On the welcome mat I have placed outside my front door is written "Welcome to my zoo." It was a gift from a friend who knows what is on the other side of that door. He teased my relentlessly about all the animals that live with me. He thinks I am crazy for having all of these animals. I know I am crazy for having all of these animals. What exactly lives on the other side of my front door? I'm not exactly sure of the number, but let's take a quick inventory and see if I can figure it out...

Let's start with the animals I actually own. First of all, there is Maisie - my husband's companion animal. Due to health issues, his doctor recommended a companion animal. This little terrier mix is great help to the entire family and is loved by everyone. Then there is Beans and Taters, our two hermit crabs. Kennedy, our dachshund on wheels. She is paralyzed, but doing great. Dodie, the deaf Dalmatian, who opens the fridge with her mouth. Nora is a Maltese mix. Guthrie, we think he is a poodle/Bassett/terrier mix, but we aren't sure. You would just have to see him to believe it. Inge is our purebred Cairn terrier. She was left in a crate outside our door; her AKC registration attached to a note that read, "We know you love animals. She is too much for us. Love her like the rest." There is Natalie the Catalie and Durham, two siblings from a litter of 14. Their mother died before they were all born and the emergency C-section saved all of them. Nadia, the bloodhound mix, who has taught all the others to howl. Gizmo and Gadget are our guinea pigs. Of course, there is Buttons, Bows, and Peggy. They are hamsters. Peaches is our cockatoo that is missing a wing and she talks in her sleeps. Sheena is the African Grey parrot who makes every sound all the other critters makes; her howl needs a little work, though. I can't forget about Stickers and Baby Zoe, our two African hedgehogs. Stickers was named for obvious reasons and Baby Zoe reminded me of the baby in the cartoon "Baby Blues."

All of those animals are rescue animals. They came from horrible conditions or were left on our doorstep by folks who "know about us." They all live inside. They are all spayed and neutered. Except for the rodents, crabs and birds, but they are kept in same-sex cages so we don't get any surprises. Wait. Beans and Taters is the exception. We don't know if they are boys or girls. Haven't learned to sex hermit crab yet, but we are asking around.

Moving to the backyard...Mabel, the abused

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