I live in a zoo.

I'll use this post to share something about myself. And that is, I love animals. (I by no means intend to spark any debate or hard feelings with this next statement, but I will take this moment to make it clear that while I have a lot of compassion for animals, I am not a vegetarian, vegan, or anything of that sort. I eat meat, recognize that livestock play an important role in agriculture, and all that good stuff. And that is all I will say on that matter.)

So, moving on, I love animals, and I cannot imagine life without my four-legged furballs. I'll admit that I am partial to the felines and canines, but I've had a plethora of animals throughout my life thus far. I made it through childhood with some awesome four-legged critters as my partners in crime, and my animals still make for perfect accomplices even in my adulthood. As a child my parents started my sister and me off with fish and budgies (cute little birds). And then they moved us into cats and thereafter dogs. And that's how it all began. I'll also use this moment to admit that my love for animals led me to a college education in the animal sciences, and I now work a job in the animal medical field.

So, what animals does my current domestic zoo contain?

First and foremost, let me begin with my oldest baby. She is a beautiful calico cat, and she just celebrated her 20th birthday. I've had her since I was a small child, and we still get into plenty of trouble together. In her old age she suffers from renal disease. There is no cure for renal disease, but with steadfast medical care she is doing well. She receives an extensive pharmacy of medications and supplements every day, and I also administer subcutaneous fluids daily. She doesn't necessarily appreciate me stalking her with bottles of drugs and needled devices (can I really blame her?), but she's a trooper.

Next? I have another cat I recently acquired. He is a 5-month-old rescue kitten. He received an injury before I acquired him, rendering him with very limited mobility in his hindquarters. Therefore, he is more or less two-legged, yet he is plenty active and is a feisty firecracker of a cat. (I do my best to do physical therapy with the kitten so that he might learn to better use his hind legs, but, like I said, he's a firecracker, and he never fails to inform me that he quite frankly despises physical therapy. He'd much rather play, thank you very much.)

And then there's the puppy. She is another rescue, found as a stray. She is 6 months of age, and she is huge. And she is going to get even huger. Imagine a hairy, gangly Godzilla with next to no coordination, and with a penchant for putting anything and everything in its mouth. In short, imagine Godzilla. Yeah, that's my puppy. She is the wild child of the bunch.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the 15-year-old frog. This frog is essentially a rescue as well. Over a decade ago my grandmother rescued this frog from a family who was going to flush it. She gave it to my sister and me. We thought we'd give it a home for the remainder of its life, which we didn't think would be long. But it keeps on keeping on.

Some days, I really do feel as if I live in a zoo.