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Pets? What are pets? I have "non-human family members." Some have fur, some have feathers, and some even have quills. I am not familiar with the term "pets." Could I have pets and just not know it? I don't think so. Certainly I would know who and what is living with me. At least I hope I would. This is so confusing. Maybe if I explain my situation, some one could let me know what is going in my own home.

I have Maisie. She is a terrier/dachshund mix. She is my service animal. She is definitely not a pet and she is certainly part of the family. I would be lost without her. She helps me with my pain and comforts me when I cry. Pets wouldn't be able to do that, would they?

There is Peaches. She teaches my daughter that nothing is impossible. She is a cockatoo that is missing a wing. She talks in her sleep and keeps us all in stitches. She does everything a bird with two wings would do. Don't bother trying to tell her she can't fly. She jumps from place to place, flapping her one wing. "Soaring, soaring," she calls out as she moves about our home. She also howls, a special gift she picked up from Nadia.

Nadia is our bloodhound. She isn't a pet; she is entertainment. After six years of life she should be able to go from Point A to Point B without tripping over her ears, but that is a skill she has yet to master. She is also mom to all the other non-human family members. If I believed in reincarnation she would have been a hall monitor in her past lives. She keeps everyone in line and doing what they should be doing. And, a great pillow. I can curl up with my head on her tummy and sleep like I was in Queen Elizabeth's bed.

Dodie is our butler. This deaf Dalmatian can open the fridge with her mouth and get out whatever we ask for. Sometimes she gets things out for herself. She is quick to share with the others, though. Nadia has her handful with her. Dodie doesn't hear when Nadia barks at her for doing a "no no," so she has to nose her and give her "that look."

Paul and Silas are our transportation. They take us to the "back forty." Despite being blind, they can get around the barn, paddock and where ever else they go better than we can. They work with special needs children a few times each month. On Saturdays, you can see wheelchairs and braces along our fence. Paul and Silas give those kids rides and let them groom them. We don't know who enjoys it more, us, the kids, or the horses.

Tripod also helps out with our special visitors when Paul and Silas are busy. He is a goat with three legs. He is the one responsible for teaching our daughter how to get in the hayloft. Don't ask. We still don't know how they managed that. My daughter was barely walking. I turned my back for a moment and she was over my head with Tripod. His name doesn't mock his condition. We named him that because the first few days we had him we kept saying, "Try, try try." Run with it; it made sense at the time and it stuck.

There is Stickers and Baby Zoe. They are the ones with the quills - African hedgehogs. They are the "finders of all things lost." Pens under the couch and toys or socks under the bed - they find them all. Okay. Maybe they are the ones putting them there, but we always get them back. Eventually.

These guys aren't pets. They started out being "funny looking family members," but that seemed rude. We shouldn't judge them by what they look like. They are our "non-human family members." They take care of us and teach us things. They do more for us than we could ever dream of doing for them. Then again, that is what family is for.

Learn more about this author, Emma Riley Sutton.
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