She grew up with a father who was a doctor of zoology and recalls how eventful that was.  At any given moment, the Mora house was a “zoo” in itself.  They had pets and visitors.  The following were just some of the gang: the family dog, snakes, mice, iguanas, a de-scented skunk, raccoons, rabbits, a dwarf hedgehog, turtles, fish, a chinchilla and a bird named cookie.  Ms. Mora's mother did not share the same passion but she certainly was accepting of it.  Both her and her sister  felt very lucky growing up in the Mora house.  Today her house has only a rescue dog, Buddy and several saltwater fish named Tide, Current, and Ripple.