For my husband and I a life without animals would be unbearable/ unthinkable.
My friends all say " but it takes up so much of your time",
Yup thats true but I don't begrudge a moment of it

Here is my top 5 pets:

1 Cats:
True they are not pack animals like dogs, but anyone who thinks caring for a cat is less work than a dog is wrong. No you don't have to walk them, but my cats love going for a walk with us, esp on a warm summers evening.
I also like the way they do exactly as they please, its the " free spirit bit" that makes them so alluring.
They come and see you because they want too.
I think the sight of seeing my cats stretched out, paws in the air by the fire in the lounge, on a cold winters night is just fab.
They look so totally content, and at peace. Trouble is I just have this irrestible urge to rub their bellies, which they aren't too keen on.
I have 2 black cats- gus and ellie, and 2 strays that live here too, also black ( maybe I'm a witch) coco, and spooky.

2. Rabbits-
I have 4 rabbits- 2 pairs (all neutered) Harry and Lavender- who are just head over heels in love, and Smudge and Mimsi- who are more really good pals. Had Mimsi and Lavender first. They are sisters, then Harry was rescued, and finally smudge this year, also a rescue bunny.

Anyone who thinks bunnies are boring has probably only seen them hemmed in little hutches. Our pairs each have a 6x6 childrens playhouse, with 2 levels, and a 6x8 outside run, with shelter. Also, with a grassy patch ( wired underneath so they don't dig out).
Each has an entirely different personality. Lavender is a quiet, shy rabbit, who hates any attention. Harry is a grumpy bun, when his hutch is being cleaned out, but otherwise is quite a placid laid back guy.
Smudge and Mimsi on the other hand are little monsters, both very playful, and always rush out everytime you pass them by without a greeting.
There favourite food is apple branches, and they all love cardboard boxes to play in.

3. Tortoises;
Got my first tortie last spring (07) Snoopy. He was a year old and tiny. He is the most grumpy, gluttonous tortie ever. His hobbies include eating and sleeping. He dislikes bathing, but is a fit and vigourous little tort.
Stompy is 6 and Sunny 6 too. They came to me when their owner, who was a patient of mine became very ill and died. He knew I felt the same way about animals he did, so he asked me to take them. Stompy is as he name denotes a reall stomper, he walks for miles every day, and the odd thing is he even does it when his light goes out- (Not meant to do that?!).
Poor old Sunny is the poorly one. He has brain damage from 3 operations on ear abcesses. He has trouble feeding himself, so I have to help him. He now knows when I have food for him, and opens his mouth accordingly. His weight is stable, and vet really pleased. He has a good quality of life, and goes out with his pals on warm days into their 10x 8 run, or on cooler days in the greenhouse, and enjoys a good wander around. He loves his bath and often falls asleep in it.

4. Parrots- for 10 years I had a slender billed conjure called Clyde. He was fantastic. He had a cage, which he chose to go into each night (door always open though) and a huge network of branches during the day where he lived. I hand reared him from a very young chick, and we were very closely bonded. When I had a bath, he had a wooden clothes hourse in the bathroom, and he would bath himself under the running sink tap, whilst whistling the theme tune to the Archers.
Unfortunately, as he got older he became sexually mature, and clearly frustrated by me getting a husband. After a lot of heart wrenching, he went to a captive breeding programme at Chester zoo, and has sired many young conjures.
I still miss him though.

5. My fish- we have 2 large tropical tanks. plus 1 nursery tank. one huge one that contains Boris our huge sailfin plec, plus freswater pufferes and Killi fish.
Our community tank has 2 bristlenose pleco's Jack and Ruby, tetra's more kili fish ( they breed like rabbits) but they are great because they have smiley faces, and waggle therir tails, when you come to feed them. Plus peppered cat fish, and catfish I call banditos, because they have little masks over their eyes. Also a couple of coolie loachs.
Outside we have 2 ponds, one meant to be a nature pond, that somehow Lucky and Milli - 2 goldfish hybrids appeared in- fortunately they don't disturb the frogs and newts and dragonflies too much. Then the fishpond with Ghost koi, goldfish, blue orfe, shubumkins, and a grass carp called Muchos.

all that without the badgers we feed, the birds, and the squirrels.
Life is never dull here, but thats what keeps me going.
Thanks for reading