Instant Zoo

If your birthday parties or special events have been a little lacking, Kristen and Katie Bigauskas, sisters and co-owners of Instant Zoo, have a way to fix that. They travel to any and all social gatherings to entertain and inform with a small coterie of furry and scaly pets.

Whether your party is missing an adorable Syrian hamster, a Silkie chicken that’s more fluff than squawk, a ball python that would make the perfect scarf or a laidback Red Foot tortoise, Kristen and Katie are there. “We’ve always had a lot of animals and a love for animals,” explains Kristen.

The sisters developed their love of animals from a very early age; they worked at a pet store and their parents brought home all sorts of critters. They didn’t have any favourites among the animals, but definitely preferred one group to another.

“I’m more into the reptiles,” says Kristen, “and my sister, Katie, is more into the furry animals.” Katie adds, “We’ve always had pets, and dogs have always been a huge thing for us…but rats have been my soft spot since I was young.” The only requirement for their animals was a unique personality, regardless of whether it was encased in a scaly shell or as soft as the pillow you sleep on.