A woman has revealed how she keeps leeches as pets and even lets them suck her own blood.
Security guard Sommer Seeley, 26, from Portland, US, is the proud owner of five leeches which are affectionately dubbed the 'Golden Girls crew'.
Her oldest pet is Betty, a four-year-old, five-inch-long leech, but there's also Bea, Rue, Estelle and Herb.
The others are "much smaller, younger and more recent additions", measuring about two inches.
But Ms Seeley has since gone viral on TikTok after revealing her choice of food for the animals is her blood.
Speaking about the first time she fed Betty, Ms Seeley said that it was an impulsive accident but she later became fascinated with it.
She said: "I was surprised at how long they she would hang on for, for like up to an hour or more.
"You also bleed afterwards down to the anticoagulants in their saliva, which can go on for over 10 hours.
"However, the good thing is they only need it a couple times a year."
The TikToker has also taken it upon herself to get a phlebotomy kit, to extract her blood if she is ever away from her pets for longer periods.
She added: "That way I can extract my own blood and put it in sausage skins so that I can feed them all without any inconvenience to myself."
The leech owner has faced backlash on social media but doesn't let the negative comments get to her.
She said: "I've had people tell me I'm disgusting and need to be checked into a mental facility.
"But I've also had people say how they never realised how cute and fascinating the leeches are, and are getting some of their own because of me.
"And it hasn't affected my personal relationships because I only surround myself with people who appreciate genuine connections.
"Anyone who makes it far enough to come to my house and see my leeches would never be the type to judge."
Ms Seeley recently decided to share a clip of one of her leeches feeding on TikTok (@sommer.seeley), where the video has racked up over 4.6 million views and 256,800 likes.
The video shows the pet owner and her then girlfriend sat on a sofa holding hands, while they have a leech on each leg.
Blood can be seen on both their legs as the predatory worms feed.
"Finding a girl that likes your leeches. Different strokes for different folks," the video was captioned. [sic]
Ms Seeley, who is dating a new partner, Jozie, who she says appreciates her pets too, has also shared other videos of her leeches, showing a huge size difference between them before and after feeding.
Her aim is to show the world how all creatures have purpose in life and can be interesting if given a chance.
She added: "If you're into strange, low maintenance pets and aren't squeamish about blood they're a great pet!"
