The pair share a bed and Angela dresses Pua in cute little outfits to keep her warm.

'Anteaters are tropical animals so they can get a bit cold in this climate,' said Angela who lives in the American Pacific north-west state of Oregon.



Pucker up: Angela's pet anteaters Pua and Stewie have a snuggle

'I started putting little sweaters on Pua and she didn't seem to mind so now she's got a whole wardrobe of clothes,' Angela said.

Anteaters are known to be intelligent animals and, according to Angela, are extremely loving towards humans.

'They adapt very well on a personality level,' said Angela who is a freelance writer and exotic animal educator.

'Even on the ride home from the airport Pua gave me some friendly finger pokes.' The pair soon became more intimate.

A cheeky Pua gets ready to pounce on one of Angela's dogs at her Oregon home

'She talked her way into sleeping in bed with me in a couple of weeks,' said Angela.

'She wanted to sleep hugging my hand.

'Now she likes to lie in the washing machine but will take naps with me when she feels like it,' she said



'She will lay over my back or chest like a baby would on their mom.'

Angela even takes Pua out for walks on a lead, to the amazement of passers by. 'People think it's neat to see an anteater up close,' said Angela, who has owned Pua for three years. 'She's so cute that people always want to stop and talk to me about her.'

Midnight snack: Pua raids Angela's fridge. Angela says anteaters are very messy eaters

Pua was rescued after she became ill and was likely to be culled in her native country of Guyana, South America.

Angela has always been interested in Tamandua anteaters and they are permitted as pets in her state. But she has some stark warnings for anyone considering getting one - including some 'terrible odours' and their messy eating habits.



'I always thought they were gorgeous animals but I knew they were difficult to keep as pets so I did literally years of research before I got Pua,' she said.

As well as being hard to house-train, anteaters are notorious for having strange dietary requirements. Angela has to mix up strange concoctions of ground beef heart with silkworm pupae (between the larvae and adult worm) thyme, spinach, wheat bran, flax seed and vinegar.

Best of friends: Pua enjoys a cuddle with Angela at home

'She also likes a bit of cheese for a treat,' Angels said.



Anteaters can live for up to 19 years in captivity and are renowned for being intelligent and inquisitive.

'Pua can open doors and drawers by herself so I have locks on everything,' says Angela who used to keep a male anteater called Stewie.

'Stewie taught himself how to paint,' she said. 'I even sold his pictures in the U.S. and Japan.'

Anteaters are native to Central and South American and are related to armadillos and sloths. There are three main types: giant anteaters, pygmy anteaters and Tamanduas like Pua.