A gut-wrenching video, showing a leech grow fat as it sucks blood from a man’s hand, has recently surfaced on the internet. Shockingly, the man claims that the bloodsucker is actually his pet, and that he willingly feeds it his own blood!

The identity of the man is unknown, but the video is believed to have been filmed in Japan. The leech in the footage is so bloated, it’s as big as the man’s forearm. And judging by the bite marks on his arm, the devoted owner has been feeding the creature his blood for quite some time now.

According to a Daily Mail report, leeches grow bigger as they consume more and more blood. Some species might reach up to 16 inches in length. Leeches, being parasites, aren’t exactly ideal pets. They have been used in medicine for several centuries now, but this is probably the first time in history that a human and a leech have bonded over a spot of blood!

While the leech appears to be very attached to its owner, I think I still prefer my pet Yorkshire Toy dog.