What started as a little boy’s dream turned into one of the wildest surprises an Oklahoma family could imagine.
Nine-year-old Cal Clifford had begged for a pet octopus since he was three years old. So, for his birthday, his dad Cameron, a dentist, finally gave in. He ordered a beautiful California two-spot octopus, thinking it would be a $600 science project and a lesson in responsibility. They named her Terrance.
At first, everything seemed perfect — until Terrance began laying hundreds of tiny eggs. Experts told the family not to worry; they were likely unfertilized. But one night, Cameron looked closer — and froze. “I saw the egg move… and then tiny tentacles began to swim,” he said. Terrance wasn’t a “he” after all — and the Clifford family suddenly had 50 baby octopuses to care for.
Between sleepless nights, spilled seawater, and emergency calls to aquariums, the family documented their unbelievable journey on TikTok — winning hundreds of thousands of followers and hearts around the world. “It’s chaos,” Cameron laughed. “But seeing my son’s joy makes every mess worth it.”
What began as a simple gift became something much bigger — a story of wonder, love, and the unexpected magic that comes from saying yes to a child’s dream.
