Army kid
Another reason why Vanessa had so many pets growing up was that she didn’t have any friends for a long time. This was because she was the daughter of a soldier and he was constantly moving around all of the time, living next to different bases across the country and sometimes the world.
It was interesting for Vanessa to visit and see new places and meet new people, but she so badly just wanted to fit in somewhere and have a normal life. She wanted to grow up with some kids her age and make long-lasting friendships, but it just seemed impossible back then.