New Family Pets

Not content with two dogs, two rabbits, two goldfish and seven budgies, Ryan has taken to more unusual options for family pets. On the way to planting trees with the Scouts yesterday, he was telling me that he wanted a pet Tarantula. He had read that the venom could be removed and that they would be nice to hold. I am certain that he has not run this one by his mum.

His other hopes are for another cat to replace the beloved Chester and some Hamsters and Guinea pigs. The Terrapins that were must have a few months ago are apparently forgotten for the moment. He even recognised that the Alpacas that we passed on the way were a bit impractical for our back garden.

I was glad that he did not add these two critters which were demonstrated after the mass tree planting, to link to the type environment that was being created, to his list of preferred pets.

When we came back we got to see a nature bunfight. The Jackdaws were screetching in the huge gum tree across the road. When I went out to take a look I found that a Koala and a baby had taken up residence high in the tree. The birds were less than impressed. I always thought that sort of thing only happened in kids books. I have vivid memories of a black and white book I got when I was younger about family life in Australia. One of the plates was of the family saying hello to the backyard Koala.

Finally I was able to live out that childhood fantasy about Australia which I had growing up in Scotland. I must have been about the same age as Ryan is now. It is easy to imagine then why he wants to have Tarantulas.

It is also nice to see animals in their natural environment from your back yard. Koalas are relatively rare in suburban areas, and have many challenges in surviving in an increasing urbanised environment, although it is not unusual to hear about them crossing roads on traffic reports and last year a neighbourhood Koala was reported to be visiting a family and sitting down to watch television in the northern suburbs. Now that would be a great pet for show and tell. Instant kudos.

It is also a cold night to be out with babies up a 30 metre gum tree. Last night was the coldest July night in 25 years. The dogs ears were freezing when they came in this morning.

Tough life being a pet.

How Rabbits Get Their Bounce

Ben and Daisy discovered the trampoline this week. Seems that staying in the garden makes them lazy and fat. Nothing like a bounce to shed those extra grams.

Pet of the Day - Higgins the Pig

Our friend Joanne has an interesting pet which she inherited from her son, who had a very serious car accident. She got the pig because she is a Buddhist and vegetarian and was the most likely not to roast it.

Every day she prepares a meal like this for him. She has to go around bakers and vegetable shops and pick up supplies, cook up some past and lentils to keep in the style that he is accustomed. Two thirds of her very nice fridge is filled with his supplies.

Personally that is way too much. We could probably feed our whole family for a week with most of this food.

Spotty was extremely nervous when we went to visit last weekend. I am sure Higgins might have him for lunch. I am not sure how long I could share the love with a pig.

My personal ambition is to get a kangaroo or a wallaby. Very impractical. Perhaps we could rent one for a few weeks. I recently watched the Spike Milligan documentary made with the cooperation of his family. I loved his Australian connection and his friend with the steel bath that they lit a fire under who had kangaroos in the back yard. Now that would be stereotypically Aussie.

Update: Nunyaa will save you Higgins if things are looking barbacueish.

Mr Quail Whoops No More

Mr Quail is finally an ex Quail. We found him as dead as a dodo last night. We will miss his unique whoops. Our Quail husbandry days are over and we are going to stick to budgies, although there was a dead budgie in the cage this morning. That and the missing goldfish from earlier in the week. It has not been a good week to be pet or soon to be ex pet in our house. We officially christened the pet burial area as a result. The house is more of a home now that we have buried some former pets. We have a connection with the earth now.

We have had a good run for a while and to have all this pet morbidity in one week is a little too much.

Ta Ta Mr Quail from Colin, Elizabeth, Hannah and Ryan.

As a little tribute, we have this funny video made as part of a scam bait.

Roaming Rabbit Alert

Public Notice
Wanted for Violating Terms of Probation, speeding and the theft of neighbourhood grass.
Grey Rabbit aka Daisy the Rabbit

The public, particularly those in the Kilkenny Area are warned to guard their lawns and young vegetables against a rabbit which has escaped from household detention and disappeared into the neighbourhood.

On no account are the public to approach the animal, which is considered very loveable and missed by her custodial guardians.

The public are asked to provide information on sightings directly to this blog.

Thank you in advance on behalf of Hannah and Ben the Brown Rabbit, who likes to hang out in the garden.

This will likely get a better coverage than neighbourhood posters, which I am sure we will be making in the next few days when Hannah realises that Daisy has gone. Losing animals is extremely stressful as a parent. Hannah is the worlds number 1 animal lovers (I am sure that there are others just like her, but I only know her).

When Spotty went missing one day, Hannah completely lost it. She was beside herself with worry. It was very unusual, because he never left the house by himself and found his way back from the park, the first time we went there and he was chased by a huge dog.

We made posters and put them up, we called the Animal Shelter, called the Council, looked around the neighbourhood, the house, the yard...everything that I could think of. About an hour later, I went to get something from the car and there was Spotty fast asleep. He had not managed to make it out of the car after our trip to the supermarket. Palpable sighs of relief from me and utter joy from Hannah.

When we went on holiday last year, Spotty went to stay with my friend Rod, who lived about two kilometres away in a different neighbourhood. We got a call from the house sitter one evening, that Spotty had turned up. She was in the living room and heard scratching on the window. She went out to look and there was Spotty. He had jumped the fence at the other house and come home. Cute, but annoying. Clever Boy.

I hope Daisy comes back, but the adults in the house are not holding their breath.

Update Daisy turned up this morning and we managed to catch her. Very happy Hannah. Thanks to the blogging community for assisting in this matter.

On the 23rd Day of Christmas........Two Wascaly Wabbits

The kids were very happy this morning, when we walked over to a friend of Elizabeth and picked up two 8 week old rabbits. Hannah has been bugging us for about a year to get some rabbits and had pretty much given up on us. We think that they are the same sex, but apparently if not they are ready to go for it now. They can be desexed at 12 weeks, so we are holding our breath. Regardless there is a boy bunny, Ben and a girl bunny, Daisy. Welcome to the menagerie.

My rabbit memories from childhood, include chasing them in our large backyard with my younger brother, armed with forks. We had some Black and White Dutch rabbits that escaped and interbred with the locals, making for some interesting hybrids. And finally, I have only ever eaten rabbit once when my Grandmother tried to pass it off as chicken. The thought of eating cute little rabbits was enought to pass on that, although my Greek friend Mary swears by rabbit for stew.