Cal Clifford: You didn't have to do this.
Jeanne Moos: When his parents gave him the tank, the octopus itself was 1delivered in a plastic bag to this Oklahoma family. They named it Terrence.
Cal Clifford: Terrance loves to welcome us every time we visit her. Hi!
Jeanne Moos: As in hi five, but with eight 2tentacles. Within weeks, Cal's dad Cameron says...
Cameron Clifford, Cal¡¯s father: We found out that he was a she.
Jeanne Moos: And Terrence, now Terry, started acting 3weird, laying eggs. But no one imagined they'd been 4fertilized.
Cameron Clifford: The 5uh-oh moment was definitely when the first one hatched.
Jeanne Moos:6 Hatched right in dad's hand as he 7examined an egg, Cal got emotional. Getting a first look at the 8hatchlings, suddenly one octopus had become many. 50 babies and each had to be cared for in a 9separate container.
Cameron Clifford: The babies will actually 10cannibalize each other.
Jeanne Moos: The baby's got names like J.C. and his 11boo, sea-yonce. The family learned that octopuses make for expensive pets. 12Leaks in the tank system required vacuuming carpets and 13relaying 14ruined floors. It was all 15documented on TikTok.
¡°I wish my son's favorite animal had been a hamster.¡±
Almost half of the baby octopuses survived, but Terry has died, 16buried in the yard. Usually the mom dies after 17laying her eggs. The babies are 18destined for educational institutions. As for Cal, he's so into octopuses he even 19dressed up like one for Halloween. No wonder he was 20overwhelmed when they gave him his first tank.
¡°Thank you so much.¡±
Thanks a lot, Dad and Mom.