I was born into a pet-friendly household: labradors, short- and long-haired cats, fresh- and saltwater fish, and parakeets everywhere! Needless to say, it would have been impossible to grow up with so many pets and not love animals of all shapes and sizes. In addition to ours, I spent a lot of time with many of the neighborhood pets, including cats (all breeds and ages), dogs (husky, great dane, poodles, french bulldog, saint bernard, sheep dogs), fish (everything from goldfish to angelfish to trout), amphibians (lizards, turtles, and a whole lot of frogs), and rodents (hamsters and rabbits). I began regularly pet-sitting for neighbors and family friends in middle school, and house-sitting once I got my driver's license. In 2019 my fiance rescued a family of guinea pigs someone had released at a local park, including three young babies and both parents; they lived with us for about a month before we managed to find them a nice home, so I have a bit of experience with caring for young rodents as well as socializing them. With all the time I have spent around animals I have learned how to deal with many different situations, including potty training, administering different forms of medication, following post-surgery rehab routines, weight-loss feeding schedules, food transitioning, and how to handle four-leggers with separation anxiety and intense fears (loud noises, cars, etc).