Many Pets Means A Lot of Work...

Being a pet mom is so rewarding. You've got your choice between cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents, marsupials - whatever you fancy and you get the love and companionship of a loyal best friend.

My life, however, is a little more busy.

I started with cats. As I was growing up, I would always have 2 cats in the house at any moment.

After years of acquiring with my fiancé and my 5 year old daughter, we now have 3 cats, 4 rabbits, 2 birds, 3 guinea pigs, and a bearded dragon. Yes, it is a zoo, and most days, it is hard to keep up with, but they all deserve a home that will be their forever home.

Our cats' names are Ripples, Tippy, and Maple. The rabbits are Flemish giants/New Zealand crosses named Cookie, Sunshine, Floppy, and Lily. The two birds are budgies named Luke and Leia. Sweetie Pie, Butterscotch, and Fluffy are the guinea pigs; and Princess is the bearded dragon.

The cats are between 3 and 5 years old each and they are calm and very protective of our daughter. Tippy is a little shy, but she is slowly coming around.

The rabbits are fun to chase, as they are always digging and escaping from their hutch - and when they are babies, they tend to find their way to our living room. Sometimes, they can get a little territorial, but after a lot of grueling research and asking professionals, it turns out it is completely normal and they just need more time.

The birds, sadly do not live with us at the current time as we are out of room right now; but once we move, they will be back in our hands.

The guinea pigs are still terrified of any human contact; but we are slowly trying to rehabilitate them from fear and have them be able to be touched without running or squealing.

Princess, unfortunately, seems to be not doing well and very weak. We do not know if she is dying or just getting old (she's 6) but we still are doing our best to keep her comfortable.

I started gaining more pets when I decided to start studying and become a Wildlife Rehabilitator - that is my end goal.

I rescued the rabbits from becoming meat, the guinea pigs were in a terrible state, and the bearded dragon was in a tank way too small for it, and it stopped growing.

We built the guinea pig cage and the rabbit hutch ourselves.

Having all these animals is crazy, but it is so worth it and it is teaching myself and my daughter a lot about different species and their lifestyles. These are animals I never owned before, so it is very exciting to learn about everything nature has to offer in it's creatures.

My days start at 7 am every morning, when I feed the rabbits a mixture of lettuce and pellets and the guinea pigs a plate of mixed greens. Nine o'clock in the morning is lights on for Princess. Then, around noon, I feed Princess her vegetable pellets and insects and clean her tank. At 7 pm, I am feeding the rabbits and guinea pigs their evening meals. By 9 pm, it's time to go around and give treats to the rabbits, clean the guinea pig cage, turn the lights off for Princess, and feed the cats - they have to be monitored.

Also, if anyone has obtained any injuries or is sick, I have to apply creams or medicine and monitor them 3 times a day.

The rabbits can get aggressive some days, and I have to make sure no one is hurt in the scuffles.

The cats hiss and argue a lot as the one is very shy and tends to get bullied a lot. They do not tend to hurt each other, but they can be very loud.

The days are extremely busy, but my heart is full, and I have always connected with animals - even some that would never come near a person without attacking them. Wildlife and nature have been a large part of my life from the day I was born, and I knew I wanted to do something that reflected my love and admiration for animals.

Having access to all different animals is not only a good learning curve, but also extremely rewarding. When you rescue an animal and nurse it back to health, when you witness the live birth of kittens and rabbits, when you heal an injured pet because of a fight, it is a feeling of overwhelming satisfaction and serenity. It does something to your inner soul that is unexplainable.

I plan to move to a rural area and open my own wildlife center, to be able to help with more wild animals such as deer, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, and every other creature that may need assistance or rehabilitation.

Like I said, being a pet mom is extremely emotional, and when you have multiple pets, it makes your heart that much bigger. I noticed that you become more empathetic, and more nurturing when you have even one pet. My mental health state is still on notice, but it seems to have gotten better since acquiring multiple animals.

Studies have shown that animals are an incredible source of healing.

Am I allergic to all these animals? Yes. I still do it though, because if not, I don't think I would be as happy as I am. It is really hard to imagine my life without them.

My fiancé wants a couple of ferrets and turtles. My daughter wants a horse. I am just trying to get through these ones, but I do need a Service Animal. Of course when we move, we will probably be getting more pets; but until then, we are full.

Every time I see an animal in the wild, my heart goes a flutter, knowing and feeling that nature is truly magnificent. I also believe that once I open my center, I will be truly content and living my dream.

We should all take a minute out of each day to appreciate Mother Nature and thank her for the animals that assist in our ecosystem, and our pets that keep us full of love and life.