OUR PETS

How about trying a Pet Section.
My wife Jo has three Rabbits of her own, and looks after others when people go on holiday. We also have two cats, Timmy and George and a stray cat that we look after that we call Brian. A white Pigeon has also adopted us and visits us regularly, along with the Collared Doves and a few Wood Pigeon.
We have four ponds all well stocked with fish. Four young Ghost Koi Carp were introduced into the top pond this afternoon.
This is George, he came from a cat rescue centre.

A useful tip for Cat and Dog owners. If your pet manages to acquire a Tick.( A horrible little insect that attaches itself to the skin). Someone advised us to pour a drop of whisky or Brandy on to it. This we did with Brian our resident stray cat and the Tick had fallen off by the next day. It doesn't always work apparently but is well worth a try. This is the Tick on Brians Back.

Poor Brian.Horrid thing.

Yes the Tick is off Brian now but he is limping, he has a problem with one of his front legs. We have to try and catch him to get him sorted out.
This is the latest picture of Brian. He has been in another fight and needs his face to be bathed.

That's odd, her next door was telling me just yesterday about a guy at work who's cat, a big monster who live out in the country,
comes home with ticks on him and they have to pick them off.
I hadn't heard of these beasts before, I thought ticks were tiny things like mites. I would think they do less damage being ripped off than they do if left to gorge, although presumably gloves are required in case they try to attach themselves to the helping hand.
Are these the things that carry Lymes Disease?

Our Gingers were always prone to runny eyes and loved a fight.

VM

Hi VM Ticks shouldn't be picked off. You can leave the head behind and cause infection. You can get a tool to do this from a vet, or put Vaseline or whisky or Brandy on the and they may fall off. SB

Do they bury their heads in the skin then?

Yes,quite revolting things they are.

One of our latest pics of Jill collie and Belle westie.

Phil is a good person to talk to re pets as he has had many so lots of experience.

I don't know much about pets, as I tend to put my faith in Vets, but my granddaughter is very knowledgeable about them. She just has great difficulty in reconciling what they cost to keep and how much time they take to look after.

On a serious note, if walking your dog in the countryside on return you should always check for ticks as this is where your dog or cat will pick them up. There are many brands of soap, powders & sprays that will rid your pet of these ticks but it is always best to get a Vet to check your pet out as ticks can carry life threatening diseases and can pass them on to animals.

Not a good week for us last week as we had to have our Yorkie Chloe put down. She was 14 a good age for a Yorkie. The Vet said that to let her go on any longer would have been cruel. She was blind, deaf, arthritic and couldn't control herself so we let her go.

Phil

Bless her Phil,bet she had a great life with you and your family so I hope the happy memories console you all .

Sorry to hear about your loss Phil.

Phil
Sorry to read your news.

I have a Pekingese he his our fourth one they are a wonderful breed contrary to what a lot of people say about them you have to own one to understand them, we also have a chinchilla this was inherited from my son whose children used to tease her, she is no trouble at all and very well travelled down the M5 a couple of times a month, numerous birds in the garden my two ringed necked doves sit and wait to be fed every morning when the sun is out (which isn't very often at the moment) they like to lie on the bench and the wood pigeons like to drink out of the fountain when its switched on.

Hi Toady
The Ring necked Doves I think are Collared Doves, We get about five at a time and some are very young we think they were actually born in our garden in a nest behind the satelite dish. We also get Woodpigeon several of these, I didn't realise how big they were. For about two months now we have been visited a couple of times a day by a white Pigeon my wife calls Snowy. Then of course the odd couple of Magpies and umpteen Sparrows. The secret of our success this year is, we have a second bird house, stocked twice a day with wild bird seed and peanuts.
I am a bit jealous of your Chinchilla, I would love a couple. But our lad is allergic to fur and with the Rabbits and four ponds full of fish, it wouldn't be practical. SB

All we get round by us are vultures and carrion crows. Mind you that might be a lot to do with the farmers blowing all the other birds away with thier 12 bores.

SB hasn't your rabbit got any fur then? That would be handy when it comes to stew time.

Phil