Squeak Squeak

I've got some really exciting news! 

Any readers who live in the area and saw our local news will have seen the sad plight of a local animal rescue who sadly cannot cope with the high volume of animals in their care, specifically guinea pigs. The Ark on the Edge have over 75 guinea pigs who need rehoming and it looks like my little menagerie is going to get bigger!

I do try to keep up to date and in touch with as many animal rescues (big or small) who I can fundraise for, foster or even rescue their poor animals. It goes without saying that I'd adopt and care for every animal in need if I could, but I have to keep some perspective - I don't have an enormous house or garden, and I do have two dogs and guinea pig and a tortoise who already need me. 

This might be the case, but when I hear that this rescue has SEVENTY FIVE lovely little guinea pigs who needs home, I'm pretty sure I can find room for two more! 

We do already have Rocky, who was a very badly neglected guinea pig (hence his name...) but he has come on so much in the past year. With plenty of cuddles, patience and love, Rocky no longer cowers when you come near him, he's around five now but he's so inquisitive, so brave and just such a joy to have in the family. We've made him the best run and boredom-buster assault course with lots of plant pots and upside down hanging baskets outside so he's really making the most of the good weather. He now walks up to the back door when he's hungry and actually lies down when you have cuddles without wetting his pants on you which is a huge improvement. Guinea pigs are social animals and often live in pairs, so we're going to very carefully and slowly introduce Rocky to some new friends, but they will live in a separate cage to him in case he gets frightened and feels threatened or they attack one another. 

I think people need to really think about the responsibilities they'll face in their new role. I defy anybody who says looking after small pets such as guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters. Aside from cleaning them out every other day (or every day if necessary), providing fresh food and water and socialising them, they need to be exercised properly, socialised and groomed. Especially if you have long-haired Abyssinians like my two. So I urge people to get in touch with Ark on the Edge and help rescue some of these beautiful creatures but please remember that you're taking on a big responsibility. Most shelters won't adopt to families with young children as they often lose interest or it ends up the parent who cleans the small animal out. I remember getting my first guinea pig (Snoopy) at seven and it was my job to clean him out properly, feed him every morning when I got up, check his water bottle and as silly as it sounds, that taught me to be responsible. Yes my mam helped out, but I wanted a guineapig, it was my job to care for him properly and that included getting my hands dirty and how to hold him carefully. I've had guinea pigs all of my life, and think I always will. Most people think they're really boring but I tell you, my guinea pig Tiggy who died at a grand old age of 8 did his fair share of listening to an angsty teen in those 8 years!! 

I'm hoping to drive up to Durham soon and meet my new little friends so I'll definitely keep you updated. I'm doing a 20 mile charity walk this weekend for a local shelter so will be spending most of Sunday resting my poor feet - but so far the team and I have raised nearly £300 for a few local shelters which is fantastic! 

If you have home in your heart for another pet, or two, please visit www.arkontheedge.org.uk or if you have a few spare pounds to donate I'm sure they'd be very grateful. 

The Case of the Missing Tortoise...

So last night we had a bit of a drama to say the least...

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon yesterday, so after getting Rocky out to play outside in our backyard, I got Dora the tortoise out as usual. Making sure they both had plenty of water, shelter and food, I left them to it and got on with my afternoon. So when it came to about 7pm and I got Rocky the guinea pig in, I realised Dora wasn't in any of her usual hiding spots. 

Calling on my mam and brother to help locate her, we searched, and searched, and searched. There was no sign of her. Maybe she's gone back inside the house? Nope, nothing. She can't physically climb the stairs so that was out of the question, so she had to be downstairs. It was getting pretty dark now, so out we were with our torches literally moving plant pots, crawling under chairs, sticking our heads in spider's webs and kneeling in bugs, and we just couldn't find her. She wasn't behind the TV, in the dogs' basket, at the bottom of the stairs, I was getting mildly hysterical by now. What if she's been stolen? Could a bird have picked her up by her shell and dropped her? We even ran round the block to look for her!

So after nearly two hours of searching, it began to rain, heavily. As the rain splattered outside, there was still no sign of our little tortoise. Feeling horrified and terrified at the same time, we reluctantly agreed we'd checked everywhere and called off the search. Leaving the back door open until we went to bed, hoping she'd come in from the rain, we went to bed still tortoise-less. 

Where the hell was she?

It wasn't until my younger brother burst into my bedroom at three in the morning, tortoise in hand that I could finally sleep. The little bugger had somehow managed to chew her way into a sealed plastic bag of gravel stored underneath a lounger, crawl amongst the gravel and become completely hidden! It was only when my brother in a moment of clarity realised he hadn't checked the bag of soil at the backdoor. Thinking it was stupid, but worthwhile he remembered the bag of gravel and voila. 

Thank god we found her in the end, but I don't think I'll be letting her to roam our backyard without a GPS tracking device from now on! 

Has anybody else got Houdini for a tortoise, or any other crazy escape attempts? I need something to calm my nerves.... 

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TORTOISE?!