I live In a Zoo

One day while resting and contemplating over the chaos that is my life, I came to realize something. I live in a zoo! I mean seriously, outside of the normal zoo of a family, I am going for some kind of community award here. It was never planned. It just happened. I currently have a cat, a dog, a parakeet, 2 red earslides, and one unidentified turtle. I had another dog, Sisco, a rottweiler, who died about 3 years ago and still resides peacefully on the property. I have my husband, my 10 yr old and soon to be 7 year old, and my 70 year old grand pa. I could end it here leaving you wonder if I'm nuts, but I'll go further...proving it to you.

About 11 years ago I was in a relationship, but lonely. I made a great impulse decision. Get one of the free kittens advertised on the sign in the rural neighborhood you are passing. Although I had my inhabitions, I figured he'd grow on me...and well...he did. I met the husband the same year. After some dating, the then kitten gave his seal of approval by wrapping himself around the top of this guy's head and that was all she wrote. We all joined together and became a family. Yes, my first child was of the feline species.

Later, I gave birth to junior as we started a new life...with one pet. We moved to a new house, and within a year added the most adorable rottweiler puppy ever. Growing bored of not being able to ride my feline or large breed canine friends around with me and my at that time mixed family including another new baby who was by then a toddler, I decided I wanted a small house dog. (As if I wasn't busy enough.) I burned the internet wires up regularly until I found just the right buddy...Sir Wenston in Wenstville, MO. After a family road trip to pick up our new buddy we returned home to a sick Sisco. He only lived about a month after adding our new buddy.The new addition made the transition more bearable, but he can't replace Sisco's place in our hearts.

Sometime before the introduction of Sir Wenston into our family, about 2 years after Sisco's arrival, my husband came home with 2 red ear sliders and 1 turtle we have yet to this day to identify that we call Myrtle. The other two are Speedy and Lazy...for obvious reasons.

The bird, I believe, comes from a childhood desire to have a talking parrot. The costs deterred me, but the vibrant color and oh so sweet SQUAWKING lured me in! I really would not have it any other way. I love my pets, no matter how challenging it may become at times.

Caring for my pets is a great way to teach my children responsibility. They are also good teaching tools during home-school for my children. Most people need several visits to our home to actually see the pets my children and myself so excitedly tell them about. Although they are a great responsibility they are a great joy and influence. So much so that my daughter has decided that she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up as well as a pet parent of multiples.

We hope to add some fish and a crab or lizard to our family in the next 5 years. We can't love them all, so we love the one's we can in our zoo.