Yes we are one of those people who attracts all the nutters in animal form, don’t ask me how but it always happens.
The latest to our collection is our nutty tortoise neighbour, who constantly tries to get in our garden, has an aversion to trainers and will attack on sight. Now this would be totally unpleasant if the neighbour was actually human but alas this one is a fabulous feisty tortoise.
It has lived next door for the whole 17yrs we have been in our house. He even went missing for a year or two before turning up out of nowhere when they were re landscaping their garden. However, this week his perseverance has gone through the roof as my husband has been working at replacing our fencing between their house and ours.
This particular tortoise will stop at nothing to get in the garden as this picture shows:
He spent ages trying to get through this space getting himself on his side to get through in the end.
Yesterday morning we found our beautiful ‘Gorgeous George’ ( our 19 month old cat) across the street after a missing night. Unfortunately he had been knocked down and killed.
I grabbed him in my arms wrapped him in a blanket and balled my eyes out for an hour and a half on the kitchen floor just giving him a cuddle.
He looked so tiny, untouched with injuries and in a peaceful sleeping position. I had my eldest at home as he was ill and off school who was just an emotional mess alongside me.
We cried, cuddled, cried and cuddled until we knew we had to do something with him. I had phoned my OH but was uncontrollable and just heard words about popping him down in the shed until he managed to get home. My youngest was at school totally oblivious to what had happened, so we wanted to keep him there until everyone had said their goodbyes.
My son and I must have gone down and seen him several times, each time having a good cry and just feeling so sorry for him as he was just a little one!
I had to brake the news to my youngest when he came in and then had another emotional trip to the shed so he could see him.
When my OH got home we decided that we couldn’t bury him in the garden so we opted to have him cremated via the vets.
So with our last goodbyes my OH and I took him and left him at the vets…………………this was so heartbreaking I cannot even put it in words.
We are lucky enough to have another slightly older cat though so this is great for all of us, but she hasn’t been herself since George went missing. She keeps looking for him, following us, sitting at the back window watching for him- it breaks my heart.
I just don’t know why we do it to ourselves!! It’s just a cat I can hear some of you saying– Er no, he was my little baby, totally part of our family and full of his own character……..SO NO HE WASN’T JUST A CAT!!!
JUDGE ME IF YOU WILL- I DO NOT CARE!
R.I.P My little ‘Gorgeous George’ – We loved you loads and miss you terribly!
in his cage in the pet shop as we chose himI could just not resist his little face and to my OH’s horror refused to leave the shop without him!
We bought him on our anniversary – St Georges Day so we aptly named him George, or Gorgeous George!!
This was our most up to date picture taken only weeks ago and featured in My Silent Sunday posts.
Kids care about their pets more than their siblings
I think this is definitely true in our household!! I have 2 boys who literally cannot breathe the same air ( I’m SO not joking). However, they both love our lovely cat Tilly more than anything. They are happy to feed her, let her in and out, brush her, give her treats and play with her. In fact I don’t really have to ask them to do any of it, apart from fill her food bowl!!
This is her the day she arrived at our house aged 12 weeks old!!
How could anyone resist her?? You would have to be heartless!!
This is her in her favourite sleeping place! But don’t be fooled by the cute face she has worked hard and now at the grand age of 1 1/2 yrs she has earned the title ‘Tilly the Terrorist’!! ( from the neighbours).
She has been spotted on my neighbours roof at the top of her chimney!! She terrorises next door’s cats from their own garden, and don’t even start me on the birds!!!
I’m sure you all have your own pet stories to tell, but surely you will agree well cared for pets aren’t pets at all but part of the family!!
Wilkinson Petcare found the following results after a survey about children and animals, and also provided Top Tips for Petcare below:
We’re often referred to as a nation of animal lovers and now a new study shows that our love of all things furry is firmly being passed on to our kids with a poll of children revealing they care more about their pets than they do about their brothers and sisters and their friends.
Over 70% of the children surveyed have a pet, with cats and dogs and goldfish the most likely animals to be found in British homes, but snakes, lizards, frogs and sheep are also getting pampered by their youthful in homes around the UK.
When asked what animal they would most like to have, dog’s were a clear winner, followed by followed by rabbits, hamsters and cats.
But it’s not just their own animals that British children care about with. Our fauna also looks to be in good hands for the future with over 90% of kids saying they are concerned about wildlife.
And their knowledge of what can be found in our backyards is also excellent with the majority saying they would recognise a robin, pigeon, blackbird, magpie, blue tit and a sparrow if they saw one frolicking outside.
Over 90% say they have visited a farm and more than 70% a wildlife sanctuary.
Nearly half of the 7-15 year olds surveyed by Wilkinson Petcare have helped an injured animal, while a quarter have fed a wild hedgehog.
Top Tips for Pet Care:
1. Pay your pet attention. Pets need love and affection as much as people
2. Exercise – The more exercise the better prevention of your pet becoming overweight
3. Visit a vet regularly to maintain your pets health
4. Get your pet Vaccinations. This will prevent them from catching any diseases that could affect their health.
5. Give your pet a comfortable and spacious home/bed – This is where they will sleep and get the rest they need so it needs to be somewhere they want to go
6. Go to a Vet to check you are feeding your pet the right food for them. I.e. the food you give your dog depends on the breed of the dog you have, so it is vital you check.
7. Allow your pet to adapt to its new environment and dogs/cats/horses allow to interact with other animals at an early stage in order for them to know how to react in social situations properly.
8. Watch your pets teeth, bad breath could mean digestive problems
9. Give your pet toys, your pets need to have something to interest them as you cannot be there 24/7
10. Clean and groom your pet regularly, this will maintain their health and help prevent catching disease
For more information visit : Website:http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/pets/icat/catdog/
