There are so many things to love about The Bachelor franchise: the journey(s) to find love, the romance, the dramatics between contestants, and the conversations with animals. You've seen the confessional scenes, which are usually edited to show the contestant confiding in a non-human friend rather than the producer or contestant that is more likely to be on the other end of the conversation. Or maybe these contestants really are talking to raccoons and crabs — hey, I'm not here to judge. In honor of those zany animal confessionals, I've compiled the best Bachelor Nation animal cameos so far, from Clare's raccoon to Ashley I.'s talking parrot.
Animals have become just as important as roses to the Bachelor franchise. From crustaceans to feathered friends, these animals have acted as indispensable best pals, wine buddies, good listeners, and, in some cases, advice dispensers on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise. And yes, these convos might often be the result of some humorous editing, as contestant Tenley Molzahn confessed in a tweet last year — Clare Crawley's moment with Morton the Crab actually took place with (gasp!) Tenley herself. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear or read that and continue living in a world in which the people in Bachelor Nation confide their deepest feelings with the furry friend of their choosing.
Check out the best animal cameos in Bachelor Nation below.
1. Clare Crawley's Raccoon
Whenever drama arose for Clare on Bachelor in Paradise, the raccoon was always there to lend an ear — or a bottle of wine.
2. Ashley Salter's Birds
Right off the bat, Ashley S. bonded with the birds of Bachelor in Paradise and even conversed with them throughout Season 2.
3. Chad Johnson's Crab(s)
The Chad had a short-lived, yet incredibly eventful stay on Bachelor in Paradise 3, which included spooning with a crab, according to him.
4. Chris Soules' Cows
This Bachelor farmer took his final ladies to his hometown and farm in Iowa to meet some of the most important figures in his life: His cows.
5. Ashley S.' Crabs
Instead of finding love, "I found crabs, b*tches!" Ashley S. told the camera on Bachelor in Paradise. Because sometimes crustaceans are better than love and drama.
6. Ashley Iaconetti's Late Dog Lucy
Bachelor in Paradise 3 showed Ashley I. getting some advice and the strength to carry on from her cremated dog Lucy.
7. Ashley I.'s Talking Parrot
When you've got nowhere else to turn on Bachelor in Paradise, you go to the birds. That's what Ashley I. did, and she got some questionable advice from a subtitled parrot.
8. Tiara's Chickens
Tiara the Chicken Enthusiast didn't last long on Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor or Bachelor in Paradise 3, but she did introduce us all to her beloved chicken Sheila and their cute bond.
9. Juan Pablo's Shelter Dogs
During Juan Pablo's Bachelor stint, he took his contestants on a group date: a sexy photo shoot with shelter dogs, to benefit the dogs.
10. JoJo Fletcher & Alex's Horse
JoJo's Gaucho-themed Bachelorette date with Alex including making out and cuddling on top of a horse. OK then.
11. Ben Higgins' Swimming Pigs
Ben took his contestants on a group date in the Bahamas to literally swim with some piggies.
12. Everyone's Nodding Iguana
He always seems to pop up in Paradise at the best possible times.
13. JoJo's Real Unicorn
When JoJo made her entrance on The Bachelor, she wore a unicorn head mask and told Ben Higgins that she believed in unicorns. Fast-forward to her season of The Bachelorette: Luke introduces himself to JoJo while riding a horse wearing a unicorn, declaring that "Unicorns are real!" JoJo was definitely impressed.
And so it turns out that some of the best characters in Bachelor Nation aren't even human.
Images: Screengrab/ABC; Giphy (3)
