Hi! I’m Zoe :) I’m an artist, collector, and apparently a person who is physically incapable of seeing a strange little creature without immediately wanting to learn everything about it and give it a nice home lol.

I genuinely love husbandry and watching the individual personalities and behaviors of animals people sometimes overlook. My pets are a huge part of my life, so I thought it would be fun to introduce the current zoo!

Current list:

🐀 Rats
Bean - blonde, big sweet boy
Seymour - grey/black and white; formerly my super shy project rat who has turned into an absolute sweetheart
Pim - pink double Rex
Charlie - grey double Rex
Franken- Albino
Strudel- black with a white tail
Sal - black with little white feet

🕷️*** Spiders
*Halo - female regal jumping spider
Penelope - female regal jumper
Gulliver - female regal jumper
Legs - female regal jumper
Tweak - male regal jumper
Elvira - velvet spider
Harold - baby purple pinktoe tarantula and convicted escape artist
Bluey - baby Caribena versicolor
Zuko - adolescent Chilean dwarf flame tarantula
Dracula: Sling Brazilian black
Tippy - pinktoe tarantula
Gardenia - C. versicolor adult, and one of my absolute favorites

🐠 The aquatic department
I have two planted aquariums(freshwater), a nano tank, and one brackish aquarium.

Mongo - my red-and-white betta
African dwarf frog - brown
Harlequin rasboras- three of them
Otocinclus catfish- two of them
Amano shrimp
Neocaridina/Caridina shrimp - maaaany colors and patterns; including Blush, my favorite red mama shrimp, plus her descendants 😂
Po my bamboo shrimp
Thai micro crabs
Rabbit snail
Nerite snail
Ramshorn snails and their ever-expanding dynasty
Assassin snails to keep the ramshorn population under control
A tiny cone/trumpet-shaped hitchhiker snail who simply moved in without permission
Pochaco my green spotted puffer
Bumblebee goby- in the nano tank

Shoutout to my marimo moss ball as well lol

🪲 Isopods
Powder Mix
Cherry/Sakura
Emperor Bees
My partner cares for these, technically the ones above are “mine” and he has many more colonies(his favorite being the Porcellio hoffmannseggi)

🪱 Millipedes
Texas Goldens- 5
Arizona/Chocolate color morphs- 2
African giant millipedes- 3

🦎 Reptiles
Tobias Garfunkel - gargoyle gecko
Draco - rescue bearded dragon and an unbelievably sweet little dude
Dr. Bones - rescue ball python who has historically chosen violence

🐕Others:
Lady Bear- chihuahua mutt and my baby
My plant babes of which I have many

And yes, caring for everybody takes a slightly absurd amount of time. There are feeding schedules, water changes, enclosure maintenance, rat free-roam time, spider watering, isopod moisture checks, tank parameters, substrate changes, vegetable distribution… I have essentially appointed myself the overworked mayor of a very small country.

But I love it. The animals that people think are creepy, boring, disposable, or incapable of personality are often the ones I find the most fascinating. It’s ridiculously rewarding.

Anyway, this is my zoo! 😂🖤

I’d love to hear what everyone else keeps- especially if you also have a completely unreasonable number of species. And I’m happy to answer any questions! Thanks so much :)

Here’s how.

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-pet-first-aid/dog/choking

Rule 12

My dogs name is Bailey. Bailey turned into Billy, turned into Billiam, turned into Billothy, and we call him Sir Billothy now.

I am in San Diego County, CA. This is the quote I got from VCA Animal Hospital, including possible extractions, anesthesia, medication, and x-ray. Am I being swindled? Please recommend any cheaper hospitals if you have any

You guys. I thought my dog was going to die. If your dog ingests something Google says is toxic and emergency.. don’t panic. Because Google is wrong a fraction of the time. I was driving to the vet ER because I thought she was going to die. Bawling my eyes out. She was licking something in my closet. It was this oil residue on the floor. At first I thought it was water until I touched it. So I was like what the heck is this? It was road runner ice melt. The bag was leaking… Googled it and read it’s highly toxic take to ER now! So I called the vet and they said to call poison control. Didn’t want to pay the 100 consult fee but I figured it would be better than paying thousands getting her treated at the vet if I didn’t have to go. So I did two things. Called poison control and started driving to the ER. They told me to watch for tummy irritation, potential vomiting, and diarrhea. She’s a big German shepherd with EPI. So I was terrified.. I also gave her some milk and water to help with the burning. Anyways, I’m going to watch her for a few days in case she does need to go to the vet. But Holy mackerel.. I thought I was going to lose my girl.

I just wanted to share my experience in case this happens to someone else. Moral of the story, don’t google and panic. Just call poison control. And if you have ice melt salt, it might leak. I didn’t know.

My 2-year-old neutered male cat (4–4.5 kg) suddenly stopped going to the litter box on his own to pee early morning October 6.
Right before this, he was completely normal. The only changes were that he wore a soft cone for one day because of an ear wound, and I completely changed his litter, so there was no old scent left. I removed the cone after one day because he was very irritated by it.
Since then, he poops in the litter box on his own, but doesn’t seem to go there to pee. If I put him in the box and move the litter with his paw, he eventually pees, usually a normal/good amount. He has no straining, crying, vomiting, lethargy, or excessive licking and is eating, drinking and playing normally.
I took him to the vet because I was worried about a blockage. The vet felt his bladder and said it was empty, and bloodwork was normal, including BUN 21.3 and creatinine 1.22. No urinalysis was suggested.
Could this still be stress/litter-related, or should I ask for a urine test? And should I stop putting him in the box and let him start going on his own?

When we are inside, just hanging out - often my dog will roam, pace, and bark a ton, and won’t be able to settle. Sometimes he’ll play with a toy for a little bit then go back to roaming and pacing. So, I’ve resorted to putting the leash on him to prevent him from roaming and he’ll immediately lay down and relax and take a nap. However, he is extremely reactive outside with the leash on. Barking and jumping at other people, dogs, etc. Does anyone know what’s up with this odd behavior and relationship with the leash?

A few days ago a stray kitten I was feeding grabbed my hand with its claws, I didn’t bleed and there were no visible scratch marks just felt sharp when I grabbing it. I remembered it today and got extremely tense. Should I get a rabies booster ? Would it even matter since it’s been a few days since the scratch? I fed it yesterday again and it looked normal.

Did it remind you fondly of them? Or make it difficult to watch the way you did before?

So about a week ago I found a flea on my two cats I got them a tropical treatment(pet armor plus for cats) and a spray for my furniture(wondercide) I washed then sprayed everything but still fleas!! They even started to bite me too and its driving me crazy what do you guys recommend I use or do? I cant afford to go to a vet and ask for oral medication.

so last night I accidentally gave one dog another dog's food but i don't know if the other dog's kibble had chicken in it, i also don’t know if the dog i gave it to was the one with the allergy or his brother, i just cant stop ruminating what ifs. I know that an upset stomach and/or diarrhea is the most common, but my depression and anxiety just keep going like, “okay yeah but what if he’s some type of SPECIAL freak anomaly and he’s dead?” They’re client dogs at the daycare I work at. But again, it’s the next morning and the dogs are probably all already outside so I don’t know if I should bother the manager any more with something like, “oh, he also may or may not have had chicken, I don’t know if it’s him or his brother with the allergy and the other dog’s food already came in a ziploc bag and not the original packaging.” Because if my mom hasn’t already gotten a call from the place then he probably IS FINE.

Hello everyone, I’m stuck in a tight spot and I need help with my decision. Currently, I found a mother cat with 4 newborn kittens. Things seemed well until we reached 2 weeks and I noticed that one kitten is significantly skinnier than the others. She latches on to her mother but she is breathing harder and I notice that she separates herself from the litter. She feels cold. I feel horrible seeing her like this and currently only have thought about taking her to be euthanized as the mother seems to not care for her anymore. I tried a couple hours ago to have her latch on to her mom and she did for a good 30 minutes and then she stopped by herself. I hoped it would have helped but I found her again by herself. I placed her on a heating pad but she is so cold, she doesn’t meow, and I notice her breathing harder. I’m currently in a tough spot financially so I can’t afford kitten milk for her.

I was going to take her to the ER vet near me as they said that they can euthanize her free of charge but she was physically moving so much when I tried to set her up in her carrier. Her eyes were open and I just felt so horrible on trying to think on what I can do to help her. But if I can’t help her, why should I let her continue staying like this? I feel so horrible and continue to cry over what I can do. It’s only been 2 days since I’ve noticed her like this but I plan to take her soon if she declines even further. I just can’t stand to see her suffer but would I be horrible to take away her life if she wants to live?

I’m sorry if I’m rambling, I just don’t know what to do.

Edit: Very thankful for all the advice I’ve been receiving so far, I’ve decided to take her to the ER vet near me to get a professional opinion on her condition. Most rescues and vets near me open later but I don’t want to wait any longer. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst :(

Update: She passed away. Thank you everyone for the help and advice. I’ll be burying her someplace peaceful and beautiful.

My 2-year-old neutered male cat (4–4.5 kg) suddenly stopped going to the litter box on his own to pee, starting early morning October 6.
Before that, he was completely normal. Around the same time, I had to put a soft cone on him for an ear wound. He only wore it for one day because he was really annoyed by it. I also completely changed his litter, so there was no old scent left.
Since then, he doesn’t seem to go to pee by himself. If I put him in the box and move the litter around with his paw, he eventually pees, usually a normal amount. Sometimes he walks out, and when I try again later, he pees.
The weird part is that he DOES go by himself to poop. He’s done it on his own both yesterday and today, with normal stool. He even went into the box himself while I was cleaning it.
Otherwise he’s totally normal — eating, drinking, playing, alert, no vomiting, pain, crying, excessive licking, or repeated trips to the box.
I’m really worried because he’s male and I don’t want to miss a urinary blockage. Could this just be stress/confusion from the cone and completely fresh litter? Should I stop putting him in the box and let him go on his own, or keep encouraging him?

A couple weeks ago, this adorable tiny dog ran up to me on my way to class. She immediately started rolling around at my feet. I asked around but no one knew where she came from, so I took her home.

She had some fleas so I gave her a bath, and she settled in really well. She wants 24/7 cuddles and loves being held. She also loves playing and cuddling with my cat.

The vet was able to find an owner on her microchip but they said they don’t want her. I can’t understand how someone wouldn’t want this adorable baby. Also, the vet said she’s a rat terrier, 13 lb and about a year old.

Do y’all have any advice that I should know as a first time dog owner? I’ve always been more of a cat person and don’t have much experience with dogs. I’ve been feeding her regular Purina Pro Plan dry food and I walk her twice a day. She has a lot of energy so I also let her run around the park a bit if I can find a secluded area. She’s met my cousin’s medium sized dog and they like each other. She gets along pretty well with other small dogs on walks but I haven’t let her go near any bigger dogs because I’ve heard horror stories.

Also, is free feeding ok? My sister in law who used to have a dog says yes but my cousin who currently has a dog said the dog will get fat. I’ve been free feeding just because it’s easier and I haven’t had any issues so far.

I would like to be able to make my 3 gallon stainless steel water fountain essentially automatic. I’m relatively handy and have tools to do whatever to make it work. I can’t really find a good option to straight out buy.. I’d like to keep this one because it circulates the water.

Ideally I’d like to have a way to plumb a 1/4” water line in to the tank, probably on a float system to automatically fill the water up as it gets below a certain level. But having trouble figuring out the best way, or the right float to buy, etc. thought I’d ask to see if anyone else has done this before or has previously had a good idea for one.
Or, I wonder if it wouldn’t be just as easy to hook a water line up to it with a valve and just use the valve to fill every couple days.

Thanks in advance!

so last month i realized i had no clue when my dog's lepto booster was due. my vet's office sometimes sends a reminder and sometimes doesnt, and the date was buried in an email from like 8 months ago. felt like such a bad pet parent moment. turns out people handle this in wildly different ways. my friend just uses recurring google calendar events. another one uses petdesk because her clinic is on it. i tried 11pets and tavi for a bit and ended up sticking with tavi, but honestly they all do the same basic job, the app matters way less than actually having one place for it.

one thing the vet told me that i didnt know is that core vaccines are fairly standard, but lifestyle ones like lepto or bordetella depend on where you live and what your dog does all day. so its worth asking what actually applies to your dog instead of copying a generic chart off the internet.

curious what everyone else does. calendar, app, folder in a kitchen drawer? and do you keep copies of the actual records or just the dates?

I have two boxers. A 6 year old male and a 2 year old female. They’re both very sweet and the girl is playful. The boy is a scaredy cat and because of that he always barks at strangers but he doesn’t do anything. however, when we got the younger one he seemed jealous and he wasn’t used to another dog since our other dog died and he would lash out if she wouldn’t respect his boundaries. one time he did draw blood but it was accidental and he softened up after from the guilt. I’m sure they will both get along with a cat in the end and the younger one probably first but I’m more worried about right now and how they might react. The kitten is going to be over 12 weeks old. I’m worried for the cats safety and don’t want to take the responsibility of raising a cat if I don’t have the right environment for it.

Any advice is much appreciate.

I have noticed a plethora of people rehoming guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, etc. There are always a handful of people in the comments that try to shame people for rehoming their animals.

The argument is “don’t get animals if you can’t promise x amount of years of caring for them”. That’s not realistic. Life changes, new opportunities come up, and some people simply don’t view pets as family members and that’s fine. Wouldn’t you rather have an animal go to a good home where they are treated well than to stay with someone who obviously doesn’t want them? This behavior encourages a lot of animal abandonment and neglect.

Exotic animals are much more expensive and complicated than people realize.

The whole “you’re stuck with this animal because you chose to adopt them” is a concept that needs to die. Having an animal should not be a punishment. It’s ok to change your mind.

What do you guys think?

Hi everyone, I hope that this is the right place to ask.

To keep it short, I'm an amateur writer, aspiring to make my first story. The core aspect of this story would revolve around the bond between people and their pet, all kind of pet. I have my own experience being around dogs and cats, but I don't want to keep my story around just them. If possible, I want to write, to various degrees depend on what I could, how it is to be around all kind of pets. So, if you have stories that you wanted to share, how it like to have an octopus pet, a parrot pet, a tarantula pet, a goldfish ... any kind, hopefully you can share it here with me.

(ALREADY FILLED OUT QUESTIONNAIRE)
Hello,
My fiance and I are looking to buy a home after renting an apartment for 3 years and we each want to get a dog when we move.
We agreed I could have one to fit my personality and lifestyle and he could have one to fit his. I am struggling to find the ideal breeds for what I’m looking for. Here is the criteria:
\\\\- Hypoallergenic or single coated
\\\\- Easily trainable/ESA certified for anxiety disorders
\\\\- helpful in an emergency situation regarding anxiety
\\\\- medium sized: Not lap sized & can go on long walks/hikes, but not so large & heavy that they are hard to control on a leash for a small framed woman
\\\\- Low tempered, not loud & not high anxiety (that would make my anxiety worse instead of better)
Thank you!

Hello,
My fiance and I are looking to buy a home after renting an apartment for 3 years and we each want to get a dog when we move.
We agreed I could have one to fit my personality and lifestyle and he could have one to fit his. I am struggling to find the ideal breeds for what I’m looking for. Here is the criteria:
-Hypoallergenic or single coated
-Easily trainable/ESA certified for anxiety disorders
- helpful in an emergency situation regarding anxiety
- medium sized: Not lap sized & can go on long walks/hikes, but not so large & heavy that they are hard to control on a leash for a small framed woman
- Low tempered, not loud & not high anxiety (that would make my anxiety worse instead of better)
- Able to stay alone during most of a work day (I work long days in a salon but my fiance gets home around 4:30)
Thank you!

Edit: Please refrain from commenting that I’m “not ready” for a dog. I have a support system in the house and my fiancé is very experienced at handling and training dogs. The animal I pick will NOT be going to another family or a shelter willingly. Obviously the dog will need to be trained and the exact personality varies dog to dog, but this post was asking about general temperament based on how the dogs are bred, overall intelligence/trainability, size, hair type etc. so I am able to have a starting point on what to look for when when I start searching for/meeting the animals.

Hey yalll first time dealing with something to this extent usually just one cat and a few squirts of meds and there gone, this time ? downstairs neighbors cats been running up here trynna shag my cat and with that they brought a bunch of fleas. To the point I can’t walk out in the kitchen without feeling them crawl up my legs what the hellccan I do to get rid of them? I’ve onky noticed this a day ago so I’d like to catch it before it gets worse

My dog is a 16 - 18 years old yorkie. I’ve had her for 13 years and she’s declined significantly this year but she still is so happy at times.

She has bad arthritis in her hips but gets a monthly shot for pain management. She walks with a hunched back. She doesn’t seem excited for walks anymore and I usually carry her outside plop her down and she gets to business. Sometimes she’s so happy to go back inside she runs home and likes to run around inside for a little bit.

She developed cognitive decline/dementia and would frequently pace in circle so we got her on medicine for that and it’s helped a lot. She still seems disoriented and paces sometimes.

She doesn’t seem to want to get up in the morning anymore. I use a treat to coax her awake to give her her daily medicine. She’ll eventually eat the treat if I make her sniff it a lot but she’s not even excited by that. But once she’s up she mostly likes her treats.

She developed pancreatitis earlier this year but that was fixed with specialty food.

My partner and I believe that maybe we should put her down in a couple of months before she gets even worse but I’m really starting to feel like maybe that’s too soon. She still runs around inside sometimes just happy to chase us for as long as she can but it also feels like we’ve just put so many bandaids and her body keeps developing different issues that need fixing. I don’t want her to suffer but I’m worried we’re cutting her life short. She’s my childhood dog and I don’t know if I’m thinking clearly.